Review: Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
- Guilherme Ribeiro
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Kamurocho awaits us once again.
THE GAME
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is an action game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and distributed by SEGA. In this spin-off of the Yakuza universe, on one hand we follow Kiryu in Yakuza Kiwami 3. After the events of the two previous games, the former yakuza now takes care of children in an orphanage, leaving his mafia past behind. However, no matter how much he stays away from trouble, they continue to seek him out. On the other hand, we experience a new story, starring Yoshitaka Mine, who, after losing everything, got involved in the world of the yakuza and now seeks meaning in his life again. Despite the different stories, they have one thing in common: lots of fighting, minigames, and interesting narratives.
MY IMPRESSIONS
One thing Yakuza fans can never complain about is the Yakuza vibe, which is nothing more than achieving every possible emotional spectrum, ranging from beautiful scenes with valuable lessons to moments of pure nonsense comedy. And here, it was no different. Following the idea of remakes that have been done since the two previous Kiwami games, Yakuza Kiwami 3 retells the story of Yakuza 3, with some differences and additions that may or may not please fans of the series. Dark Ties, on the other hand, brings a completely new story, but one that follows the parameters of what we see in the main series. The game is in Brazilian Portuguese, which makes it easier for the player to understand the story, follow the plots, and understand the different mechanics presented in the game.
The combat continues with the same mechanics that have always been part of the Yakuza series, with impactful blows and different ways to perform combos that generate fluid and satisfying attacks. Defeating bosses and mini-bosses will require a bit more strategy than just mashing attack buttons, demanding dodges and defenses, which also serve as counter-attacks. In Yakuza Kiwami 3, Kiryu has two fighting styles, one being his classic Dojima dragon style focused on hand-to-hand combat, and the other more focused on melee weapons and shield use. In Dark Ties, Mine only has access to one battle style, but she compensates with her unique, fast, and acrobatic fighting style.
And as expected, there will be no shortage of fun and diverse minigames that might distract you from the main story. I, personally, love playing pool or singing karaoke, but the variety of side activities you can do in Yakuza games is always enormous, as well as very creative and usually funny. Although the maps of Kamurocho and Okinawa are relatively small, they are rich in detail and activities, making them ideal for the game's purpose. And if the minigames don't appeal to you, you'll still have a biker gang to call your own, with its own missions and unique customization, plus a battle mode where your gang faces a rival gang to establish dominance in the region. In Dark Ties, helping the population will be your main activity, solving problems on the streets. In addition, there's a battle arena that will be a challenge for those looking for a good fight.
As you can see, the game gives you many options, without rushing you into anything and being very player-friendly. Even with lengthy texts explaining each new mechanic, they are simpler to understand than the deluge of text makes them seem. For some players, the beginning of the games may take a while to get going, but once the game lets go, it's a lot of fun and worth it. The characters in the Yakuza series are always well-written, and this game is no different, especially Kiryu, who remains a stylish and badass protagonist.
In short, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties will entertain you regardless of what you want to do. Want to follow the main story straight through? Great, enjoy the good moments generated by the story. Want to do side missions? That's great too, always putting you in unusual situations. Want to play minigames? Feel free and help yourself to the various games. The magic of the Yakuza series is that it will give you a little bit of everything, and maybe not the best of everything, but you won't go hungry.
ACHIEVEMENTS
With a variety of activities and mechanics as explained earlier, it's clear that the achievements will also reflect this diversity. My advice is: enjoy the game and try everything. All the activities presented will generate some kind of achievement, whether it's maximizing your motorcycle gang, taking photos, or caring for the children at the orphanage. Don't rush and don't focus all your attention on one activity at once, because it can be tiring. Alternating between the main story and side activities will take you far in getting all the achievements, especially since completing all the story chapters for both Kiryu and Mine are also achievements. Let yourself be carried away by the spirit of the game and your 100% will come without you even noticing. Just remember that it will be a long task.
CONCLUSION
I confess that this is the first time a game from the main Yakuza series has worked for me. The Like A Dragon series appealed to me from the start, but the main series, despite being very appealing in terms of style, story, and so on, didn't excite me. The reason was always the combat, which is the central mechanic of the game and, therefore, inevitably tired me. Here in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties it finally worked, and I couldn't figure out what changed, but I'm happy to finally be excited to play. Yakuza Kiwami 3 is largely carried by Kiryu, who is an exceptional and very charismatic protagonist. Mine, in Dark Ties, fulfills her role, but when compared to Kiryu in the games, she falls behind. Speaking of which, Dark Ties functions almost like a DLC, being a much shorter game than Yakuza Kiwami 3, but it has its charm as well. It's an extremely fun game, with really cool activities to do. It's a great game to spend a good amount of time exploring everything it has to offer, which is quite a lot.
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