There’re few series as well-rounded as RGG’s Yakuza series. Every year, we get something new and it feels like the developers can’t put a foot wrong. These games aren’t for everyone, I get that. The thing is, I’ve grown up with this franchise. I love how silly they are, yet in the next breath they’re making you cry. Ryu Ga Gotoku hasn’t just remade one of its older games, it’s made it feel like a completely new title. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is the best of the remakes to date, and there are plenty of reasons why.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is two games in one. The first follows franchise icon Kazuma Kiryu in an extreme remake of the third entry in the story. Dark Ties however, is a brand new story following one of the original game’s most interesting characters, Yoshitaka Mine. It’s a much darker tale with little of the humour Kiryu encounters, and while it’s great that we get an original story, it’s the remake of Yakuza 3 that blew me away. It feels as though Infinite Wealth has a lot to do with the style and layering of how this has been crafted.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 first, then. Following the events of the previous Kiwami games, Kazuma Kiryu entrusts the fate of the Tojo Clan with Daigo Dojima as he embarks on a quiet life helping children at the Morning Glory orphanage in Okinawa. If only it was that simple. To paraphrase The Godfather: Part III, just when he thought he was out, they pull him back in. A government conspiracy is only the start. Travelling between Okinawa and Kamurocho, the Dragon of Dojima encounters twists, turns, joy, sorrow, and a huge plot involving Japan, China, and the US of A.
While the story is as grand as it appears, most of what makes it so special is the quieter moments. As stoic as he can be, he has such a big heart. One of my favourite stories within the main narrative is helping his newfound friend Rikiya get his tattoo finish after the original artist dies during the time he was getting it done. Kiryu’s adventure is filled with plenty of sentimentality and happiness, reminding you just how good RGG is at writing a sweeping story littered with poignant, smaller moments that help to build some the the game’s biggest relationships.
The characters are fleshed out and well-written. Rikiya has his own story of rediscovery. Haruka is doing her best to still be a kid but also wearing the responsibility of looking after the kids at the orphanage in Kiryu’s absence. Nakahara and his struggles with raising his self-adopted daughter. Then there are the enemies. Kanda is a legitimate piece of shit and I felt a deep hatred for him, although I wasn’t sure if I despise Hamazaki more. Then there’s Mine, the star of Dark Ties. So many superb performances and each character is engaging.
Combat is always at the heart of the Yakuza series, and RGG has made it the best it’s been. In the past, I’ve found there’s too much choice to make it feel exciting. In Yakuza Kiwami 3, Kiryu as just two styles, but each work perfectly depending on the situation. Dragon style is the one many have become accustomed to. It opts for a more brutal and methodical approach. When facing multiple enemies, the new Ryukyu style is incredible. It allows Kiryu to switch between a variety of weapons on the fly to wipe out multiple enemies at once.
Not only that, it’s much faster, paying homage to the Okinawan martial arts style it is based on. New abilities can be learned as you play, with plenty of heat actions for both, and the option to unleash a powerful flurry of attacks after filing a gauge through successful punches and kicks. Tapping down on the D-pad can switch between the two. This freedom allows you to tackle any combat situation (and there are hundreds) with a hefty arsenal of attacks however you choose to make use of both styles.
The two main locations provide very different activities for Kiryu to participate in. Kamurocho offers the same minigames like arcades, bowling, darts, and pool. Kiryu can also customise his phone with various antennas, charms, and stickers, connecting with other mobile phone users across the city (like in Infinite Wealth). You can also take part in a photo challenge. There are plenty of restaurants to enjoy a good meal and a beverage. Shops to buy clothes, games for your Game Gear and songs for your music player. And of course, there’s karaoke.
In Okinawa, there are still restaurants and shops, but there’s a lot more. It reminded me a lot of Hawaii. On top of the similar activities, there’s a whole side game called Baddie Battles. A biker gang are causing havoc in Okinawa, and you step in to help a group of fierce, biker girls bring them down. These battles see you fighting waves of enemies by riding from area to area on a motorbike and raising hell. You’ll hire new members, upgrade bikes, your gang’s banner, and buy new weapons to use in these big battles.
The other massive part of Yakuza Kiwami 3 is the Morning Glory Orphanage. It is here you’ll take part in a ton of minigames to raise your ‘Daddy Rank.’ The rewards are great, but it is building relationships with these kids that mean the most. Each child struggles with being an orphan. However, just like always, Kiryu is the guy to help them feel less alone. You’ll be able to grow vegetables in the back garden and look after livestock for ingredients to make delicious meals through various cooking minigames.
You’ll be able to play a sewing minigame which is actually a lot of fun. Helping kids with homework by answering multiple choice questions in maths, English, and more. Catching bugs in a tense minigame against other kids. There’s just so much to do. Completing jobs for nearby villagers and shop owners further rewards you, and then there’s fishing! Honestly, the orphanage could be its own game. While it can seem like a lot, going back to the orphanage and helping out the kids becomes something you’ll want to do whenever you get some free time.
When it comes to Dark Ties, there doesn’t feel as much as in Yakuza Kiwami 3. Despite there being some incredibly gruesome and dark moments in Kiryu’s story, it was still filled with plenty of light. Mine’s story feels grittier. It details his journey from losing everything to finding a footing in the Tojo Clan on his rise to the top. Mine’s combat isn’t as fun as Kiryu’s, however, the Shackled Hearts feature is pretty cool. Hearts fill up as you fight, and holding down the right trigger will let you consume them to provide more power and deadlier moves.
Mine’s swift boxing/kickboxing combo isn’t as tight as Kiryu’s. The side activities in Dark Ties boils down to Kanda’s Damage Control and Hell’s Arena. Kanda’s Damage Control sees you completing tasks across Kamurocho to boost your boss’s reputation. Hell’s Arena on the other hand feels like the dungeons in Infinite Wealth. Mine dives deeper into a dungeon for more rewards and cash, by beating bosses and impressing the VIPs. It feels inspired by Squid Game, and it’s a nice way to break up the intensity of Mine’s story.
There’s a lot I haven’t even touched on. That’s because Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is such a dense game. It is filled with so many side activities that you’re never going to be bored. You could spend hours at a time trying to bowl strike after strike to earn tokens for prizes. Completing plenty of substories featuring some of the same wackiness your used to takes plenty of time up, too. And those damn claw machines! Nothing feels like filler, though. RGG is just providing so much to keep you busy that almost all of it sticks.
While Dark Ties might not be as good as Yakuza Kiwami 3, it’s still a lot of fun. Kiryu’s story and the lengths he goes to to save his orphanage keeps you hooked until the very end. The boss fights are intense, especially the final one. The wealth of side missions, activities, and customisation is staggering. Visually, it’s spectacular. The voice acting is excellent. Everything about this remake surpasses all of the previous ones thanks to its inspirations from the recent Like a Dragon series, and I utterly adore it all.
