Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Game
Game2026
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
Developer RGG Studio
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a 2026 action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. A part of the Like a Dragon series, the game comprises two distinct campaigns: Yakuza Kiwami 3, a remake of the 2009 video game Yakuza 3; and Dark Ties, a spin-off title taking place before the events of Yakuza 3. As in the original game, Kiwami 3 continues the story of Kazuma Kiryu, following the… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
412 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
50
Mixed
146 positive · 145 negative
95% range 44–56%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 146 | 145 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 11 | 5 | 99 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 6 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
910 of 1,594 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
A split verdict: fun gameplay but a controversial, unfaithful remake.
Many players praise the improved combat and graphics, calling the game fun overall. Some highlight Dark Ties as a standout addition. [1][5][11]
However, many criticize the removal of substories, recasting of characters, and delisting of the original game. Some allege the remake is unfaithful and a cash grab. [20][22][27][30]
Praised Combat improvements · Dark Ties mode · Graphics
Criticised Removed substories · Recasting of characters · Delisting of original game · Unfaithful remake
Summary drafted by an AI model from the 36 reactions it cites ([n] links open each post), then checked by code: every paragraph cites real posts and every quote is verbatim. Written Oct 8, 2026. Method
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties sits at 50% positive across 291 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties received "mixed or average" reviews from critics for the PlayStation 5 and Windows versions, and "generally favorable" reviews for the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S versions, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received fair approval, being recommended by 62% of critics. A majority of reviews praised the improved gameplay mechanics in Kiwami 3 and the new narrative presented in Dark Ties, while criticisms were generally given toward the side content, visuals, changes made to the story of Kiwami 3 compared to Yakuza 3, and the short length of Dark Ties. Writing for Game…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 412 · most liked firstCreatively bankrupt doesn't even begin to describe the current state of RGG. I have been criticizing the path they have decided to take (increasingly silly main stories, extreme flanderization of most of the main cast, retcons, cut and altered content in remasters and remakes, etc) for years at this point, but many players kept waving away any criticism raised by long time fans of the series. The retcons made to the story of RGG3 with Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties are absolute abominations and an…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL;DR: RGG does not know what "remake" means, play Yakuza 3 Remastered instead (though SEGA delisted it unless you buy the entire 0-6 bundle, but you can always find it on GOG or sail the high seas). To someone who is not familiar enough with the series the game might look fantastic, but any serious fan will tell you that this game is the bottom of the barrel, a game made to rake in the cash rather than being made out of passion, and that philosophy is seen throughout the entire game. Here's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I made the mistake of preordering this game off of a third party site and redeeming the key the moment after the RGG Direct, before finding out about the Kagawa situation. Even despite seeing the recasts, I still had hope that Yakuza 3, a game I thought was flawed but could be fixed with some modernizing, could finally reach some of its potential. I don't regret wanting a Kiwami 3, but... not like this. Even ignoring the casting of someone who sexually assaulted others on camera, this is an…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- soundtrack sucks (except for dark ties) - recasting fan favourite characters - did not address kagawa (10000+ signatures to remove him) but somehow addressed lackluster graphics - only 31 substories when original had 119 - made ryukyu SMALLER than original - delisted original game behind 100+ dollar paywall - huge story retcon that doesnt even line up with the next game in the series this game is godawful please dont buy it
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →February 11th, an hour and 20 minutes after the game's release. No, I am not "review-bombing" because of the retcon issues or the recast issues, this is purely a "first impressions" review of the Kiwami 3 part, I might change it later. So far though, they're not good, and I want there to be an actual review in a sea of scandals and protests. Graphics/Animation TL;DR: mixed bag, the new additions are decent but the old assets (models AND animations) show their age. The cutscenes are the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Review: Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a remake built on disdain, not reverence, looking to fix a game that wasn’t broken, and ending up with little to show for itself. ⭐️⭐️ vgc.news/review/yakuz...
negative · AI labelView post →What the hell is happening with RGG studio... They had one job with Kiwami 3 remake - port the story to Dragon engine with the new combat and maybe fix some rough parts of the original gameplay. While the game itself is decent, there are a lot of incredibly baffling changes compared to the original. The first thing that I noticed - the playable Ryukyu area in Okinawa is smaller. Uhh, not a good sign. It wasn't really big in the first place. That means some chunk of substories will be missing,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thoughts on even owning the game: I feel guilty owing this game. I wish I could return it, but I bought the game on Fanatical, so I can't get a refund at this point. I pre-ordered this game on a day I was feeling nihilistic. I felt that my single copy would not amount to anything in the end. It would not change anything, so why should I deprive myself of the fun of playing the new game in my favorite franchise? As the days passed and the release date got closer, I felt more and more like a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza Kiwami 3 - Dark Ties announced (Mine as protagonist) released as a set package with Yakuza Kiwami 3 You can choose to play either game at the start
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is so offensive to me that it made me write my first ever review for a game. It's a long one but I will put a tldr at the end. (I've since beaten the game and made an edit at the end of the review.) When it was announced I was really hyped, I hoped to get a better version of one of the most charming games in the franchise and it was being packaged with a completely new gaiden where you play as the best yakuza antagonist? It sounded too good to be true, but I had trust in rgg and ohhh…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Games releasing in February 2026: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined - Feb 5 Nioh 3 - Feb 6 Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties - Feb 12 Mario Tennis Fever - Feb 12 Resident Evil Requiem - Feb 27
neutral · AI labelView post →delisting the original game? adding pointless retcons? replacing models of beloved characters? lazy upgrade system where you can be overpowered so quick? trivial crashes? same minigames from literally the last installment? hiring a sex offender to voice act your video game? yeah no thanks
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Putting aside the whole Kagawa issue which is really disgusting on RGG's part this remake overall is just not good. The story as a whole no longer flows evenly and has zero consequences along with becoming a borderline fanfic because of this directors need to bring back dead characters They've gutted the substories, Removed fan favourite characters and mechanics and locked most of Kiryu's basic combat techniques that you start with in other games behind a linear skill tree that lacks any…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After wanting this for so long, I can safely say after playing through the main story and Dark Ties that this is not it. So much of Yakuza 3's character and identity have been stripped away from this remake. The recast of Rikiya, the absence of Revelations, core parts of the Morning Glory story being missing (parts of which I wasn't particularly fond of in the original but stuck with me) and many more blunders make this feel like a cash grab from RGG. And I won't even go into the retcon. Dark…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Steam page is up. MSRP is $59.99, out Feb 11 2026 store.steampowered.com/app/3937550/...
neutral · AI labelView post →I do not support some of the decision RGG did for this Remake with Kagawa and other in game stuffs including soundtracks etc. which I'm not gonna get into it. As an OG Yakuza 3 Enjoyer and has over 90 hours and almost all the trophies, This remake overall is good. The combat is smooth, the graphics is good. It fixes all the "clunky" feelings people complained about for years. The funniest part isn't the game—it’s the fans. For a decade, majority called the original Yakuza 3 the "black sheep"…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Locking the original yakuza 3 behind a 130 euro bundle is the scummiest thing i've seen a gaming company do. YK3 was a severely underbaked and underwhelming experience and there's no reason for anyone to play this over the original. The fighting styles lack impact and the gameplay is massively downgraded from Gaiden, and even that wasn't the best. The only actual good thing to come out of this game is the orphanage substories. it's a shame that YK3 got treated like this. And the biggest…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm having fun and it's a good game so far however I do not think it's a good REPLACEMENT for Yakuza 3 this game would be better if it were allowed to live along side Y3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not because of Kagawa (although that is a huge factor for me overall) or what they did to the other games etc. This is for making me realize how harshly I judged the original Yakuza 3 (Remastered). This is just a demo version of that game. They removed half of the side missions and added a copy of the tedious Infinite wealth sidestories. I'd tell people to get the original, but Sega in their endless wisdom... There's so much I can say that's about the overarching RGG bs, what they…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I tried. I really tried. Between #REMOVEKAGAWA and everything, I tried to hopefully lean on gameplay, but it ain't enough. The styles are a mess, the substories were cut, no full golf minigame compared to 3R, and a whole bunch more slapped in makes it a mess. I didn't even bother to try Dark Ties when I was going to return this, and even then the ending has been seen, it's not great at all. I really hope they get their ♥♥♥♥ together come LAD9, but it seems like VERY high hopes.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'll start with the good: Dark Ties: Great addition, although I feel it's a little disingenuous to consider it a Gaiden game considering its runtime is like 3-4 hours with a good 30 minutes to an hour of that as padding by introducing Mine to Hell's arena and making you raise Kanda's rank or whatever. But what WAS there was good. Combat felt nice, though I would've preferred two separate styles over the dark awakening. Substories were pretty solid too. And now the bad: Kiwami 3: Added a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties also coming to Switch 2
neutral · AI labelView post →It's pretty unfortunate that the fate of Yakuza Kiwami 3 was sealed long before the game even came out. The concept of a Yakuza 3 remake was somewhat divisive even before it was announced, but after the reveal of recasting Rikiya, Nakahara and Hamazaki, especially with the last one being a known sex pest, that was kind of it. I want to evaluate Kiwami 3 on its own merits, mostly as a remake but also as an individual game, but I think it's important to clarify that you should not buy this game.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So after spending a ridiculous amount of time investing in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise I'm just beyond disappointed with Kiwami 3 and not just because of the whole Kagawa mess cause that's a whole can of worms itself, this game here has MAJOR problems and just the overall lazy remaster of a beloved game that had so much charm , you can tell just visually we have truly downgraded from Lost Judgment and Man who erased his name . RGG what were you thinking when you cooked up this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is the prime example of RGG downfall and the lack of care, respect for original works and respect for the community. They released a "remake" of kiwami 3 full of retcons, removed content, terrible lighting, mediocre combat and alot of music was replaced or outright removed after beating this game i gave it a 5.5. Then I played Dark Ties....... This is easily the worst ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ "game" in the series, I beat it in under 3 hours, the story is like an hour 20 at best and you get thrown…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve played and enjoyed all the previous Yakuza / Like a Dragon / Judgment titles from RGG on multiple platforms, but this game is genuinely disappointing and hard to recommend. Yakuza 3 is one of my favourites in the mainline series, and although it gets a lot of flak, there’s something about it I just like. This remake, however, is inferior to the original in every way except maybe gameplay and graphics. There’s the recasting, which every other negative review highlights and could have…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't finished kiwami 3. This is my favorite game series, RGG i really hope you get it together. 0's directors cut is a slap in the face to the original. And this narratively is just despicable. Regardless of Kagawa incident. You choose to completely derail the cannon of the series, is 4 even cannon anymore. I will finish this at some point it's still Yakuza and it is still fun. But this Daidoji nonsense has to stop, I really hope kiwami 4 or whatever the studio chooses to call it. Remains…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I never write any reviews, because either I don't have anything new to say or I don't see the point in writing one. But after hesitating for a few days, I can't NOT write a review for this game : This is the worst RGG yet, and is making me genuinely scared about the future of the franchise. I love Yakuza/LAD, both the gameplay and the story. The characters are well written, they evolve across multiple games, obstacles, happy and sad times, it's great. I feel attached to a lot of those…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ichiban Kasuga Legendary Outfit Pack for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties will be free via SEGA Account starting February 11th ryu-ga-gotoku.com/asia_en/info...
neutral · AI labelView post →Trash remake, significantly less content than the original had while also delisting the original and recasting a character to be played by a sex pest.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too much content cut. And not just side story content, but also some quests related to the side characters that help build them out more. This detracts from certain moments later on. New actor performances are questionable. Minigames are fun, but some of them feel questionably placed in terms of narrative. Overall, there is fun to be had in this game, and I'm sure new fans will enjoy this game. But I feel the game itself was rushed to be completed and made some very questionable choices…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kiwami 3's brief moments of light are overshadowed by its low budget and rushed development along with an endless barrage of stupid decisions, from a worse soundtrack to an astounding amount of cut content. And that's without mentioning the recasts and insultingly bad story retcons. Even to newcomers this game offers literally nothing that hasn't already been done better in other recent games in the series. Dark Ties is marketed as another "full game" but that is a blatant lie. The main…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a game, I enjoyed it. As a Yakuza game, I'd rather get tiger dropped in the junk repeatedly.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the worst Yakuza game of all time. Ryu ga gotouku should be ashamed of this release and redo the whole game, add all the missing content and add this to this game for free. And I am huge fan of this franchise. So big, it even made me got a back tattoo. I was waiting for this game for a while. Even though fairly unpopular with the community, I always loved Yakuza 3 and it was one of my favourite Yakuza games. It is an atrocity that they removed Yakuza 3 remastered with the release…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties demo launches January 21 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2 (save data from demo does not carry to full game) www.gematsu.com/2026/01/yaku...
neutral · AI labelView post →An overpriced and under-developed remake of Yakuza 3. Many questionable retcons, even more questionable gameplay changes, and the graphical fidelity is far below what I've come to expect from RGG Studios. Purchase the original Yakuza 3 if you wish to experience the story.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Most of contents already removed, let's not talk about sub stories thing because it's deserved to be removed No hostess minigame, no Haruka's outfits. No Refund Rather stick with original 3 I aint paying 60$ full price for the HD 3D models or 4k textures with 15 hours main story (With 7 hours cutscenes and 8 hours of gameplay) in 2026. Wait til this like 80% off then
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't even know where to start with this game. (Spoilers ahead) The only compliments I can give to this game is that the orphanage and Biker minigames additions are okay at best. Some of the new cutscenes are a good placement, and Dark Ties had a pretty good soundtrack (I love Dark Alley and Alone in the Darkness) But the rest of this game is complete and utter dog water. The new combat style (Ryukyu) is REALLY trash, I had less fun with this style than the Dragon Style, which is ALSO…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm gonna be 100% honest with y'all in this review. This looked like Yakuza, played like Yakuza, but felt like a shell... of what the game could be. I only played 10 hours of the original, I noticed a fair bit of differences between the Remake and the remaster, but I don't know the full extent of it. I enjoyed this game for all the wrong reasons. I felt like it appealed a lot to me, when it shouldn't have. lol At least not in this way. Granted, I've played Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, and Kiwami 2,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I tried. I really tried liking the game. Kiryu's combat is fun, but only that didn't hold the game for me. It feels cheap. It feels like a cash grab. That's how I'd define it. It feels like they're putting all their effort on the other projects (Virtua Fighter and Stranger than Heaven) and made Kiwami 3 cheap in production just because they wanted money. Now, don't get me wrong: I KNOW the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series tends to reuse lots of assets, but they at least TRY to do some new and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Legends collide in the free demo for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties! Try both action-packed games in this two-in-one experience before the full game launches Feb 12. Play the demo now on #NintendoSwitch2: ninten.do/6013QGHEZ
neutral · AI labelView post →Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties is extremely dissappointing coming from a fan who has played every game in the series, but if you ignore its shortcomings as a remake and as a game in general its somewhat mindless fun. I dont think either game is very good though. (TLDR: Yakuza Kiwami 3 is poor quality, but enjoyable in some aspects, Dark Ties in comparison is better but still not up to snuff with the expectations of this studio) I'll start with Dark Ties. It was okay, I liked the narrative…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties (PS4/PS5) US PSN preorder store.playstation.com/en-us/produc... Xbox Series www.xbox.com/en-US/games/...
neutral · AI labelView post →i cried because the game was bad, not because it was emotional if you're playing through the series for the first time avoid this one and play the original Yakuza 3 instead, to put it simply and spoiler free, events of Yakuza 4 just cannot happen with Kiwami 3's new ending it's a very rambling review with no order or whatever, don't bully me for the poor structure of it (or do idc) the new added cutscenes are sometimes fine, sometimes useless, some substories being included as part of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →MY GOAT IS WASHED Everything good is straight from the original, and they cut most of the other good stuff. It's just Pirate Yakuza gameplay but worse. Get the original remaster anywhere you can ASAP, this is the laziest/most rushed game they've ever put out. -Cut Haruka from story (was her most relevant game) -Cut walking around town with followers -Cut playing minigames with Haruka -Cut all 3 hostess clubs and all 10 hostesses -Cut the running a hostess club game -Cut 100+ sub-missions…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →RGG has truly lost the plot on what made Yakuza games great. Heavily Cut Content? Oh yeah they chopped the legs off this one....maybe even the entire torso too. Bad Retcons? Even for a Yakuza game, they got too stupid on the logic here. Dark Ties? More like nobody cares, nobody asked, you sacrificed half the OG game for 3 chapters of mediocre fanservice. Luckily I was gifted this game, unfortunately I feel like they grifted the friend who gave it to me. Not worth $60 USD in any universe.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It genuinely baffles me how SEGA and RGG Studios looked at this thing and unironically said to themselves, “Yeah, this is a fine replacement for the original game. Let’s go ahead and delist the original while we’re at it, so people stupid enough can just spend $60 on this watered-down, passionless remake that cuts out so much from the original game that it’s basically just a different game skinwalking as a remake of the game we were supposed to be remaking”. There is so much wrong with this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is clearly a cash grab with the amount of ripped out content and Dark ties being bare bones. Dark Ties should have been saved for a like a dragon gaiden game instead we got 3 hours of a surface level story telling who sole purpose was to set up for the next mainline game. Not sure I am going to continue with Day One purchasing of this series. The retcons are getting comic book level insane now and straight insulting. Like the bushes, really? Get this game on sale if you can
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A legend is reborn and a new legacy begins in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties! Play the two-in-one, action-adventure experience now on #NintendoSwitch2: ninten.do/6019Qu0Nx
neutral · AI labelView post →Oh boy… Yakuza Kiwami 3. What a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ mess. Right away, it’s clear this remake is pure corporate greed. Almost all of the side content from the original Yakuza 3 is gone, characters removed, and the story has been retconned in a way that completely looses ALL emotional impact. A lot of what made the originals story special especially the quieter, more human moments Kiryu had are just… gone. Let’s get the ONE good thing out of the way: the combat. It’s definitely better than the original. It…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties (PS5/XSX) up for preorder at VGP ($66 US Dollars free shipping) buff.ly/8bK7Mq9 PNP Games (Switch 2 KC/PS5/XSX) buff.ly/e4cVSrN #ad
neutral · AI labelView post →Masayoshi Yokoyama, RGG Studio Representative & Executive Producer, sheds light on the Yakuza series and extreme remake Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. 👀 Watch now: ninten.do/6017QHabU
neutral · AI labelView post →If you're thinking about buying this game and you're a Yakuza fan, just remember: this is basically some f king alternate-universe timeline. "Miyazato Secret Art: Tiger Drop"? That alone was enough for me to hit the thumbs-down button. I always assumed the biggest reason for all the backlash was that Yoshitaka Mine was written back to life and the ending was heavily rewritten. None of that really bothered me. The CIA guy who spent the game chasing Kiryu is apparently perfectly happy running…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Decent game but unfaithful to the original After finishing the main story of the game my opinion about it is that it's overall a pretty good game. Graphically this game is really good looking (I didn't really see any glitches). The combat system is way better than the one from the original game. The problem of enemies blocking your every attack is obviously gone and the two fighting styles give a nice dynamic. The story is basically the same as the original except at some points. Pros and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Metal Gear Solid 3, Persona 3 and even Resident Evil 3 are all remakes with the number 3 in the title I would rather play than this one
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is most definitely the lowest of the low that RGG can go when creating a Yakuza game and I don't think it's going to get any better. From altering the story, to making the combat really boring and boss fights absolutely horrendous, cutting content from the original and adding brand new content that they force you to go through to progress in the main story (Bad Boy Dragon), to somehow messing up a lot of the old songs from the original, I'm genuinely concerned for how this series will…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you never played Yakuza 3, don't be bothered to play this mess. The visual improvements and quality of life aditions aren't worth it. The story is lacking and the changes they made in the ending ruined the plot. GOG still has the original Yakuza 3 in store and you can get it from the series bundle. Skip this remake crap and go play the real deal.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza Kiwami 3 was a fun game, but it removed most of what made Yakuza 3 feel like Yakuza 3. Most of the minigames are added from the newer games, and it didn't capture the original charm of the remastered game. Yakuza 3 very much needed a remake due it's outdated feel, and I was very excited for K3, but it didn't feel full of love like they claimed it to be. There's a lot of small things that irked me and Dark Ties was stupidly short. The recasting is also an obvious issue. Kiwami 3 felt…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been playing yakuza since i was 9 years old probably and its so sad seeing my childhood series turning out this way they could've made this and kept the original yakuza 3 but the way this studio has been is truly saddening whether it be locking new game+ behind dlc or a bunch of microtransactions for huge nothingburgers or casting Japanese celebrities to replace old cast members or rewriting and screwing up huge parts of the story. please do not play this game and just buy the remaster…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wish I hadn't pre ordered this game on greenmangaming, otherwise I would have gotten a refund. It is a worse version of Yakuza 3, the developers clearly did not want to make this game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.
