Yakuza 3 Remastered

I consider this to be in my top 3 favourite Yakuza games so far, I'm sure it'll change once I get through the rest of the games. I can see why this was considered the black sheep of the series and is heavily flawed in the graphics and combat areas coming right after Kiwami 2.... but the redeeming parts are the absolute banger soundtrack (especially the ambience in the club and bar areas - seriously, look up "Yakuza 3 B-Sides" on Youtube to see what I mean), the new family characters you meet in Okinara & the fishing game (yes I dare say it was the most fun I had with a fishing minigame in any RPG). I was super close to breaking down into tears because of the ending of this one. Please don't skip this even if the combat feels like you are hitting a brick wall due to the nature of the enemies blocking more. It actually made it a nice challenge for me personally and the gore from each enemy you finish encountering was an interesting change. It felt like my punches and kicks had more impact. Yakuza 4 Remastered here I come!

For anyone who doesn't know, this remaster has plenty of bugs that weren't in the original game, music cut due to licensing problems, and the biggest issue, censorship. Every version of the game is censored, with a series of side missions taken out due to transphobic stereotypes, clan logos seen as offensive in Asian countries, and more. I highly recommend Yakuza 3 as its arguably the peak of Classic Yakuza (pre-Yakuza 5 mechanics), but this remaster is censored and buggy. Buyer Beware.

After enjoying the impressive Kiwami 2, my expectations for Yakuza 3 were rather low. This installment feels rather dated, not only due to its (albeit remastered) graphics but primarily in its gameplay mechanics. The combat system could easily be condensed into one repetitive combo and a few heat actions, and the user interface should have been rebuilt from scratch. Additionally, many plot threads fail to come together cohesively. Despite these shortcomings, the game does have its moments where I genuinely cared about its characters. Furthermore, the storytelling shows improvement compared to the previous entry in the series. Yakuza 3 can be vexing and tedious, yet it manages to be oddly addictive at the same time.

Out of all Yakuza, this is I like the least. The first 4 chapters are really sluggish, the plot twist is forced and irrational, and if you played Kiwami 2 first, this game will be a major letdown. If you don't like it, just watch the gameplay on Youtube. Good thing the performance is smooth.