Note: This review is based on the PC version of Yakuza 3 and Dark Ties. Given many pronounced differences between the original Yakuza 3 (and its remaster), you may wish to read our review of that game in order to compare and contrast this remake better.

It’s often said that some remakes are as good as they are bad. They might update a bunch of elements in a former work, but could also diminish elements that made the original work enjoyable. To that point, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is still worth playing, but it deserves its mixed reception.

A bit of background first. The Like A Dragon series (originally localized as Yakuza until recently and still retained for some of the early titles and remakes) is a series of action (and occasional turn-based) RPG games. Set generally in the contemporary modern days (excepting the few games set in earlier history periods), you play as some sort of ex-yakuza or some other protagonist of similar origins. You have to fight various street thugs, do side quests for people, engage in an absurd degree of side content, and progress through a generally well-done story involving elements of the criminal underworld and their schemes.

Before I go on, though, Yakuza 3 Kiwami is a remake of the original Yakuza 3/Remaster, only redone in the Dragon Engine used since Yakuza 6. Some things from the original are gone in this version. First off, the substory side quests have been chopped down from over 100 to around 30. The hostess minigame is also chopped out. The weapon-collecting elements and the martial arts masters (including recurring character Sotaro Komaki) have been excised. There is a new martial art style, and its teacher added in compensation, though.

On the flip side, this remake adds a lot more elements. The original clunky Morning Glory orphanage, with its tedious story cutscenes, has been reworked. Backporting a lot of minigames from later titles, the orphanage side plot is now more optional for players who found the original tedious. There are also a TON of minigames and side content, again with many backported from later titles. While many of them are expected games like casinos and shogi, there is now stuff like collecting Game Gear games, running a biker gang, and so on.

As the title says, this is actually two games in one. First, obviously, is a retelling of Yakuza 3 from the protagonist's perspective of Kazuma Kiryu. A former yakuza now trying to run an orphanage, he finds himself drawn into the underworld again through no fault of his own, and winds up having to deal with both Japanese mobsters and a shadowy cabal of foreigners with their own goals that put him and the children under his protection in danger. Dark Ties is a mini-campaign that should be played after Kiwami 3, as it allows the player to be Yoshitaka Mine, a major antagonist from the main game set prior to the main game. Dark Ties details how Mine rises to become the antagonist of the main game and fills in context for things only implied in the main title.

Mine’s campaign deserves a few more notes. His fighting style is very different from Kiryu’s, for one, and his campaign largely revolves around serving as the PR agent for another yakuza. He basically has to do side quests, take down hoods, and otherwise do all sorts of weird and wacky things to improve the reputation of another yakuza. You get rewards for consistently doing this. There is also a roguelike-style dungeon mode Mine can undertake with its own rewards and challenges as well.

A few final notes. While I generally enjoyed this game, it retcons some details that cause issues with the canon of Yakuza 4. Some of the backported minigames, while rewarding, feel like tedious padding. Also, a few of the characters (based on real people’s likenesses and voices) had to be replaced due to legal reasons and licensing issues. While this doesn’t really hurt too much (and in English dub is likely not going to be noticeable), some of the replacements look a bit generic at best and don’t fit the intended tone they set in the original game.

Graphically, this game is set in the colorful settings of Tokyo and Okinawa. Both regions look stunning, and this is backed up by excellent character design, with many characters' voices and likenesses borrowed from real people. A few had to be changed in this version due to legal and licensing issues. One was due to one of the former likenesses being involved in serious criminal conduct, the others for less clear reasons. While most of the new faces and voices aren't bad per se, they may be divisive if you prefer some of the original character likenesses. Animations are also excellent, due to the improved rendering of the Dragon Engine.

The sounds and music are excellent. The musical score for the game has varying sounds, ranging from rock to classical to even some death metal in Mine’s campaign. The voice acting is excellent in all dubs. As a tip of the hat to the much-loved Engrish dialogue of one character in the original Yakuza 3, the English dub even purposely retains some of the more amusing Engrish on purpose.

This game can be played with the keyboard and mouse or any Steam-supported controller. The latter is very highly recommended; this game is very ponderous to play with a keyboard and mouse. Keys can be remapped, though the default keys are pretty good. The game comes with built-in tutorials to get the player acclimated to the basics.

Yakuza 3 and Dark Ties are pretty stable games. It runs natively on Microsoft Windows and can run on Linux with Steam Proton. It is also rated as Playable on the Steam Deck. It’s worth noting that the player should exceed the minimum requirements by a decent margin for the best performance.

There are some comments I need to make concerning the story. Without spoilers, the developers mentioned that, unlike the first two Kiwami games (which were faithful to the original story), this game makes some deviations. Most are just adding further context to the original plot without actually deviating from it. The ending, by contrast, introduces a huge retcon to elements that would be important to Yakuza 4. The developers have not confirmed if they intend to remake that game, too, but with that in mind, it bears noting that said retcons are pretty major.

Morally, this title has a lot of concerning content.

Violence is going to be graphic. There are scenes of intense blood and gore. While both Kiryu and Mine fight in the context of self-defense as playable characters, they can both inflict some brutal punishment on enemies.

Language is also going to be very foul-mouthed. Expect to hear a LOT of cursing, especially in the English dub. Virtually every profanity will be heard, and God’s name is taken in frequent vain as well. There are a lot of crude sexual metaphors and innuendos made. No actual sex is depicted, though there are prostitutes and sex workers shown in very little clothing. At least one villain makes a bunch of depraved and creepy references to sexual assault as well.

There are two instances of homosexual content. One instance is shown when one of the protagonists fakes being a gay couple with Kiryu in order to get into a hotel. This is clearly played for laughs and not to be taken seriously. The other concerns the character of Yoshitaka Mine. He has clearly romantic feelings for a male character, and this is a major plot point. The feelings are generally portrayed as one-sided, and Mine does not physically act on said feelings, though it’s very obvious what his sexuality is.

This game is set in a real-world setting, circa 2007-2009 Japan. There are some references to Japanese religious traditions like Shinto in a few places. Otherwise, this game is pretty grounded in reality.

Morally, each protagonist is different and deserves to be covered separately. Kazuma Kiryu is a former yakuza who is making serious efforts to leave that life behind to run an orphanage. He’s reluctantly dragged back into the consequences of that lifestyle by circumstances beyond his control, and his only motivation is to protect friends and family and to keep his own hands as clean as he possibly can. By contrast, Yoshitaka Mine willingly submerges himself into the Japanese underworld, fully intent on climbing the ranks of the yakuza. While he does have some ethical limits and tries to avoid harming innocent civilians, he is still willing to commit criminal acts with full knowledge of their moral and legal consequences. The campaign playing as Mine makes no excuses; you will be playing as a criminal and will be required to perform illegal acts. In both games are depictions of smoking, drinking, and gambling.

Overall, I found Yakuza 3 Kiwami a very mixed experience. On the plus side, this is still a perfectly enjoyable game. On the other side of the ledger, there is a lot of content chopped out from the original, and many of the additions are decent at best, to tedious filler at worst. Technically, it’s mostly solid. Morally, like the original Yakuza 3, this game is fit only for mature audiences. If you can play the original (or its remaster), I highly recommend doing so, if only to compare and contrast with the original Yakuza 3. Otherwise, if you are a Like A Dragon/Yakuza fan or someone who wants a good action RPG, this comes with a positive, if with some reservations, recommendation.