Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties – 15 Key Facts You Should Know First

Unlike the 2019 Yakuza 3 Remaster, which simply touched up an older game, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a complete rebuild. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has used modern technology to completely remake the game, improved its weaker areas, and added a substantial new story. This delivers the true Yakuza 3 remake fans have been hoping for – a full-fledged ‘Kiwami’ title.

Before you pick up Yakuza Kiwami 3 + Dark Ties on February 11th, here are 15 things you should know.

A Ground-Up Remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3

Originally released in 2009, Yakuza 3 and its remaster have often been seen as the weakest entry in the series, criticized for its awkward combat and slow-paced sections involving the orphanage. Kiwami 3 seems built to fix these issues and improve the game in other ways. Rebuilt using the updated Dragon Engine, the remake boasts modern HD graphics, smoother animations, and completely new gameplay options. Cutscenes have been remade and the story’s flow has been adjusted for a better experience. Plus, the game includes a brand-new side story called Dark Ties featuring a popular character.

Orphanage Simulator

The orphanage side quests in the original Yakuza 3 were repetitive, but Yakuza Kiwami 3 completely reimagines them as optional and enjoyable activities. The minigames are now fully developed and genuinely fun, including a *Cooking Mamastyle cooking challenge, sewing competitions with the kids, and fishing. A new ‘Daddy Rank’ system tracks your progress and unlocks unique substories for each child, rewarding you with new recipes and craftable items to sell. Essentially, these sections add a lighthearted, simulation-like element that provides a nice contrast to the game’s main, more serious storyline.

Motion Capture and Recast Voices

The game’s darker atmosphere is being strengthened with updated cutscenes. While it’s unclear exactly where these scenes will fit into the story or how they’ll affect the pacing, the changes address criticisms of the original game’s inconsistent narrative. The voice acting has also been completely redone in both Japanese and English, with new actors providing fresh motion capture performances. To match the new Japanese voice cast, several characters – including Goh Hamazaki, Rikiya Shimabukuro, and Shigeru Nakahara – have received updated character models, a decision that’s proven controversial among dedicated fans.

Bad Boy Dragon Mode

One of the biggest side activities in the game is building and leading a biker gang called the Bad Boy Dragons. Similar to the Pirate Yakuza side story, you play as Kiryu, but this time you’re managing a crew of female bikers. Gameplay involves large-scale fights against hordes of enemies – sometimes up to 100 at once – combined with fast-paced motorcycle sections where you take over enemy territory. You’ll be able to recruit new members, improve your bikes, and organize a gang of over 20 units. This focus on large battles and strategic positioning will especially appeal to fans of musou games, adding a new tactical element to the classic Yakuza combat.

Hell’s Arena

As a fan, I’m really excited about the new Hell’s Arena content, which you can access through Mine’s campaign! It adds a bunch of different combat modes, but the Survival Hell dungeon race has really caught my attention. It’s basically a race through a dangerous dungeon packed with traps and loot. If you make it far enough, you’ll face a tough boss, and you’ll need to grab power-ups and special weapons along the way to have a chance. Having a team of mercenaries helps a lot too! But honestly, the coolest part seems to be the underground fight club – it’s all about one-on-one battles where you try to knock out your opponent before time runs out. I’m a sucker for fighting tournaments, so I think Hell’s Arena is going to deliver a really fun experience.

Combat: Miyazato Dojo

Much of Kiryu’s latest adventure takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Okinawa, and this new location introduces a unique fighting style. He trains with Master Miya at the Miyazato Dojo, learning Ryukyu martial arts. This includes a brand new skill progression system and techniques. To become a Ryukyu kobujutsu master, Kiryu needs to pass Miya’s exams, unlocking secret moves that will help him throughout the game.

Combat: Ryukyu Style Explained

Ryukyu is essentially a new fighting style for Kiryu, focusing on weapons. It features eight traditional Okinawan weapons, including shields, spears, knuckledusters, tonfas, nunchaku, and even oars. These weapons aren’t just items you equip – they’re integrated into a special system. Players can quickly switch between weapons during combat using simple button presses, allowing for smooth attack combinations similar to the Sea Dog Style. This fast-paced approach is a big change from the slower, more defensive fighting in the original Yakuza 3.

Merging of the Two Fighting Styles

The game lets you switch not only between different weapons, but also completely different fighting styles. You can move back and forth between the classic Dragon of Dojima style and the new Okinawan Ryukyu style. The Dragon style has been improved with powerful new finishing moves and more ways to destroy the environment to defeat your enemies. To use these new finishers, you need to build up energy and activate Dragon Boost, which gives Kiryu a super-powered state. Everything, from devastating pile drivers to long-range throws, becomes even more powerful when Dragon Boost is active.

Loads of Combat Techniques

Combining these detailed combat styles creates a lot of options for players. Yakuza Kiwami 3 features the most diverse range of attacks in the entire series, allowing for experimentation and making each fight feel more exciting and unpredictable than ever before.

New Minigames

The remake of Yakuza 3 doesn’t include every feature from the original. While some minigames have been cut, many new ones have been added. You’ll still find favorites like karaoke, batting cages, billiards, darts, and classic arcade games. The biggest additions are a series of minigames centered around an orphanage and a dedicated photography quest. You can also enjoy new minigames with Mine, focusing on a campaign where you manage public relations for Kanda. This ‘Kanda’s Damage Control’ campaign involves a main story about doing good deeds, helping civilians with side quests, and completing challenges.

A New Story Expansion

The ‘Dark Ties’ expansion lets you play as Yoshitaka Mine, a popular villain from Yakuza 3. Fans have wanted this for a long time! It explores his backstory in a gritty, new area of Kamurocho, showing how he became a criminal before his confrontation with Kiryu in Yakuza 3. It’s a chance to see his story from his perspective.

From Short Film to Game

The huge popularity of the character Mine led the studio to develop what began as a short film into a complete side game. The developer has publicly stated Mine is one of their top five favorite characters in the series. This new story is one of the darkest in the franchise, intentionally created to be a stark contrast to the more optimistic narrative of Kiryu in Yakuza 3.

Mine’s Unique Combat Style

Mine’s backstory is quite grim, which is why his fighting style is called ‘Dark Awakening.’ Or, the name might come from the style’s focus on powerful, precise attacks that carry a lot of risk. What really defines this style are the quick attacks from the air. When Mine enters the Dark Awakening State, he becomes even faster and more accurate. It feels like a blend of dragoon and ninja styles, and I’m really excited to play it!

Start Selection

When you start the game, you can choose to play through Kiryu’s story first, or dive right into the Dark Ties expansion. This means returning players can immediately enjoy the new content, while those new to the series can experience it after finishing the main story.

Dark Ties Spans 8-11 hours

From what developers have said and early gameplay experiences, players can expect to spend between 8 and 11 hours completing Dark Ties, depending on how much optional content they explore. It’s a similar length to other standalone stories like The Kaito Files and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. According to Sportskeeda, developers have confirmed Dark Ties is about as long as Like a Dragon: Gaiden, making it a significant addition to the game, not just a small piece of content.

PC Specs

Even today, Yakuza Kiwami 3 isn’t too demanding for most gaming PCs. To run it, you’ll need at least 58 GB of free storage. The minimum specs call for an Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 3 2300X processor, 8 GB of RAM, and either a GTX 1650 or Radeon RX 6400 graphics card. For a better experience, we recommend an Intel Core i5-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, 16 GB of RAM, and an RTX 3060 or Radeon RX 7600.

2026-01-28 22:44