Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

The game

In Yakuza Kiwami 3, former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu runs an orphanage in Okinawa and fights to protect those close to him. According to SEGA, the streets of Okinawa and Tokyo have been recreated, combat reworked and the story expanded with additional scenes. Dark Ties is a full standalone game included in the package: it tells how Yoshitaka Mine, a former start-up boss, dives into the yakuza world after losing everything.

What the press says (PS5 reviews)

Reception is very positive. Areajugones (9.5/10) calls it a top-tier remake. Loot Level Chill (9/10) sees one of the best remakes in some time: strong story, great combat, plenty to do, gorgeous visuals and excellent voice acting. PlayStation Universe (9/10) praises a worthwhile package, an expanded Morning Glory orphanage that feels like its own game, and says Dark Ties is worth the price alone. Noisy Pixel (8.5/10) enjoys Kiryu’s more poignant fatherhood arc, modernised combat with the Ryukyu style and a strong English dub. SpazioGames (8.4/10) notes tighter pacing, interesting new modes and a stable Dragon Engine on PS5.

Reservations concern cuts and some choices. Noisy Pixel criticises stiff facial animation, the removal of about two thirds of the substories and a slightly smaller Okinawa map. SpazioGames finds the plot still one of the weakest in the series and some animations dating from the PS3 era. PlayStation Universe finds some changes questionable, especially the ending, and some additions pointless. Loot Level Chill finds Dark Ties not as good as the main game.

Our reading

The five PS5 reviews range from 8.4/10 to 9.5/10. The game is for series fans and newcomers who want to discover Kiryu’s third chapter. Fans of the original will have to accept cuts to side content. The PC, PS4, Xbox and Switch 2 versions are not covered by these reviews. The displayed average is computed by the site from the five PS5 scores.