Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 74 | 200 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 63% | 62 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 63 | 81 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 72% | 68 | 47 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 135 reviews sampled · 92 total reviews in window · weighted 75 up / 29.7 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (145)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 85
“Yakuza Kiwami 3 provided a beautiful remake with excellent gameplay, excellent side content, excellent variety, and excellent graphics, along with excellent technical performance without any issues.”
read full review ↗ - 70
- 60
“Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a stripped-down, artificially stretched product that serves as an example of how even a universally acclaimed classic can be ruined.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Long-time fans of the series will be disappointed by the story changes, but for new players it's just another good Yakuza game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a controversial yet well-executed remake. It has changed and removed a lot, which doesn’t sit well with die-hard fans at all. However, it has replaced everything it took out with new content and revamped the rather clunky original game to meet modern standards. If you’ve never played the original Yakuza 3, this version might be the most accessible way for you to experience one of the key chapters in Kiryu’s story. Players who are already familiar with Yakuza 3, however, may find themselves grumbling more about what’s been lost to the dustbin of digital history than cheering about what’s been added.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties successfully fixes the original's frustrating elements, delivering a smoother and more engaging criminal drama. While not entirely perfect, it mixes series trademark tension and sidestory madness with renewed energy.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“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.RGG Studio fixed some visual blemishes in time for launch, so that's good news. Unfortunately, it seems Kiwami 3 will forever be associated with the recasting of one of its main antagonists, a controversy that undeniably affected my personal enjoyment of the game. If that doesn't bother you, and if an overabundance of side content appeals, you could probably add a point to the scoreline.”
read full review ↗ - 70
““Yakuza Kiwami 3” boasts great presentation and much needed improvements over the original game combat system. Sadly, it does very little to improve the inconsistent narrative. If anything, it makes it worse in some areas. Is the worst remake I ever played? No, far from it, but I would rather play the original “Yakuza 3”, or at least its remastered version, rather than the remake.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The remake offers a lot of new goodies in the form of side content and a whole new story starring antagonist Yoshitaka Mine as he moves up the ranks in the Tojo Clan. However, the game ends up feeling quite bloated, the main story’s pacing takes a huge hit, and a lot of the changes made for Yakuza Kiwami 3 simply don’t land.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a safe and superficial remake that's just another way for SEGA and RGG to release their anual Yakuza/Like a Dragon game. I do not recommend buying this its lackluster Dark Ties expansion, but, if you've never played Yakuza 3 before, this is not a bad way to do it, even if it's growingly clear that when Toshihiro Nagoshi left the studio in 2021, the series' creativity left with him.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Revisiting this chapter reminded me why I care about Kiryu in the first place. He’s not just a legendary gangster. He’s a man constantly trying to outrun his past while protecting the people who matter most. Kiwami 3 captures that struggle beautifully, and Dark Ties enriches it further. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this remake earns its place in the series’ legacy.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Yakuza Kiwami 3 is, to say the least, very dark and truly not something I enjoyed playing. As Mine you encounter your entry way into the Yakuza by stopping him from assaulting a woman. Not to save the woman but to gain an entryway into the Yakuza. You spend Yakuza Kiwami 3 befriending a violent creep and one of the plot points and mini games is the management sim where you rehabilitate Kanda’s image to becoming something of a hero.”
read full review ↗
Eternal Games
Fintendo
GameMAG
3DNews
Gaming Professors
Videogiocare.it
Nintendo Life
Hu3br
RPGamer
Fun Factor
ani-game.com
Invision Community…and 133 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- PATCH 1.15 RELEASEMar 19, 2026
- PATCH 1.14 RELEASEMar 2, 2026
- PATCH 1.13 RELEASEFeb 20, 2026