Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Review

We’ve had plenty of Yakuza goodness recently with the Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut and Yakuza Kiwami 1 & 2 updates. This leads very nicely into Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, which is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam. What I love about this experience is you’re getting a double whammy of content with two different experiments in the same universe. Kiwami 3 is a full-scale remake of a chapter from the long-running saga, while Dark Ties is more of a compact adventure.

A Story Of Calm & Brutal

During Yakuza Kiwami 3, you’ll revisit Kazuma Kiryu’s life as you help run the Morning Glory orphanage. Kiryu is after a quieter life, but it isn’t long before you’re brawling on the streets against rival gangs, getting involved in turf wars and in constant conflict scenarios. There is some good pacing in getting stuck in with the combat and side quests and dipping into keeping the orphanage in check.

Dark Ties keeps the story to a close-knit group of characters, and it’s a big change of pace in comparison to Kiwami 3. The quests are more on the side of investigation and moral dilemmas rather than gang wars. Everything is darker in tone and feel, and I really enjoyed the narrative and how different it feels

Combat Is Brilliant

This remake drastically improves the functionality and fluidity of the combat. With two combat styles to flick between to get the job done, it makes for spontaneous brawls with some magnificent visual effects. Kiwami 3 has the Dragon of Dojima style, along with a new Ryukyu style. Throughout my playthrough, I ventured more towards Ryukyu. This is the remake’s standout addition, a full Okinawan martial‑arts style built around traditional weaponry.

In Dark Ties Mine fights with an aggressive stance that mirrors his personality. Perfect quickstepping allows you to counterattack with time-based mechanics very similar to what Kiryu uses. Dark awakening enhances Mine’s offensive skills and also unlocks new abilities.

Mini-Games Galore

Yakuza isn’t Yakuza without a nice spread of minigames. The number of hours I tend to lose by not focusing on the storyline or quest is a fair amount. Yakuza Kiwami 3 has the usual returning games such as Karaoke, Darts, Pool, Golf, Gambling and more. If you’re a fan of the old SEGA Game Gear, then you’ll have access to 12 full Game Gear titles that you can play. Within the Club SEGA arcades, there is a feast of arcade games to get stuck into.

Within the Morning Glory orphanage, I enjoyed that there were various tasks to increase bonding time with the children. This includes activities on the beach, bug catching, cooking and preparing meals, growing and harvesting the ingredients, and the list goes on. Dark Ties, being a smaller experience in its scope, doesn’t have a feast in comparison. There are, however, some mini-games and activities that knit into the meat of the storyline.

Visuals & Audio

The visual performance of both titles on Xbox Series X is simply excellent. Environment design in Yakuza Kiwami 3 is richly detailed, featuring neon-lit, vibrant streets that come alive with life throughout the streets of Kamurocho and Downtown Ryukyu. Cutscenes and character design are as stunning as always. I don’t expect any less from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, though.

Series X benefits from higher resolution, great frame pacing, HDR contrast settings and near instant transitions. Soundtrack and sound design are on par with the rest of the great work. Personally, I always enjoy the games more when there is an English dub as I find the story easier to digest, which is the full works here.

Final Thoughts

Yakuza Kiwami 3 on Xbox Series X is a brilliant remake that preserves the tone and atmosphere of the franchise, whilst modernising the experience. If you’re a die-hard Yakuza fan like myself, then you’ll love this one. Having this as a double release with two different angles shows just how talented and strong Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio are. Kiwami 3 will offer you a huge feast of content with an engaging storyline, plenty of action, turf wars, and more. Dark Ties is a shorter campaign, which will take around 15-20 hours to finish, which is a welcome addition when Kiwami 3 takes around 60-70 hours. Purchase a copy for Xbox Series X|S HERE.