What happens when a legendary yakuza trades his blood-stained past for the quiet life of a foster father, only to have a conspiracy drag him back into the fray? This is the heart of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties: a ground-up reconstruction of Kazuma Kiryu’s most emotional chapter, brought back to life for modern players and expanded with an entirely new perspective.

When Yakuza 3 was first released in 2010, it introduced us to the sun-drenched shores of Okinawa, Kazuma Kiryu’s life as a foster father, and a political conspiracy that shook the Tojo Clan to its core. Fast forward to 2026, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has finally answered the call with Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. PS3 era veterans and newcomers alike will get to relive Kiryu’s adventures, packed with enough new content to make it feel like an entirely fresh entry in the series.

The Dragon Engine Revolution

The most immediate change players will notice is the jump to the latest iteration of the Dragon Engine. While the original Yakuza 3 was limited by the hardware of its time, Yakuza Kiwami 3 utilizes the same cutting-edge technology behind Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

The result is a more cohesive, lived-in environment in which combat initiates seamlessly, transforming the city into a truly continuous space. By minimizing the friction between exploration and transitions, the world feels remarkably uninterrupted. However, the true centerpiece is the reimagined Okinawa, with updated lighting systems that masterfully evoke the island’s signature humidity and tropical atmosphere.

Visually, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a definite step up from the original. Fights look sharper, cutscenes hit harder, and Okinawa’s warm coastal streets feel more alive than ever. The updated character models directly affect how the narrative unfolds, immersing players even more with more effectively conveyed emotions and more clearly expressed details.

Master the Streets

Yakuza Kiwami 3 is not just a visual update, as the development team has learned from past installments. The original title from years ago received criticism across various aspects, and all of that was taken to heart. From the opening encounters, it is clear that feedback has been addressed, as Director and Producer Ryosuke Horii ensured it would.

One of the main criticisms of the original Yakuza 3 relates to combat. In Yakuza Kiwami 3, the battle system has been rebuilt, giving Kiryu the same fluidity and power while adding unique twists, allowing Kiryu to switch between two primary styles: Dragon of Dojima and Ryukyu.

Dragon of Dojima is the classic brawler style fans know and love, now revamped with a diverse moveset that’s faster, more responsive, and features the return of the “Extreme Heat” mode for devastating finishers.

Ryukyu Style is a brand-new addition for this remake, focusing on technical prowess and the use of traditional Okinawan weaponry. The development team researched traditional Okinawan martial arts, which inspired this style, as it perfectly complemented the game’s setting.

Kiryu can master several weapon types, from Tonfas to Nunchaku, allowing for exhilarating combos that keep even the toughest Yakuza on their toes.

Beyond the Orphanage

Yakuza Kiwami 3 expands significantly on the “slice-of-life” elements that made the original special, with the Life at Morning Glory content deepened. These moments are what set the series apart, because from the frenetic combat sequences, the Orphanage offers quiet, heartfelt slices of life that make the stakes of the larger crime drama hit even harder when trouble finally comes knocking. 

You can now cook meals with Haruka, tend to a home garden, help the kids with their homework, and even go bug-catching. These aren’t just distractions because completing them unlocks heartwarming sub-stories for each child that grant Kiryu unique permanent stat boosts.

Bad Boy Dragon

If the quiet life isn’t enough for you, Yakuza Kiwami 3 introduces a massive new side-game: Bad Boy Dragon. In this mode, Kiryu steps in as the leader of the “Haisai Girls,” a local girl gang in Okinawa.

You’ll need to recruit allies, train them, and defend the streets against the “Tokyo Night Terrors.” This mode features strategic “Baddies Battles,” where you manage a squad of 20 members in massive rumbles, and “Skirmishes,” where you charge enemy bases on your motorcycle. It’s a deep, management-style mini-game that mirrors the complexity of similar features from previous titles but with a fresh take.

A New Story: The Rise of Yoshitaka Mine 

Despite all this, Yakuza Kiwami 3 isn’t just Kiryu’s story alone.

Perhaps an unexpected but definitely welcome selling point in Yakuza Kiwami 3 is Dark Ties, a completely new, separate game mode that offers a full alternate perspective on the events surrounding the game, adding entirely new narrative weight to a familiar conflict. For the first time, players can take control of Yoshitaka Mine, the charismatic and tragic antagonist of Yakuza 3.

Dark Ties explores Mine’s origin story, showing how a venture company founder, betrayed by his colleagues, found a sense of “true bond” in the brutal world of the Yakuza. Mine’s gameplay is a stark contrast to Kiryu’s, as he utilizes a sophisticated Shoot Boxing style that is acrobatic and ruthless.

His special ability, Dark Awakening, replaces the traditional Heat gauge with “Dark Hearts.” When activated, Mine is surrounded by a menacing dark aura, allowing him to unleash high-speed strikes and aerial maneuvers that can sweep enemies off their feet.

Chaos in Kamurocho – Dark Ties Deep Dive

While Kiryu is managing his orphanage, Mine is busy making a name for himself in Kamurocho. Dark Ties introduces two exclusive pillars of gameplay: Kanda Damage Control and Hell’s Arena.

Tasked with improving the public image of the crude and violent Tsuyoshi Kanda, Mine must engage in Kanda Damage Control, which involves roaming Kamurocho and completing “Good Deed Quests” on Kanda’s behalf.

Engaging in various activities, like solving the mystery of “To Catch a Serial Killer” or leading a “Public Intoxication Awareness Campaign” against pirate cosplayers, will raise Kanda’s Charisma Rank. Witnessing the cool, calculated Mine try to spin Kanda’s “Actually Trash” reputation into “Actually God” status provides some of the funniest writing in the game.

For those seeking a pure challenge, Mine has access to Hell’s Arena, an underground fight club located deep beneath Kamurocho. Divided into two brutal modes, players can engage with Hellish Brawls, which are traditional 1-on-1 matches with strict time limits and rotating rules, and an intriguing mode called Survival Hell.

Survival Hell is a high-stakes “extraction” mode where Mine must race through a treasure-filled dungeon while being relentlessly hunted. To survive, you must collect “Gospels” for ability boosts and hire “Mercenaries” to assist in boss battles against the 7 Hunters, who are deadly warriors wearing animal masks.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties – The Definitive Experience

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties brings one of Kiryu’s most emotional stories back in its most complete form yet. By fusing Kiryu’s heartfelt orphanage life with Mine’s ruthless rise, every punch, every quiet moment, every twist in Okinawa or Kamurocho carries more weight thanks to the Dragon Engine’s polish and the expanded gameplay layers.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio delivers a dual narrative that caters to newcomers and veterans alike, wrapped in a value-packed 2-in-1 offering, making it the definitive way to experience this saga.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is available on February 12, 2026, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.