Preview: It’s Mine’s Time to Shine in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

You never forget your first.

And in the realm of Ryu ga Gotoku, numerous gamers will have sampled the franchise with Yakuza 3.

That’s because, at least in the West, it marked the initial installment in the series that launched on Sony’s then-next-gen console, the PS3.

Controversially, content was excised from the 2010 localization, including the hostess club minigame. SEGA attributed this to time limitations and a general lack of faith in the franchise, which must be remembered was exceptionally niche at that period.

The PS4 remaster in 2019 reinstated all of these missing activities, and now Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties aims to enrich the saga with a completely new expansion.

We had the opportunity to enjoy around 20 minutes of the new Dark Ties expansion at the Tokyo Game Show, and honestly, it’s always challenging to gauge how beneficial a preview for a title like this truly is.

Breaking news: it resembles and plays like Yakuza, despite the shift to the franchise’s more contemporary engine.

The original Yakuza 3 feels particularly antiquated if you play it today, so integrating it within the Dragon Engine is already a solid foundation – even if it does imply some controversial casting modifications have occurred.

But to begin with, Dark Ties: what is it? It’s a full-length side tale portraying the ascent of Yoshitaka Mine, who serves as the main antagonist in Yakuza 3.

In the chapter we experienced, we locate the immaculately groomed businessman grappling with what appears to be a mid-life crisis as he harbors an unhealthy infatuation with Tojo Clan tough guy Daigo Dojima.

In a nutshell, he opts to collaborate with ex-convict Tsuyoshi Kanda, and the gameplay unfolds as the rotund voyeur arrives in Kamurocho to indulge in the delights of the local soaplands.

Kanda lacks funds, and when he notices a statuesque beauty strolling through the red-light district, he rather offensively decides to drag her into a secluded alley. Mine intervenes, demonstrating his emo fighting style.

We noticed two primary mechanics during our brief demonstration: holding the attack button enables him to leap onto an opponent’s torso, using it as a sort of springboard to execute devastating aerial assaults.

Likewise, as he engages in combat, he accumulates his Dark Awakening abilities, which permits him to “unshackle” three hearts from beneath his health meter and enter overdrive. Yakuza 3 takes place in 2009, so we imagine Mine was listening to Taking Back Sunday or a similar band during that time.

The demo granted us an opportunity to explore other sandbox activities in Dark Ties, such as karaoke and the photo booth at the Club SEGA arcade. (Did you know Atlus initially produced these? As in, the Atlus? It’s genuine!)

And that essentially concluded our Dark Ties demo – it appeared captivating and should effectively develop the characters of Yakuza 3.

Speaking of characters, we also briefly ventured to Okinawa and sampled the main campaign.

For those who experienced the original, you’ll recall that the initial hours are dominated by Kazuma Kiryu managing his Sunshine Orphanage by the coast. We truly enjoyed it back then, but perhaps in retrospect, it was a tad too sluggish for its own benefit.

We don’t really expect SEGA to alter the pacing of the original significantly, but it will be hoping the Dragon of Dojima’s new Ryukyu Style combat stance introduces some much-needed variety.

Though we merely experienced the tutorial, Kiryu is fundamentally capable of wielding several distinct weapons, all influenced by Okinawa’s history.

It’s enjoyable, and the combat overall benefits from the 15-or-so years of refinement SEGA has managed to accumulate since the original Yakuza 3’s launch.

Regrettably, those with a fondness for the PS3 version may not appreciate some of the recastings, particularly regarding characters like Rikiya. His new model is based on voice actor Sho Kasamatsu, thus lacking the innocent charm of the original design.

Personally, we’re not overly concerned because we’ve engaged with so many of these Yakuza titles since the third iteration that we don’t particularly recall the intricate details. But your experience may differ.

We would be quite astonished if SEGA mishandles this endeavor overall, though. Based on our experience, this appears to be a robust revisit of one of the more memorable entries in the franchise.

Sure, the series offers very few surprises in recent times – outside of the outstanding RPG installments, we assume – but they remain consistently decent. And with the Dark Ties expansion included here, you’re receiving quite a lot of value for your investment.

Did you experience the initial version of Yakuza 3 on the PS3? Or did you first encounter its narrative on the PS4? Will you be exploring this Yakuza Kiwami 3 remake? And what features are you most anticipating? Free your thoughts in the comments section below.