Kazuma Kiryu returns to sunny Okinawa in the latest Kiwami refresh from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s as number three in the series gets a refresh with an additional new story added
16:20, 11 Feb 2026Updated 16:26, 11 Feb 2026
Old Kiryu is back with a new way of fighting (Image: SEGA/ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)
A new Yakuza game hits shelves tomorrow as the Daily Star got our hands on the Switch 2 version as legendary Kazuma Kiryu’s first trip to Okinawa gets the Kiwami treatment.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, which is an additional story to the original 2009 game, sees the former fourth chairman of Tojo Clan leave the dark underworld of Kamurocho (although you do visit here too) for the sunny beaches Okinawa for quiet life to be a ‘dad’…or so he thinks.
If you are a fan of the series, then you already know the story. If not, Kiryu is now running the Morning Glory Orphanage with Haruka but some very powerful men are after the land so his easy life is littered with getting eviction notices. However, the eviction notices and plans for the land are turns into something a bit more sinister.
From the gritty streets, to doing chores (Image: SEGA/ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)
Daddy cool in sun
If you think you are simply going to be playing the same game as you did in 2009, you are wrong. Of course the story has to stay the same but with side missions and and mini-games, there are still plenty to bring old players back. Also if you like me, you have not played 3 in years and you forgot parts. I spent a lot of the time thinking ‘did this happen in the original?’
As a map, Okinawa is small but I actually feel it has a lot of character compared to some Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio maps in the series. Obviously the beach around Morning Glory is a nice draw but the markets and the size don’t mean I have to go down a street with not that much on it just to make the map bigger.
Back to the mini games, and one of the newest modes on Yakuza Kiwami 3 is more connection with the kids at Morning Glory. Later on in the series, you are reminded of this deep connection with the children. You have to complete tasks such as homework, sewing and more to improve your ‘Daddy Rank’.
Kiryu with the kids from Morning Glory as he looks to improve his daddy rank(Image: SEGA/ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)
I will be honest, I was a bad dad to these kids but I think my sewing in game is as good as my sewing out of the game. You also run your garden to get ingredients. Now not all we like this due wanted to go into fighting, as that is the essence of the game. But I quite liked this as it added a bit of interaction as the original lacked this interaction and story with some of the children. Although it can get repetitive so I kept doing bits and coming back.
Also if you want to go beat people up, we have Bad Boy Dragon mode where Kiryu somehow managed to became chairman of a ladies biker gang. It adds a system you will have seen in Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, where you recruit, train and pick your teams.
And to be honest I was a bit like, I can’t really be bothered with this when it first started but I kind of enjoyed building my team and customising them. It reminds me a lot of The Coliseum from Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. One thing I always like about Yakuza games is getting sucked into side missions, which make the game so much longer and also help you improve before the main story.
Not sure how, but he became the chairman of a ladies bike gang(Image: SEGA/ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)
Put the weapons down Kiryu
On to the main part of this game, the fighting. And like most Yakuza/Like a Dragon games, we have a new style that was not in the original. Named Ryukyu Style, this sees Kiryu adopt a unusual weapon-based for a man who let’s his fists do the talking (unless he picks up a bicycle). Described as a traditional Okinawan weapon arts, it lets you use eight different types of weapons including nunchakus, sword and shield and a staff.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name brought us Kiryu with spy gadgets and this is kind of the same. I can’t knock it as a fighting style but it is brutal and can be a tactical advantage when surrounded.
But I personal don’t feel it suits him. I know added a new fighting style is needed to make the game fresh but Kiryu using a sword feels wrong for me. It is Majima’s bag that. I also found a lack of heat actions, which are my favourite part of playing a Yakuza/Like a Dragon game. I played it for several hours and only naturally got into a few heat action moments a handful of times. They might be a lot there but in previous games I found the situations found themselves. That being said the overall the fighting is still fun and enjoyably with destruction of the surrounding areas offering a satisfying KO.
Eeny, meeny, Yoshitaka Mine
Yakuza 3 will always be a solid game but what the real intrigue for Yakuza fans is the new story featuring the game’s Yoshitaka Mine and how he climbed the ranks of the Tojo Clan. I was really excited about this because from the original Mine comes off as a very mysterious character with real bad guy vibes.
However, I was not blown away his story of him being a ousted CEO of a start up company that wanted to play Yakuza by throwing money at people. But what is going for Dark Ties is the fact Mine might have one of the best fighting styles. Described as shoot-boxing, Mine can often fly around similar to how Majima can at times.
Yoshitaka Mine is one bad guy(Image: SEGA/ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)
I don’t want to go too much into the story as compared with 3, it is a very short tale. But as well as the main story, you get the extra bonus of helping just out of jail Yakuza Tsuyoshi Kanda’s PR image. Although after the first few scenes of him, you will realise just how big of a job that is.
Similar to other series games, you have a fighting tournament mode called the Hell’s Arena underground fight club. Seeing as Mine can be OP at times, this is a great way to make him better and test yourself against tougher enemies than the run of the mill goons on the street.
Mine has some brutal attacks for someone who spent his time in a boardroom(Image: SEGA/ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)
Conclusion
As much as I have mentioned some negatives as someone who has played every single game in the franchise. This is still a solid game and especially one I enjoyed playing on the Nintendo Switch 2. I mean having a Yazkua game that I could play on the go is brilliant. I have been taking it everywhere with me.
It also looks amazing on the consoles handheld mode too. I did not talk about the graphical upgrade as this would be different on all consoles, but on the Switch 2, I was really Impressed with how good it looks. My wife will tell you this as I kept showing her.
As much as Dark Ties fell short of my expectations, it was a nice edition to an already solid Yakuza Kiwami 3. It may not be perfect but is it better than the original? yes. Is it the best games of its genre on the Switch 2? Absolutely. If you have got the original Yakuza 3 on another console, I would highly recommend taking your trip back to Okinawa on the Switch 2.
4/5
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam on February 12.
Reviewed on Nintendo 2. Review code provided by the publisher.
AloJapan.com