SEGA
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Tides: a final preview of a remake that expands its universe
Kazuma Kiryu returns with improvements, new activities, and a prequel focused on Mine.
The Yakuza series has undergone a remarkable change in recent years. It has gone from being a dark, niche title to becoming a saga with a more consistent release schedule, not only in Japan but also in the rest of the world. For many, Kazuma Kiryu’s adventure remains unknown, and after several years since the series changed its protagonist, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been working on Yakuza Kiwami 3, bringing back the third installment of the saga with various improvements, as well as adding a new story. A few weeks before its release, I had the opportunity to try out this title in a session that divided the experience into two parts.
Kazuma Kiryu, beyond a Yakuza
Although I had already seen a little of Yakuza Kiwami 3 a few months ago, prior to its official presentation, I now had the opportunity to focus on an experience centered on the more everyday moments of the story. Part of Kazuma Kiryu’s adventure takes him to Okinawa to look after an orphanage. Here, the feared Dragon of Dojima takes on a fundamental mission: to become the guardian of these children.
This involves helping them with all kinds of activities, from guiding them with their homework, cooking meals prepared with vegetables from the garden, to sewing clothes. Performing each of these tasks correctly not only contributes to the children’s well-being, but also influences an individual meter that reflects the affection each child develops towards Kiryu.
On the other hand, caring for the orphanage isn’t the only social experience present in the demo. Another section led me to meet a group of female motorcyclists known as the Haisai Girls. After helping them defend themselves from a rival gang, Kiryu reluctantly ends up becoming their leader. This opens up a new series of missions to help them expand their club, rescuing both women harassed by enemy gangs and anyone interested in joining this particular group. Part of this experience involves managing teams, which will be key to confronting rival gangs and increasing the group’s presence in the area.
The Yakuza Kiwami 3 demo allowed me to explore Okinawa freely. Although the map is well defined, the number of activities available and the confrontations remain well balanced. From classics such as karaoke or changing Kiryu’s clothes, to new activities such as playing with a now classic Game Gear, the experience invites you to do much more than simply advance the story.
The combat, as explained to us, has undergone some adjustments, and although I didn’t notice any significant changes from the last time I played it, it remains agile, with the possibility of changing styles depending on the type of enemy. However, to talk about considerably faster combat, we need to move on to the next part.
A new story
On the other hand, we were also able to play part of Dark Tides, a completely new story that serves as a prequel to the third installment. In it, we follow Yoshitaka Mine, one of the antagonists of Yakuza 3, to discover his origins and understand how he entered the world of organized crime.
During the demo, we had the opportunity to explore classic Kamurocho, where Mine seeks to improve Tsuyoshi Kanda’s reputation within the yakuza underworld in Kanda Damage Control mode. This is achieved by helping different people, going out drinking, and, of course, beating people up.
Among the activities, the game takes us to an underground fight club. This mode is divided into two parts; the first is Survival Hell, where we go through a floor facing, phase after phase, waves of enemies who attack both with their bare fists and with weapons. With each phase, the enemies become stronger, but the rewards also increase. The goal is to reach the final phase and defeat a boss, so managing Mine’s health becomes crucial.
Beyond this mode, the combat experience was surprising. Although I had already noticed that Mine’s speed makes combat much more agile than with Kiryu, here I was able to better appreciate her movements, with extremely fast kicks and the ability to jump on enemies to chain attacks. In addition, the Dark Awakening system further enhances her abilities, making her attacks considerably more devastating.
Finally, Kamurocho’s nightlife remains intact, and like Kiryu, Mine can roam the city and participate in all kinds of activities, from visiting classic SEGA arcades and singing karaoke to playing a few rounds of bowling.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Tides will be available on February 12, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam.
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