Jan 17, 2026
3 min read
Let's find out our impressions of Yakuza Kiwami 3. We've seen Kiryuu's return to Okinawa and the pre-dark tide with Yoshitaka Mina.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Tides: The End of the Universe Expanded Remake Preview
Kazuma Kiryu returns with improvements, new activities and a mining-focused prequel.
The Yakuza series has changed significantly in recent years.It went from being an obscure, saga-specific title with a more stable release not only in Japan, but the rest of the world as well.For many, the adventures of Kazuma Kiryu remained unknown, and a few years after the series changed its protagonist, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio dedicated itself to work on Yakuza Kiwami 3, bringing back the third chapter of the saga with various improvements, as well as the addition of a new story.A few weeks after launch, I had the opportunity to try out the title in a session that split the experience into two parts.
Kazuma Kiryu, already a Yakuza
A few months ago, I watched Yakuza Kiwami 3 shortly before its official release, but now I have the opportunity to focus on the most mundane moments of the story.Part of Kazuma Kiryu's adventure is taking care of him at an orphanage in Okinawa.Here, the fearsome dragon of Dojima fulfills the main purpose of being the guardian of these children.
This includes helping them with everything from guiding them in household chores, cooking food from vegetables in the garden and sewing clothes.Doing each of these tasks correctly not only contributes to the well-being of the children, but also affects the personal dimensions that express everyone's love for Kiryu.
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Yakuza Kiwami 3 demo had me running freely in Okinawa.Although the map is well defined, the number of available activities and conflicts are well balanced.From classics like karaoke or changing Kiryu's clothes to new activities like playing with the now-classic Game Gear, this experience invites you to do much more than advance the story.
Combat, as explained to us, comes with some changes, and while I didn't notice any major changes from the last game, it remains snappy with the ability to change styles depending on enemy type.However, in order to talk about a significantly faster fight, it is necessary to move on to the next part.
A new story
On the other hand, it was also possible to play part of Dark Tides, an entirely new story that serves as a prequel to the third installment.In it we follow Yoshitaka Mine, one of Yakuza 3's antagonists, with the aim of uncovering his motives and understanding how he infiltrates the world of organized crime.
During the demo, we had the opportunity to take a tour of the classic Kamurocho, where Mine in Kanda's Damage Control mode tries to improve Tsuyoshi Kanda's reputation in the yakuza underworld by helping a lot of people, going out drinking and getting beaten up.
In between events, the game takes us to a secret war group.This mode is divided into two parts;The first is Survival Hell, where we walk the floor, watching waves of enemies attack us step by step, with fists and weapons.With each step, the enemies get stronger, but so do the rewards.The goal is to reach the last step and defeat the boss, so managing Mine's health is important.
Despite this situation, the combat experience is surprising.Although I've already noticed that Shelly's speed makes fighting more agile than Kiryu's, here I appreciate her moves more, with super-fast kicks and the ability to thrust herself into enemies for chain attacks.In addition, the Dark Awakening system further enhances his abilities, making his attacks even more devastating.
Finally, the night life of Kamurocho is still stable and, like Kiryu, Mine can walk around the city and participate in all kinds of activities, from visiting the classic SEGA room and singing karaoke, to a few games of bowling.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Tides will be available on February 12, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam.
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