Yakuza Kiwami 3 + Dark Ties Hands-On — The Dragon Engine Can Still Provide Beautiful Remakes

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It’s hard to believe, but Yakuza Kiwami 3 is officially happening! Fans who’ve been waiting for years can finally stop being disappointed, and early looks at the game suggest it’s even better than anyone hoped for.

After playing the Yakuza remakes, Kiwami 1 and 2, I decided to play the original Yakuza 3 to experience the story in order. However, going back to an older game that wasn’t as polished was surprisingly difficult. Yakuza 3 came out in 2009, and now the gameplay feels quite outdated and clunky. The boss fights were often frustratingly hard, and I found myself just mashing buttons, hoping to get lucky. Beyond the combat, the game felt slow and awkward. I wanted to enjoy Kiryu’s relaxing time in Okinawa, but the long, drawn-out scenes almost spoiled it, and the character models, especially the children, look noticeably dated.

Despite some frustrating parts, I really enjoyed this game because of its touching story and unforgettable characters – fans still talk about them! The quiet, heartwarming scenes with the orphans and the unique connections Kiryu made with other characters in this game are some of my favorite moments in the entire series.

I’ve been waiting for a Yakuza 3 remake for ages! After playing the original, I really hoped they’d update the graphics and gameplay, because I knew it could be one of my all-time favorite games. And honestly, when I finally got to try the remake, I actually got a little emotional. It’s amazing to see Yakuza Kiwami 3 running on the Dragon Engine – it looks incredible! Plus, they’ve added even more content, which just shows how much love and care RGG Studio puts into these remakes.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 Hands-on

Although the demo was brief, it showed me what to anticipate in Yakuza Kiwami 3. The scene began with Kiryu having left the Yakuza and living a peaceful life in Okinawa with Haruka, helping out at the Morning Glory orphanage – the same one he grew up in. But trouble quickly arises when the Ryudo Family starts threatening to shut the orphanage down, leading Kiryu to their office. There, he meets Rikiya and Mikio, who reveal they’ve been watching Morning Glory, and the demo immediately transitioned into a combat tutorial.

As a remake, the game returns to its classic beat-’em-up gameplay, bringing back Kiryu’s iconic Dragon of Dojima fighting style. It also introduces a brand new Ryukyu Style, based on Okinawan martial arts. This new style gives Kiryu access to eight different weapons, each with a powerful charged attack. While the combat feels familiar to other Kiwami games, experimenting with the new weapons and combos in Ryukyu Style was a lot of fun. And, of course, nothing can top the satisfaction of using a bicycle to take down every enemy – it’s a classic Kiryu move!

Once the battle was over, we had a short time to explore the city, and it was fun revisiting a modernized version of Okinawa. The demo didn’t offer a lot to do beyond simple activities like karaoke and dining. I mostly enjoyed customizing Kiryu’s phone. I’m glad they kept the classic ‘Razor’ phone, and now you can personalize it with charms, jewels, and backgrounds. I decorated his phone with pink jewels and a heart charm – it’ll be amusing to see that during the funny ‘Revelations’ scenes again.

Honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about Rikiya’s new face in the remake. In the original Yakuza 3, he looked younger and kind of innocent, which really fit his personality and where he came from in Okinawa. He didn’t look like your typical tough Yakuza, and that made sense for an islander. Now, they’ve given him the face of his new voice actor, Sho Kasamatsu, and it’s…different. He looks way more rugged and handsome, which is going to take some getting used to! I’m hoping their playful – and sometimes brutal – back-and-forth with Kiryu still feels the same. I’m especially curious to see how they handle that one hotel scene. After seeing that, I was blown away to learn the studio was also giving Yoshitaka Mine his own spin-off game called Dark Ties!

Dark Ties Hands-on

Yakuza Kiwami 3 lets you truly experience life as a yakuza! Beyond a complete remake of the original game, it includes a separate, full-length story focusing on the villain Yoshitaka Mine and how he became the antagonist in Kiwami 3. Similar to the Majima Saga in Yakuza Kiwami 2, this is a standalone game accessible from the main menu. It’s amazing that the developers gave a villain from over 15 years ago his own playable story – RGG Studio consistently delivers meaningful content and clearly cares about giving fans more depth for their favorite characters.

In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Mine is a businessman looking to establish connections within the Yakuza. We saw the beginning of the story, where he’s questioning his future after leaving his current company. Seeing the strong loyalty within the Tojo Clan, especially towards Daigo Dojima, he becomes determined to connect with them. He learns about Tsuyoshi Kanda, a recently released prisoner with Yakuza ties – you might remember him as the arrogant villain from Yakuza 3. Honestly, my first impression was how good Mine looks in this game! His character design is a bit different from what we saw in Like a Dragon: Ishin!, but I’m sure fans will be making plenty of fan edits – and I’ll probably be one of them.

Right after the introductory cutscene, we tried out Mine’s fighting style in the tutorial. It’s a really interesting style, combining aerial attacks with moves inspired by shoot boxing, and it can unlock his Dark Awakening. This powerful mode is activated by filling up a special meter below his health bar through combos. Honestly, the name “Dark Awakening” made me chuckle – it fits Mine’s personality, as he’s a bit of an emo character, and his moveset definitely has a dark, edgy feel.

Once the introductory battle was over, we could freely roam Kamurocho. Like other Yakuza heroes, Mine has access to fun side activities like golf, baseball, and gambling. I was thrilled to hear Shido Nakamura reprise his role as Mine, so I immediately went to karaoke. I’m not sure if it’s a treat or a challenge for the voice actors to have their characters sing karaoke, but Mine’s rendition of ‘Bakamitai’ was beautiful, even though he was singing it to a picture of Kanda. Sorry to anyone hoping for something more between Mine and Kanda!

The last game ended on a real cliffhanger with Mine and Kanda’s meeting, and I’m eager to see how Kanda’s story unfolds and connects to Kiwami 3. Getting the full story of Mine’s relationships with both Kanda and Daigo is going to make their eventual resolutions in Kiwami 3 even more impactful. Honestly, I’m also really excited to see how fans react – especially those who are rooting for Mine and Daigo – when the games are released. This is definitely the RGG title I’ve been most looking forward to in recent years.

I’m really excited to see Kiryu in a calmer environment at the orphanage, especially with the gorgeous visuals of the Dragon Engine. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to all the fun side activities and moments with the characters I love from Yakuza 3. I usually don’t get excited about remakes, as they often just update the graphics, but RGG Studio consistently delivers beautifully rebuilt games with new content. They’re getting closer to remaking the entire Yakuza library, and even with a few small, occasionally odd changes, the Kiwami remakes show that RGG cares about its fans and wants everyone – both newcomers and long-time players – to experience Kiryu’s story in the best way possible.

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2025-09-26 00:12