Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

 
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a massive dual-release package from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio that finally gives the “black sheep” of the series the Dragon Engine treatment. Released on February 12, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and the Nintendo Switch 2, this bundle includes a ground-up remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3 alongside a brand-new standalone campaign, Dark Ties. While Kiwami 3 modernizes Kazuma Kiryu’s heartfelt days at the Morning Glory Orphanage, Dark Ties steals the show with a psychological deep-dive into the series’ most underrated villain, Yoshitaka Mine.
Dad Simulator vs. Corporate Psycho: Core Gameplay

Kiwami 3 (The Remake): Das Original Yakuza 3 was infamous for enemies that constantly blocked (dubbed “Blockuza” by fans). Kiwami 3 fixes this with the fluid Dragon Engine physics seen in Verlorenes Urteilsvermögen. Combat is faster, and the shift from the bustling Kamurocho to the sunny, relaxed vibe of Okinawa feels better than ever. The orphanage “Life Sim” elements are expanded—cooking for the kids and managing the dog now have their own dedicated minigames.
Dark Ties (The Spin-off): This 10-15 hour campaign stars Yoshitaka Mine and plays differently from Kiryu. Mine’s fighting style is brutal and precise, utilizing a “Dark Awakening” heat mode where he can chain attacks into visceral finishers [web:4143].
Survival Hell: Mine’s campaign features a unique roguelike dungeon crawler called “Survival Hell.” It’s a timed dash through four floors of enemies to collect cash, serving as a darker, more frantic counterpart to the main game’s Coliseum battles.

Wie es sich rechnet
Dark Ties does for Mine what The Man Who Erased His Name did for Kiryu.



Spiel
Hauptunterschied




Yakuza 3 Remastered (2019)
The remaster was a simple resolution bump of a PS3 game with stiff combat. Kiwami 3 is a total reconstruction with new assets, voice acting (including Teruyuki Kagawa as Go Hamazaki), and modernized combat physics.


Like a Dragon Gaiden
Gaiden focused on Kiryu’s agent gadgets. Dark Ties focuses on raw, aggressive aggression. While Kiryu fights to protect, Mine fights to destroy. The narrative tone in Dark Ties is significantly bleaker, described by producers as the “darkest story in the series.”


Yakuza Kiwami 2
Kiwami 2 featured a short Majima saga. Dark Ties is much more substantial, acting as a full-length prequel/interquel that fleshes out Mine’s rise in the Tojo Clan and his relationship with Daigo Dojima.



Wichtige Details

Entwickler: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.
Herausgeber: SEGA.
Plattformen: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2.
Datum der Veröffentlichung: February 12, 2026.
Genre: Action-Adventure / Brawler.
Stimmung: Lilo & Stitch trifft American Psycho.

Für wen es bestimmt ist

Pflichtprogramm für lore junkies. Yoshitaka Mine has long been a fan-favorite antagonist who lacked screen time. Dark Ties finally gives his character the depth he deserves, explaining his nihilistic worldview.
Perfekt für Switch 2 owners. This is the first mainline RGG game built with the Switch 2 in mind, and performance is surprisingly solid, maintaining 60fps in combat.
Überspringen, wenn you disliked the slower pacing of Yakuza 3. Even with the remake, the first few hours of Kiwami 3 are still heavily focused on orphanage drama and fetch quests. If you want constant action, jump straight into Dark Ties (which is selectable from the main menu).

Warum es funktioniert
Es funktioniert aufgrund der contrast. RGG Studio smartly paired their most wholesome story with their darkest one. You spend hours in Kiwami 3 healing your soul by fishing on a beach and helping kids with their homework, then switch to Dark Ties to vent your frustration by crushing skulls in the rain-slicked alleys of Kamurocho. It offers the complete spectrum of the Yakuza experience in a single package.