​Yakuza 3 Remastered Review

By Kevin Mitchell  |  Posted: March 3, 2020

After years of isolation, Kiryu's entire saga can finally be played on a single platform (and in North America), thanks to Sega's remastering of the three PlayStation 3 titles: Yakuza 3, 4, and 5. Released as a three-game collection both physically and digitally, and as separate products digitally only, Yakuza 3 can finally be experienced with most of the original cut content restored, as well as a completely rewritten English translation that was sorely needed. Not only that, but a transphobic substory has been removed (as it should), and references to events that transpired ten years ago and specific product licenses have been altered. More importantly, the PlayStation 4 remaster includes a highly improved resolution and runs at a smooth 60fps, although you won't get the gameplay improvements and engine optimizations from the last few releases.

If you are following Kiryu's story in sequential order, the last game you'd have played would be the excellent Yakuza Kiwami 2, built with the Dragon game engine (Yakuza 6 was the first game released to use the engine). As Yakuza 3 isn't a remake with Ryu Ga Gotoku's latest engine, you'll miss the emphasis on combat improvements, animations, damage mechanisms, and attribute systems. In Yakuza 3, characters have a stocky look to them, with very wide shoulders, and everyone moves with a sort of stiffness. In traditional fashion, main characters are more highly detailed than the side story characters and those you pass on the street, which really seems out of place. Textures can be a bit blurry despite the boost to the game's overall resolution.

The new translation (goodbye Fuma family, welcome back Kazama clan) gives the game a much better flow to conversations. The voice work, all in Japanese, still holds up today, even after ten years. As with the rest of the series, only important main narrative events are fully voiced, and everything else is presented with text. Although a bit primitive in terms of finesse and mechanics, the combat is still quite enjoyable. I mean, who can say no to hitting someone squarely in the face with a random bicycle found on the streets or an office sofa? You are limited to a single combat style to master, but there are plenty of powerful triggerable heat actions. Be ready for ample button presses (quick time events) during them, as many require player input for completion.

The story picks up after the events of Yakuza 2. Kiryu has given up the dangerous life of a yakuza and instead focuses his efforts on taking care of Haruka and running the Morning Glory orphanage in Okinawa. After events transpire in the opening sequence, the former Dragon of Dojima heads back to Kamurocho when he hears about an assassination attempt against two current yakuza patriarchs. Things take a turn for the worse when a photograph of the accused assassin surfaces and resembles none other than the man who raised him, Shintaro Kazama. I won't go into further details to avoid spoilers, but the narrative pacing in Yakuza 3 isn't as strong as in previous entries. Still, there are heartwarming and silly/goofy moments throughout, especially as you'll be raising the kids from the orphanage in between your duties of kicking butt in the streets of Kamurocho.

Simply Put

Yakuza 3 Remastered may not have received the Kiwami treatment but still features one of the strongest and most emotional narratives in the series. Some may not enjoy the focus on Kiryu's "softer" side with taking care of the kids at the orphanage. The mini-games are still great at cleansing the palate, with golfing and karaoke as the highlights, but overall they aren't as strong as in previous titles. It's a shame that the narrative pacing doesn't quite deliver in the second half of the game.