- Publisher: Sega
- Release Date: Feb 12, 2026
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
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- Critic score
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Feb 9, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is everything you could ask for in a remake and more, a successful evolution of the original experience, although that doesn't mean that some decisions won't please everyone.
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Feb 10, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a delight of a remake, retaining the core story that you and I love alongside a new combat system that makes battles more fluid and frenetic than ever before. Dark Ties is an excellent side story, albeit one far darker in contrast to Yakuza’s tried-and-true storytelling thematics.
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Feb 9, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 is the best remake so far in Sega's crime epic. As the entry that excelled at showing a different side to Kiryu, it's been greatly expanded with new, meaningful actions and activities. Even if some of it is familiar and repackaged, it's still full of heart.
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Feb 9, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties finally does justice to the third instalment of the franchise, with graphics to match, a revamped and expanded combat system (setting a new standard for future Kiwami remakes), and new content, proof that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is more than happy to revisit its work and improve it, and we, for now, are delighted with the result.
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Feb 9, 2026Wanting something more compact after recently spending time with Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, and Kiwami 2 on Switch 2, Dark Ties was a perfect encapsulation of what makes the series so fun and charming, without the bloat that can creep in from time to time. Mine's combat style is simple but fast-paced, meaning random street encounters with unfriendly Yakuza never lasted more than 30 seconds. It may hit differently if you choose to roll credits on Kiwami 3 first, but for what it is, Dark Ties represents a welcome pack-in and the type of additional content I hope we see with the next Kiwami remaster.
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Feb 11, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 has turned out to be a very solid remake. RGG Studios has significantly cut back on side quests, but simultaneously introduced new elements and storylines that provide more depth. While the game might be slightly shorter than before due to the trimmed substories, the quality of the overall experience hasn't suffered. Unfortunately, Dark Ties doesn't offer a whole lot of content, clocking in at just a quarter of Yakuza Kiwami 3’s playtime. Nevertheless, the complete package is definitely worth picking up.
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Mar 25, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a solid entry with an interesting expansion. It patches some flaws from the past, but adds some new like different casting choices, animations, slighty different structure and side activities. But it also adds new additions and deepens relations within the series.
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Feb 9, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 is more than just a graphical update to one of the series' most human classics, it's an expansion with lots of fun new content, but the combat leaves a lot to be desired while Dark Ties is totally unnecessary.
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Mar 5, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a remake that uses the base of the original and brings a brand and drastically different experience. The main story is largely the same, for better and for worse, considering the title clearly had the intention of making bigger changes to it. The gameplay, however, has been vastly improved and it’s the main reason why I prefer Kiwami 3 instead of the original. However, even considering all the changes, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties doesn’t really reach the same heights as the best games in the series.
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Feb 23, 2026Yakuza 3’s most ardent fans will find much to be disappointed about with this highly anticipated remake of a game that deserved better. It is difficult to ignore the wealth of cut content, and the Dark Ties side story fails to make up for it. Yakuza Kiwami 3 is still Yakuza, though, and for anyone that hasn’t played the game since the PS3 days – or at all – it will more than satisfy. There are few series that so successfully manage to mesh the serious with the outrageous, but Yakuza pulls it off every time. While much has been lost, plenty has been improved, making for a far smoother version of Yakuza 3 with incredibly fun combat. If Switch 2 is your only means of experiencing the game, don’t pass it up.
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Feb 9, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is generally fine, but I found it a less exciting remake than the ones for Yakuza 1 and 2. There are certain narrative and design decision elements that left me feeling the remaster of this could be more enjoyable sometimes. And while the Yoshitaka Mine storyline does offer some insights, the enjoyment someone would get out of it is really dependent on how much the player likes that particular character. In short, it’s a situation in which the remake does offer some benefits like quality of life combat adjustments and greater reach, but doesn’t totally replace the original game or remaster.
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Feb 9, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a strangely dissonant game that feels torn between wanting to respect the series’ past and wanting to rewrite it. At its core, it’s a solid game that refreshes Yakuza 3 for modern audiences while keeping mostly true to its origins. It’s the rare instances in which it diverges that everything starts to go off the rails, making for an experience that just doesn’t stick the landing.
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Mar 10, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties isn’t a bad game, and at it’s core, it’s Yakuza 3, but it could be so much better. I certainly recommend newcomers play through the first Kiwami titles and the rest of the series before coming to Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties on a sale, especially after experiencing Yakuza 3 to understand what the purest essence of that game is. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties does a lot of good to improve on what Yakuza 3 couldn’t, but it’s not at the high standard I expect from one of Japan’s most beloved developers. For better or worse, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is the beginning of a new chapter for RGG Studio, and it’s up to them to recoup some of the good will that fans lost.
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Feb 10, 2026My personal feeling is that Yakuza 3 didn’t really need to be remade, particularly in this manner. There was a perfectly good remaster of the original game that could have been ported and maybe given a little extra polish. But I understand that simply reissuing the older games might not be in line with the current vision for the series. With that in mind, I do wish a little more oomph was put into making Yakuza Kiwami 3 feel like a more cohesive experience. This mish-mash of things from other Yakuza games is probably going to go over well enough with Nintendo-exclusive players who have only played a few games in the series, but I question if this is really the take on Yakuza 3 that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio wants in the canon. It’s fun! It’s full of stuff! So why does it often feel so darned empty?
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Feb 9, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 isn’t a well-reasoned, but flawed remake of an old PS2 game not easily playable anymore. It’s a meddled-with version of a PS3 game that already has an accessible PS4/PC remaster, which is being removed from sale for this. Major features are missing from the original. The story seems to have been changed in ways returning fans will take issue with, continuing a trend that’s upsetting more and more people. And to top it all off, this game (perhaps accidentally) is the tip of the spear of an effort to culturally rehabilitate a sex offender who is on the public record as going beyond “allegations.” Feels bad.
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Feb 9, 2026Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a fair series entry, but one that's tainted by poor pacing and a recasting controversy that simply didn't need to happen. The main story has a lot to offer, but it's also bloated with way too much side content getting in the way of the core narrative. Dark Ties feels like a nice antidote to this, but I'm not sure whether this alone would be worth the purchase for anyone but series die-hards. RGG Studio fixed some visual blemishes in time for launch, so that's good news. Unfortunately, it seems Kiwami 3 will forever be associated with the recasting of one of its main antagonists, a controversy that undeniably affected my personal enjoyment of the game. If that doesn't bother you, and if an overabundance of side content appeals, you could probably add a point to the scoreline.
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Feb 9, 2026Though Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties doesn’t stand toe-to-toe with the best entries in the series, there’s plenty of fun to be had if you don’t get waylaid by the minigames in the early hours. The obvious attempts to retrofit a game from 2009 into an ongoing 2020s storyline can feel clunky, but they don’t manage to ruin the fun once everyone starts whipping their tops off and beating the crap out of each other.
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