Yakuza Kiwami 3 is not just a new recording, it's a whole new one as a dragon experience

With all long-term or extremely popular video games series, you inevitably meet the question of attracting new players who can no longer experience older items locked to obsolete hardware. That's probably why Ryu Ga Gotoku reworked the first two Yakuza games like Kiwami 1 & 2, which overviewed the game and graphics engines, improved the battle and added more depth to the characters, the story and so much more.

New content was added in the form of expanded places to explore and more nuanced mini games, Majima everywhere for Kiwami, and a whole new story for the eye-catching character in Kiwami 2. These improvements make both Kiwami games the definitive way of experiencing this chapter in Yakuza's history. And now, with the announcement of Yakuza Kiwami 3, Sega jumps aboard the Remake train again.

The seven -year wait for Kiwami 3 was worth it

Yakuza Kiwami was first launched in 2017, with Kiwami 2 after a year later in 2018. Of course, fans speculated that we would see even more remakes of this way, predicted them in quick sequence given that it was only one year between the first two, but since years joined without such news.

Since the games that had received the Kiwami treatment were the only two Playstation 2 titles, and therefore the most in need of modernization, it was meaningful. In addition, we got a remastered version of Yakuza 3 in 2019, which checked the box for being taken into the world by modern games, although it was differently modernized. But it is entirely about to change.

We have waited seven long years at Yakuza Kiwami 3, and after going practically with it the last week I can say now that the wait was well worth it.

Like previous Kiwami titles, Kiwami 3 has been completely reworked with the intention of developing “every aspect” of the game. From the small episode I played, the storytelling is familiar, but takes on a whole new lease with improved character models and environments and goes so far as to completely change the appearance of certain characters – like Rikiya – while erasing the story. Time will show if all these changes will go well with the fans.

The struggle has also been reviewing, with Kiryu, which can now switch between the dragon from Dojima and Ryukyu battle styles at any time. I assure you, the first time you switch to Ryukyu and Kiryu whip out a sword and shield, it will make you do a dual. To see him with Knuckle Dusters elicited the same bizarre feeling.

I say swords and shields, but in fact Kiryu uses several Japanese weapons, such as Tonfa and Nunchaku, and the shield is actually a Tinbe Rochin, while the knuckle ladies are Tekko.

There are some remarkable enclosures that have been inherited from newer as a dragon titles. Street Surfer is back, although it looks much more obscure in design to cater for the previous time period 2009. You can adapt Kiryus's clothes and probably recognize lots of options from the man who deleted his name and finances wealth. You can also use search mode to collect bugs and other items during your travels, while there is a new friend system where you can connect to others with a flip phone called the red thread for fate.

Kiryu using a Tinbe Rochin in Yakuza Kiwami 3.

The ways in which Kiryu and NPCs connect their phones by being opposite each other gave me immediate flashbacks to the days to send things via Bluetooth.

There are also new karaoke songs and a new feature where you can customize your flip phone and show it as part of a store ad. While we only saw a short section during our demo, Kiwami 3 will integrate new mini games such as cooking, fishing, bowling and lots of optional maintenance to start.

Much of the new content is clearly inspired by or based on content from recently as a dragon title, and so that the seven -year friend pays off. If we had received Kiwami 3 2019, I am sure it would have been good, but it would not have been the same level of visual and mechanical development. This feels like a modern Yakuza game through and through instead of a jazz insight into the past.

Returns to the golden age of the tojoklan

One of the things that attracts me most about Yakuza Kiwami 3 is that we will return to the Tojo clan in its premiere, before the Yakuza clans began to dissolve and began to be discontinued by new laws on crime. While I love to navigate in the changing waters of the Japanese underground during the series, reflect the real world, it will be nice to go back to a time when Yakuza swung around the streets in his stylish shirts when Kiryu is and tries to handle complicated family politics while trying to escape his life in crime.

We also get to see some of our beloved favorite characters in their prime, characters who have long ago been phased out or taken a rear seat, so it feels so good to get the band again. We relive Kiryus heyday, which feels like such a needed protrusion after the heavy atmosphere in Kiryus's fate in endless wealth.

While Combat has shared the fans since RGG introduced tour -based battle in Yakuza 7: Like a dragon, I have always been a fixed supporter of the real -time measure for previous games. So I'm happy to go back to my quick, button-masking way in Kiwami 3, and even more excited to mix things with the new Ryukyu style.

Being quick on your feet and still still with your fists has always felt like a core of the series for me. You look up the towing on the street, you crush bikes on your head and you want to be able to hammer your controller to hammer your enemies in the ground. I like the tour-based battle enough, but nothing feels better than a button-mash battle to me.

Although it can be a risky move to stir with original and loved material, I always have to applaud when a company goes beyond a new recording. You can easily redo a game from scratch, make it look and run better, but don't worry about adding new elements before you call it one day. It controls the modern accessibility box without hassle, no musses and little risk of annoying fans by changing things … as a character's face. (The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that Rikiya's new look will not be liked by long fans.)

The first two Kiwami games showed that it was a winning move, but the classic Playstation 2 titles were quite barebones compared to what came later. The longer we get into the series, the more there is to move with, and maybe the more there is risking, but I think it is well worth playing. I don't just want to play Yakuza 3; If I did, I could only play remaster. I want to experience Yakuza 3 in a whole new way, and that's what Kiwami 3 offers.