Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

Review

Remastered or Regressed

February 19th, 2026 by Alex Moretti

reviewed on PC

The original Yakuza 3 is often regarded as the "black sheep" of the mainline series. Its ambitious attempt to move the setting away from mainland Japan and into Okinawa was a bold choice, introducing a fresh hub world and expanding the relationship between protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and the children of the Morning Glory Orphanage. While the shift in direction was appreciated, the original often felt more like a padded-out substory than a core entry. Between its relatively short length and the muddy, grainy visual filter typical of the PlayStation 3 era, it struggled to stand out.

Kiwami 3 makes minor improvements, but it ultimately feels like an adjunct title chasing trends rather than setting them.

A Sterile New Look

Upon starting Kiwami 3, the updated visuals and cutscenes might initially impress. However, looking closer—or even just paying attention during key cinematics—reveals a startling lack of polish.

The original game suffered from heavy film grain; this remake overcorrects by moving to the opposite extreme. Everything is jarringly "clean" and sterile. The grit is gone, replaced by textures that look like they’ve been spray-painted with a chrome finish. While the character models for the leads look decent, the environments range from passable to horrendous.

Early in the first chapter, during a cutscene atop a skyscraper meant to showcase the skyline, the illusion of the world completely breaks. The background is filled with low-resolution, "copy-paste" buildings, beyond which lies an empty, black void. While the original game used a fog effect to mask the edge of the map, Kiwami 3 leaves it exposed. It’s a glaring oversight that suggests a rushed production.

Simplified Combat Lacks Depth

For a game that only takes 12–15 hours to clear the main story, you would expect the developers to maximize the quality of the core mechanics. Unfortunately, the combat feels like a step backward.

In my favorite entry, Yakuza 0, half the fun was mastering eight distinct fighting styles between two protagonists. In Kiwami 3, you are limited to just two: Brawler and Okinawan Kobudo. Brawler is your standard street-fighting set, while Kobudo allows you to instantly materialize weapons for high-damage attacks.

Once I unlocked Kobudo, I never looked back. There is no tactical incentive to switch between styles; no enemies are specifically weak to one or resistant to the other. Without that mechanical depth, the combat quickly devolves into mindless button-mashing, which feels insulting compared to the complexity of previous entries.

Variety is the Saving Grace

Despite my issues with the main campaign, the side content remains the series' strongest suit. There are dozens of hours of side quests that range from hilariously lighthearted to emotionally resonant. The staple minigames—Karaoke, Bowling, and Baseball—are all present and as addictive as ever.

While the main story only took me 16 hours, I ended up putting in 56 hours total to see everything. The side content is so engaging that it almost makes you forget the "train wreck" of a main plot. Additionally, the new "Dark Tides" side story offers roughly three hours of meaningful context for a side character, which is a welcome addition to the package.

Better Left in the Past?

While it's nice to have this story accessible for newcomers, the reality is that the original Yakuza 3 was never the series' high point. Kiwami 3 fails to elevate the source material, instead hampering the experience with unfinished-looking cutscenes and a bizarre "chrome" aesthetic. With the original Yakuza 3 delisted from many digital storefronts, your only alternative is the Yakuza Remastered Collection. Given the high price point of that bundle and the lacklustre quality of this remake, there is very little reason to recommend Kiwami 3 as a standalone purchase.

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6.4

fun score

Pros

The side quests remain the heart of the experience, offering a perfect mix of humor and heart.

Cons

With only two fighting styles and no tactical depth, combat quickly devolves into mindless button-mashing.