So, here's what some critics are saying about Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties so far:
"Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties finally does justice to the third instalment of the franchise, with graphics to match, a revamped and expanded combat system (setting a new standard for future Kiwami remakes), and new content, proof that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is more than happy to revisit its work and improve it, and we, for now, are delighted with the result."
"Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is one hell of a package. Taken purely as an expanded remake, it's an absolute blast for fans both old and new — but questionable changes to the story and its cast will inevitably stain the experience for plenty of people."
"The unique substories and activities are worthy, as are the new gameplay modes, all of which secure Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties' role as an ideal entry point into this epic series, which now looks better than ever on modern hardware."
IGN (7/10)
"On balance, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is another enjoyable blend of hard-boiled drama and sidestory silliness, but as a package it’s not quite as well-rounded as the series’ more accomplished entries."
"Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a fair series entry, but one that's tainted by poor pacing and a recasting controversy that simply didn't need to happen. The main story has a lot to offer, but it's also bloated with way too much side content getting in the way of the core narrative. Dark Ties feels like a nice antidote to this, but I'm not sure whether this alone would be worth the purchase for anyone but series die-hards."
"Kiwami 3 is constantly at odds with itself. Some of the areas of the original have been improved, but it's hard not to feel like you're experiencing a completely different game in both style and intent. Remakes aren't remasters, and there's always a chance of the developers being bold with the source material to the point of coming up with a polarizing work. Kiwami 3, however, cements itself as a drastic turn for the series, showing that these remakes can also reshape the existing stories."
As you can see, there are really mixed scores here, so it's hard to see where the average will lie — at the time of writing though, Metacritic is showing a 75 average rating (for PS5) based on 16 reviews. We expect that'll probably drop over the next few hours to somewhere around the 65-70 mark, at least based on the reviews we've spotted so far.
If you're interested in picking this one up, don't forget that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties has a free demo that you can try on the Xbox Store, while the full version is available to pre-order at a price of £54.99 / $59.99.
