Developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by SEGA, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is the latest upspuffed entry from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Kiryu is back again, well back from the past and brought to the future, in a past game – if you know what I mean. The 2009 sequel has been remade and brought up to current days standards and there is much to be impressed about, but there is a sour undertone which could easily have been avoided.
For those unfamiliar with the 2009 original, we continue the life of Kiryu who is trying to leave his Yakuza past behind. He is happy running his orphanage in Okinawa trying his best to do right by the kids as was done for him when he was younger. That is until his friend Daigo, who he encouraged to lead the Tojo clan, gets shot. Not only that, he is receiving threatening eviction notices for his orphanage. So Kiryu does what he does best and fights for justice in the only way he knows; by cracking skulls and knocking sense into people.
So, what is new in the remake? Well the obvious thing is the graphics. Remade using the Dragon engine, all the characters look far less blocky and everything feels bright and vibrant. Yakuza 3 was already quite good graphically for its time but being modernised has done wonders, though some faces still look very dated but it’s easy to look past them. Second is the combat and that needed some treatment. Yakuza 3 was originally known as Blockuza by some as the enemies would block your attacks so much it made the game drag sometimes. Kiryu can now use 2 fighting styles, his usual Dragon of Dojima style and a new Ryukyu style which involves weaponry. This helps freshen things up and helps in overcoming those blocking nuisances.
The next set of changes are the minigames which are a large although optional chunk of the game. They have taken some of the more fun minigames of the newer games and repackaged them here. For example, the Vocational exams that Kasuga took in Like a Dragon are now school homework exams in which Kiryu’s helps the kids. The cooking minigame from Pirate Yakuza is being used to prepare meals for the kids at the orphanage. There is a new Bad Boy Dragon gang management simulation where you assist an all-girl biker gang raise their reputation by fighting big battles against the opposition. It’s not overly complex but it is a fun distraction from the main game from time to time. The last new thing is the introduction of the Lalala Loveland app for your phone. Similar in Like a Dragon where you connect socially with others, the Lalala Loveland allows you to connect to others around the area by pointing your mobile phone at each other. There are also boxes found here there any every which you can aim at for items. The more relationships and the stronger bonds you make the more prizes you can win.
The only other new feature is the Dark Ties side story which is an interesting addition. It is encouraged to play this after completing the main game as it will contain spoilers. You play through the story of Yoshitaka Mine, an once founder and head of a major company before he is ousted and down on his luck. He then observes the unwavering loyalty for Yakuza Boss Daigo Dojima, Kiryu’s friend and chosen successor, where many are taking a bullet for him (literally).
He then becomes infatuated with Daigo to see how someone of his character becomes a leader and achieves such loyalty. This drives him to trying to find a way to become part of the Tojo Yakuza family. He creates his own fate by currying favour with a recently released criminal Kanda who happens to be part of one of the Yakuza families. By becoming his friend and improving his reputation he manages to find a way to be accepted into the Yakuza family. Then by using his business acumen and fighting skills Mine becomes a prominent figure in the family by improving the amount of money earned by his branch of the family. But he does so by treading on others families toes to test what it means to be loyal in the Yakuza world.
The story of Dark Ties is very interesting and Mine has a couple of different fighting styles to master to keep it separate from the main game. The mini games are slightly different too whereby a lot of is connected to improving the reputation of Kanda by doing many good deeds under the guise of Kanda. He would be helping with duties, delivering certain items to people in need, fighting to help those in danger and even completing certain feats in other minigames. This could be hitting so many home runs in the baseball minigame, bowling a strike in the bowling minigame or hitting the bullseye in the darts minigame. They are all pretty fun distractions which help contribute towards the main game. Mine can level up his stats and move sets in the same way in the main game by purchasing upgrades using the money earned from fighting and doing good deeds. Its not the longest of stories but it is enough to make it enjoyable.
Where this game has suffered some bad press is due to a bad decision the studio compounded by coincidence of the storyline. So, it was known one of the character actors Teruyuki Kagawa admitted to sexual assault and misconduct. If he was recast then a lot of the shadow looming over the game would have gone away. But to keep him in left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. Unfortunately, the new Dark Ties has you partnering with Kanda who was recently released from prison for sexual assault, and one of the first things he tries to do is sexually assault another woman which luckily Mine interrupts and prevents from happening. But playing a storyline where you are helping a sex offender when the main game contains an actor who was a convicted sex offender is obviously going to keep drawing attention to this bad decision.
Conclusion
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties was always going to be a hit with me as a fan of the series. A lot of the amendments to modernise the game and make it more fun and interesting have hit the spot with me. Although its not the strongest story in the series, coupling it with the Dark Ties side story brings an interesting dynamic on the story which I enjoy. But a horrifically bad casting choice has completely tarnished the game and left me with mix feelings.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox S|X review code, using an Xbox S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
