Yakuza Kiwami 3 Puts Kiryu Into Ultimate Dad Mode, And It’s Glorious

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It’s been three months since Yakuza Kiwami 3, a remake of the beloved 2009 game Yakuza 3, was announced. I’ve been eagerly awaiting more details, especially about Kiryu’s life on the island, after being impressed by the game’s beautiful graphics and smooth performance in the Dragon Engine, as well as the new Mine Saga storyline. Last week, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio shared some exciting new features, and I recently had a chance to play an extended demo that really showcased the island life aspects. It’s made me even more excited for this remake and confident it will be another fantastic Yakuza game.

Yakuza 3 is different from other games in the series, as it shows Kiryu enjoying a calmer life. After resolving the conflict with the Omi Alliance in Yakuza 2, he moves to Okinawa to care for his adopted daughter, Haruka, and run an orphanage. The first part of the game centers around his bond with the children, simple moments with Haruka, and lighthearted side stories as a father figure.

While the idea of seeing Kiryu settle into a caring role and build a family at the orphanage sounded good, I was actually quite disappointed with how it played out in the original game. Moving around the orphanage felt slow and awkward, even when it first came out in 2009, and it was frustrating to have a loading screen every time you entered a room. Interacting with the children felt like a chore with little payoff. I finished the game hoping the story would have spent more time developing Kiryu’s life on the island, as it’s one of the few genuinely peaceful moments in his story.

Okay, so I haven’t gotten super far into the story of Kiwami 3 yet, but honestly, I’m having a ton of fun with the new “Daddy Rank” system! It’s exactly what it sounds like – you get to be a dad to the kids at the orphanage. I’m talking Hawaiian shirts, goofy tasks, and Kiryu dropping some seriously cheesy dad jokes. They really expanded the orphanage stuff in Kiwami 3, and this Daddy Rank is awesome. You level up your “dad stats” by doing things like helping with homework, sewing, cooking, playing games, and taking on funny side quests. It’s way more satisfying to build a connection with the orphans this time around, and it feels so much more meaningful than it did in the original Yakuza 3.

During a hands-on play session, we jumped into Chapter 3, where Kiryu really starts to embrace his role as a father figure. Seeing Haruka overwhelmed with chores at the orphanage, he decides to take over and help. Our first task involved assisting Ayako with her homework, and Kiryu was surprisingly anxious about it! The homework minigame is similar to those found in previous Like a Dragon games, testing your knowledge with timed multiple-choice questions. This time, it was basic elementary school science – I had to identify different types of science flasks. It was surprisingly stressful, but thankfully, having recently rewatched Breaking Bad, I managed to pass with a 70%. It was a little embarrassing to barely succeed – even Kiryu was sweating by the end! Let’s just say I’m no genius when it comes to fifth-grade science.

Once Kiryu finished helping Ayako with her homework – a really sweet scene – it was time to make a new bag for Taichi using a brand-new sewing minigame. It’s a little tricky at first; you have to carefully follow a stitch line, speeding up when you can and slowing down for tight turns – it feels a bit like a fast-paced racing game! Like other minigames in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, it’s reminiscent of WarioWare, and it really lets Kiryu’s unique personality – intensely focused but also a bit goofy – come through. He gets super concentrated, adopts a hunched posture, and makes frustrated noises whenever he makes a small mistake.

Okay, so once I finally finish all the chores – homework and, yeah, even sewing! – it’s time to get cooking for the kids. Honestly, this game made cooking way harder, which is kinda cool. It’s not just following a recipe; you’re scrambling to crack eggs and flip stuff in pans like it’s a crazy fast-paced game. But it’s not just cooking, either. I’ve got my own farm where I grow all the ingredients, and I can even go fishing to get seafood! It adds a whole new level to things.

The short scenes between minigames are really heartwarming – it’s clear Kiryu genuinely likes helping with chores, even though he’s not very good at them, likely because of his own childhood experience growing up in an orphanage. The Morning Glory side activity has evolved from a small feature into something that feels like a complete, relaxing game on its own. I’m excited to spend most of my time raising my ‘Daddy Rank’ and becoming the best possible caretaker.

Following a glimpse into Kiryu’s peaceful life at the orphanage, the story progressed to Chapter 4, where he takes on a fatherly role in the city.

The game quickly opens with a scene where Kiryu sees a group of men from the Tokyo Night Terrors, a mainland biker gang, attacking a group of women. These women are actually members of the Haisai, a local Okinawa gang who work to keep the city safe. Kiryu, who strongly opposes violence against women, immediately intervenes to fight the attackers.

Returning to Kiryu’s classic fighting style felt surprisingly good and brought back a lot of memories. He’s noticeably more energetic and powerful in this game, moving faster and reacting quicker than he did in Like a Dragon Gaiden. As someone who recently played Gaiden and experienced a more worn-down Kiryu, it was a little bittersweet. I’m used to relying on the Dragon of Dojima style—mostly just Tiger Drops and throwing bikes—so I decided to experiment with the new Ryukyu Style this time around. I enjoyed learning the different moves and weapons, and I appreciate that it’s based on Okinawan martial arts. I’m excited to discover some crazy combos when the full game comes out, but let’s be real—I’ll probably still be throwing bikes at everyone.

Once Kiryu defeats the Night Terror thugs, the Haisai girls take him to their hangout, Chura Bar, which is run by their leader Tsubasa’s father. Feeling protected by Kiryu, the girls ask him to help them eliminate the Night Terror gang and gather other troublemakers to join Haisai. They playfully nickname him “Chairman Kiryu,” a title that likely reminded him of his past. Now officially a member of the girl bike gang, it’s going to be fun seeing Kiryu take on a protective, fatherly role while cruising the streets in their purple uniforms.

After finishing the main story, I spent a lot of time just wandering around Okinawa and Kamurocho, checking out all the side activities. The Yakuza series is famous for its great side stories, and Yakuza 3 Remastered (Kiwami 3) doesn’t disappoint, adding some really funny moments – like Kiryu awkwardly trying to hide a magazine from Haruka on the beach! I noticed a lot of the side quests focused on Kiryu’s role as a father, which seems to be a common theme in this remake. Beyond the classic minigames like karaoke, bowling, and casino games, the remake also includes a Sega Game Gear in Kiryu’s room, letting you play complete games.

After finishing the demo for Yakuza Kiwami 3, we started working on the addition I was most excited about: the side story “Dark Ties,” which explores the history of Yoshitaka Mine. This new content details what happened before the events of Yakuza Kiwami 3, focusing on how Mine, after losing his business, tried to establish himself in the criminal world by connecting with Tsuyoshi Kanda, a member of the Tojo clan.

The trailer for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth‘s ‘Dark Ties’ story showed a focus on Mine and Kanda’s relationship, which worried many longtime fans – including me, as someone who played the original Yakuza 3. We’re concerned that ‘Dark Ties’ might try to make Kanda more sympathetic. He’s always been a truly awful villain, unlike most Yakuza antagonists who have some redeeming qualities, and honestly, he’s not very appealing either.

Fortunately, Kanda remains as unpleasant as ever in Dark Ties, which makes Mine’s side questline particularly funny. Like Kiryu’s ‘Daddy Rank,’ Mine earns ‘Damage Control’ points by fixing Kanda’s messes and helping the community through side quests and minigames. The ranks themselves are amusing, ranging from “Super Trashy” to just “Trashy,” and it’s entertaining to watch Mine constantly clean up and apologize for Kanda’s behavior. It’s also a relief to see Kanda hasn’t changed for the better!

We began our Dark Ties playthrough in Chapter 2, exploring Kamurocho. This is where we learned about the Damage Control system and met Zenba, Kanda’s helper, who gives you missions to improve your rank. Our first job was to check out an underground fighting club and complete “Survival Hell,” a challenging battle arena that feels like the dungeons from the Like a Dragon series. You can use various weapons and hire allies to get through each level. Playing as Mine, his aerial kicks and shoot boxing style were enjoyable, especially against crowds, and unleashing his “Dark Awakening” really helped with tougher enemies and bosses.

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Once I finished Survival Hell and unlocked the underground fight club, I started exploring the city for ways to improve my rank. Knowing we didn’t have much time in Dark Ties, I assumed story content would still be locked. But playing regular Yakuza minigames as Mine is surprisingly fun! Getting a strike in bowling and doing favors for people as the angsty villain is already a good laugh, but inviting Kanda to join in makes it even better. I tried to get Kanda to sing a duet of “Bakamitai” with Mine, but Kanda just ends up shouting while Mine does all the singing. I’m really looking forward to seeing what other crazy situations Mine gets dragged into because of Kanda, and how their relationship evolves before their final scene in Yakuza Kiwami 3.

I’m really excited for Yakuza Kiwami 3! It sounds like Kiryu will have plenty of fun and touching side stories, which he’s earned after everything he’s been through. I also can’t wait to play as Mine and see how the story wraps up in this game. Luckily, we won’t have to wait long – Yakuza Kiwami 3 comes out on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch 2, and PC on February 12th.

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2026-01-16 06:11