| Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties reimagines the Yakuza 3 story with an additional game told from the perspective of Yoshitaka Mine. Read on to learn how it plays, what it's about, and everything else we know so far.
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Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Gameplay
Yakuza Kiwami 3 Gameplay
Combat
Yakuza Kiwami 3 retains the essence of its predecessor’s combat mechanics. As in the original Yakuza 3, players can execute lightning-fast combos with the Dragon of Dojima: Kiwami Style, Kiryu’s signature fighting style. This remake, however, will introduce a new weapons-based fighting style known as Ryukyu Style. Named after the Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu Style takes inspiration from Okinawan martial arts and equips Kiryu with a variety of weapons such as tonfas, nunchakus, sai blades, and more.
The Dragon Heat system builds on the game’s simple beat ‘em up gameplay. Unleashing barrages of attacks charge up the Dragon Boost gauge, and maxing out the Dragon Boost gauge will allow Kiryu to enter an empowered state. It will also enable him to execute a Dragon Finisher, a powerful move that can decimate enemies.
Kiryu can obtain more powerful skills as players progress in the game and gradually build his skill tree. The more skills Kiryu learns, the more players can create a playstyle that suits their preferences.
Life at Morning Glory Orphanage
As the manager of the Morning Glory Orphanage, Kiryu will be in charge of farming, harvesting, cooking, mending clothes, and fishing for the children at the orphanage. In his downtime, he can exercise, share meals, and catch bugs with his adoptive daughter Haruka and the other children. Every task successfully cleared will increase Kiryu’s "Daddy Rank", leveling up his caretaking and management skills and subsequently unlocking new side stories.
Bad Boy Dragon
Kiryu moonlights as a leader of a small Okinawan biker gang in this new Yakuza Kiwami 3-exclusive game mode. In order to bolster their numbers and fight against the Tokyo Night Terrors, the Haisai Girls gang requests that they be led and trained by Kiryu, who agrees to manage the Haisai Girls. Together, they set off on missions to dominate turf wars and beat down thugs. This game mode features more combat, a management system, and character and bike customization.
Reaper Hunting
Reaper Hunting will be making a return in Yakuza Kiwami 3. In this game mode, acting chairman of the Tojo Clan Osamu Kashiwagi will enlist Kiryu’s help with hunting down and reforming "Reapers"—former members of the Tojo Clan hoping to enact their revenge and sow chaos.
Mini-Games
Outside of combat, players can take part in a diverse selection of mini-games that can be found all around Okinawa. They can have Kiryu sing his heart out in a karaoke booth, try his hand at the arcade, connect with NPCs on social media, and even play classic SEGA games on his Game Gear.
Dark Ties Gameplay
Combat
Dark Ties will have similar beat ‘em up combat, with the key difference being Yoshitaka Mine’s own fighting style. Mine’s fighting style is centered around shootboxing. He primarily uses his fists to attack enemies, with the exception of a few acrobatic moves players can use in battle to gain an advantage over crowds of enemies.
Similar to Kiryu’s Dragon Boost, Mine will enter the Dark Awakening state as the battle progresses. The Dark Awakening state grants Mine a significant damage boost and new attack animations. The Dark Awakening also allows players to use a brutal finisher to deal deadly amounts of damage to enemies.
Kanda Damage Control
Mine will be tasked with investigating a series of mysterious events that have alerted the Nishikiyama Family. As part of the Kanda Damage Control efforts, Mine will be deployed to help random citizens, wrangle unruly drunkards, and even catch a serial killer. His efforts will contribute to his overall reputation within the city and the Nishikiyama family and earn him cash for players to spend at their leisure.
Hell’s Arena
Dark Ties will introduce an all-new exclusive game mode centering Mine’s efforts to subdue an underground fighting ring. In order to successfully investigate and take down Hell’s Arena, players will have to join the fray as Mine, facing down opponents one by one in all-out brawls and progressing through the Survival Hell dungeon.
Mini-Games
Some of the mini-games that are available in Yakuza Kiwami 3 will also be available in Dark Ties, but Dark Ties mini-games appear to emphasize other classic Yakuza games such as darts, mahjong, roulette, and batting cages.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Story Plot
Yakuza Kiwami 3 Plot
Yakuza 3 picks up directly after the events of Yakuza 2, which sees the end of the Omi Alliance conflict. Kazuma Kiryu has decided to step down from his position as chairman of the Tojo Clan and departs for Okinawa to live a peaceful life with his adoptive daughter, Haruka. There, he takes on the role of the chief caretaker at the Morning Glory Orphanage.
Kiryu soon finds out that the peace he has cultivated is short-lived as he receives one eviction notice after another from a private company seeking to take the land from the orphanage. This conflict, enabled by the government, opens a new chapter of violence and conspiracy for Kiryu and the Tojo Clan.
Dark Ties Plot
Dark Ties takes fans of the Yakuza series back to 2007, where Yoshitaka Mine becomes the ex-founder of a startup company. Dark Ties will reveal in intimate detail the events of Mine’s life prior to his role in Yakuza 3, from his start as a civilian who has lost everything he had worked for to his initiation into the Japanese underworld. Players will come to know more about Mine and his rise to power within the Tojo Clan.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Similar Games
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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Adventure, RPG |
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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Adventure, RPG |
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Yakuza Kiwami Switch Action, Adventure |
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Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Action, Adventure |
