Yakuza Kiwami 3 + Dark Ties Hands-On -- The Dragon Engine Can Still Provide Beautiful Remakes

"going back to a time when the series was less technically capable right after the two gorgeous Dragon Engine remakes ended up being a challenge. Yakuza 3 was released back in 2009, and the gameplay now feels considerably broken and outdated from a modern standpoint. The difficulty scaling in boss fights felt unfair and most of the time, I ended up intensely button mashing through battles, hoping to finally break blocks before getting annihilated with just a few hits."

"However, the game managed to save itself for me by having one of the most heartfelt stories in Kiryu's saga, with memorable characters that fans still gush about today. My experience may have been frustrating at times, but those rare, peaceful moments Kiryu spent with the orphans and his relationships with other Yakuza 3-exclusive characters are still some of my biggest highlights in the whole series."

"Since my playthrough, I desperately wanted Yakuza 3 to be remade because I knew if the studio could just update the graphics and gameplay, it would easily end up one of my favorite titles. When I finally got to sit down and demo this remake, I'm not gonna lie, I teared up. Not only does Yakuza Kiwami 3 finally get the Dragon Engine treatment it deserves, but the added content proves once again that RGG puts a lot of love into its remakes."

The 2009 Yakuza 3 originally suffered from outdated mechanics, unfair boss difficulty scaling, and slow, clunky pacing that led to repetitive button-mashing. Early character models and dragged-out interactions reduced immersion during Kiryu's downtime in Okinawa. The original narrative retained deep emotional resonance, especially scenes with orphans and Yakuza 3–exclusive characters that became series highlights. Yakuza Kiwami 3 brings the Dragon Engine to the title, modernizing graphics and combat while adding new content. The remake improves combat fluidity, updates visuals, preserves the story's heartfelt moments, and evokes strong, positive reactions from longtime fans.

Read at GameSpot