I’ve played Yakuza Kiwami 3, and I’m already loving Okinawa’s impressive glow-up.
I went hands-on with the recently revealed Yakuza Kiwami 3, and my first thought was that the game felt like a refreshingly grounded experience. Especially off the back of the madcap Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and the irreverent turn-based shenanigans of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a modern remake of Yakuza 3, which was originally released for PlayStation 3 back in 2009. An action RPG with a heavy emphasis on brutal fist fighting combat and a strong element of virtual tourism thanks to developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios’ faithfully realistic map design, you’ll do everything from taking down goons in the street to solving the problems of the local populace via heart warming side quests.
And when you’re not uncovering political and criminal conspiracies in the main story, you’re more than welcome to take a break by partaking in Kamurocho or Okinawa’s many delights. That includes darts, pool, shogi, or partaking in Club Sega’s many arcade games.
The original Yakuza 3 is the only game in the series that I hadn’t previously played, but I’m loving Kiwami 3’s glow-up so far. As with previous Kiwami titles, there’s plenty new on offer here besides a graphical upgrade, so let’s dive in.Ryukyu master
The Yakuza Kiwami 3 demo I played began with a cutscene close to the start of the game. As in the original, protagonist Kazuma Kiryu travels to Okinawa in order to save the orphanage he runs from criminal interests. After a brief tutorial fight, which also introduces the brand new Ryukyu fighting style, we’re unleashed on the streets of the island prefecture.
