Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Beginner’s Guide | Gameplay Tips & Tricks

The newest game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. It comes with two campaigns in one package. You go with Kazuma Kiryu through Japan's criminal underworld and into Okinawa, where you have to protect a local orphanage.

Two Campaigns, One Release

You get Yakuza Kiwami 3 with new gameplay, cutscenes, and added story content, plus Dark Ties, a full new story centered on Yoshitaka Mine. In Dark Ties, Mine is an active member of the yakuza, so you can see what he was up to while Kiryu was helping kids in Okinawa. If this is your first time playing, Yakuza Kiwami 3 starts with a summary of the last game.

Fighting in Yakuza Kiwami 3

Kiryu fights with the Dragon of Dojima Kiwami Style, built for street brawling. You can kick, punch, throw, and use the environment to your advantage, like using improvised weapons, especially against anyone who gets in your way on the way to the Konbini.

New to the remake is the Okinawan-inspired Ryukyu Style, which lets you wield eight weapon types like Nunchaku. Tools like the Surujin help clear surrounding enemies. The best results come from changing styles on the fly and using the Heat Gauge to start Dragon Boost for new combos and finishing moves.

Bad Boy Dragon Side and the Haisai Girls

You can build and lead the Haisai Girls biker gang in Bad Boy Dragon Side and push the crew toward becoming the strongest in Japan. Recruit five allies for Baddie Battle, or assemble a gang of 20 and duke it out in 100-Person Rumbles.

Bikes and uniforms are customizable, and you can purchase Baddie Weapons like Rocket Launchers and a Flock of Chickens, plus plenty more.

Dark Ties Combat and Hell's Arena

Yoshitaka Mine dishes out pain with quick, stylish kicks and lightning-fast punches inspired by Shoot Boxing. You can take advantage of weaknesses in defenses, attack from the air to overwhelm enemies, and fill the Shackled Heart Gauge to unleash Dark Awakening, a berserk-like state that drags enemies across the ground and beats them up with a storm of strikes.

In Hellish Brawls, you can win money and move up the ranks by beating your opponents before time runs out. In Survival Hell, race the clock with hired mercenaries, fend off hunters, discover hidden treasures, grab powerful upgrades, and take down the final boss at the end of the dungeon.

Minigames, Daily Life, and Side Challenges

As the head of the Morning Glory Orphanage, you can run the place, cook, garden, fish, catch bugs, play board games, sew, and take care of the kids. 

You can also play games on your phone or tablet, go to the local game center for old-school games, take pictures in a photo booth, sing karaoke, hit the batting cages, shoot pool, or relax at the driving range. You can customize Kiryu’s look and explore Okinawa and Kamurocho.

Mine has extra challenges in Damage Control, where cleaning up a clan boss’s mess means tackling requests and objectives to rise through the ranks. You can also play casino games, go to the driving range, play darts, and more in your free time.