Extreme takes
Now this should make for an interesting review score poll…
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties released over a week ago now, and it’s been met with some very divided opinions.
Critic reviews have largely settled around 7s and 8s, to the point where the remake is actually one of the lowest-rated Yakuza / Like a Dragon titles in years.
Meanwhile, we’ve seen hardcore fans of the series deem it a decent game in its own right, but a largely poor remake. Again, evaluations are a bit all over the place.
In particular, Kiwami 3 has been criticised for the changes that it makes to the original story of Yakuza 3, and its recasting of key characters.
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It also cuts quite a bit of content in favour of new activities and reworked narrative beats. In short, it’s less of a one-to-one remake and more of a re-imagining.
For what it’s worth, we had a lot of fun with the game, despite our grievances with the plot and casting alterations. We ended up giving it a ‘great’ 8/10 in our Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties PS5 review.
“It’s such a shame that unforced errors muddy the waters, because we think Kiwami 3 is probably RGG Studio’s best remake to date — and one of the strongest titles in the series with regards to gameplay,” we concluded.
But what score would you give Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties? Hand it your own rating, and then explain your stance in the comments section below.
Robert (or Rob if you’re lazy) is an assistant editor of Push Square, and has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he’s played ’em all. A little too much, some might say.
