Yakuza 3 Remastered Review Summary

Engaging Characters and Development: Characters in Yakuza 3 are noted for their expressiveness, emotional depth, and development. The game introduces new characters like Rikiya, who add significant flavor to the story, and showcases the softer, more human side of Kiryu.

Emotional and Impactful Storyline: The story of Yakuza 3 is praised for its emotional depth and impact, particularly focusing on Kiryu's role as a father figure and his interactions with the orphanage kids. The narrative is seen as one of the strongest in the series, blending multiple threads including political intrigue and personal struggles.

Beautiful and Diverse Locations: The game's setting, particularly Okinawa, is highlighted for its beauty and refreshing atmosphere. The detailed environments and the contrast between different locations add to the game's charm and visual appeal.

Fun and Humorous Moments: The game includes a variety of humorous and fun moments, from character interactions to substories. These elements add a lighter touch to the overall experience.

Nostalgic and Improved Remaster: The remastered version of Yakuza 3 is appreciated for its nostalgic feel and improved graphics. Mods can further enhance the experience, making the game more enjoyable and visually appealing.

Clunky and frustrating combat: The combat system is widely criticized for being clunky, frustrating, and poorly balanced. Players report issues with blocking, enemy AI, and overall combat mechanics, making it less enjoyable compared to other games in the series.

Outdated and janky gameplay: The gameplay is frequently criticized for feeling outdated and janky. Players report issues with controls, mechanics, and overall gameplay experience, making it less enjoyable compared to other games in the series.

Poor graphics and visuals: The game's graphics are frequently criticized for being outdated, broken, and not up to standard. Character models and animations are described as stiff, robotic, and less detailed compared to other games in the series.

Slow and tedious story pacing: The story is often described as slow, tedious, and filled with unnecessary content. Players report that the pacing is rough and the plot feels stretched and repetitive.

Excessive enemy blocking: Enemies are noted to block excessively, making combat tedious and frustrating. This issue is prevalent throughout the game and significantly impacts the enjoyment of fights.

Complex combat mechanics: The combat system is noted for its steep learning curve and tactical depth, involving blocking, dodging, and specific strategies to defeat enemies. Players find it challenging yet rewarding as they unlock new skills and adapt to different combat styles.

Rich narrative and character development: The game features a deep and engaging story with well-developed characters and numerous side quests. The narrative is praised for its emotional depth and connections to real-life events, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Enemy blocking mechanics: Enemies frequently block and counter-attack, making combat challenging and sometimes frustrating. Players need to use specific techniques and strategies to overcome these defensive mechanics.

Leveling and skill system: The game features a leveling system where players can unlock new skills and abilities. This system allows for character progression and makes combat more enjoyable as players become stronger.

Variety of side activities: The game offers a wide range of side activities and mini-games, including casino games, cabaret management, and various arcade games. These activities add depth and variety to the gameplay, though some may find them repetitive.

Frame rate problems: The game is locked at 60 FPS, which has caused performance issues and stuttering. Some players have noted that while the game runs smoothly compared to its original console version, there are still noticeable frame rate issues.

Graphics quality issues: Many players have reported that the graphics quality is poor and feels like a downgrade from the original. Specific issues include low-resolution cutscenes, outdated character models, and lack of detail in environments.

Minigames optimization issues: Minigames such as Pool and Fishing are poorly optimized and do not function properly at 60 FPS. This leads to general performance issues and a subpar gaming experience.

Loading times and compression: The game has more frequent loading times and some cinematics are overly compressed, affecting the overall gameplay experience.

Steam Deck performance: The game runs well on Steam Deck but is noted to be a battery hog, which can be a significant drawback for portable gaming.

Recommendations for Yakuza 3: Yakuza 3 is often recommended for its story and as a good entry point for new players, despite its flaws. Some suggest waiting for the remastered version, Kiwami 3, while others recommend buying it before it gets delisted.

Skip or rush through: Some players advise skipping the game entirely or rushing through the main story, especially if you are not a dedicated fan. Watching a lore video or playthrough is suggested as an alternative.

Gameplay tips and tricks: Players suggest starting with easy difficulty and using specific moves like the tiger drop and double finishing blow. Mods are also recommended to enhance the gameplay experience.

Worth playing for completionists: The game is considered worth playing for those who want to complete the series or are fans of the saga. It is recommended to wait for a sale due to its rough edges.

Not recommended for casual players: The game is not recommended for those who are not dedicated fans or who started with the drama. It requires patience with its mechanics and is not ideal for 100% completion.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback reveals several significant issues with the game on the Steam Deck. The most critical problems include frequent game crashes and the lack of an auto-save feature, which severely disrupts gameplay. Additionally, many users have criticized the game's controls and gameplay mechanics, describing them as outdated and non-fluid. Battery drain is also noted as a concern, though it is less severe compared to the other issues. On a positive note, some users have reported that the game runs well on the Steam Deck, indicating good performance and stability.

Mod reliance: The user feedback primarily revolves around preferences for mods to enhance gameplay and graphics, as well as subjective opinions on game content. There are no widespread reports of game-breaking issues or crashes, indicating that the game is generally playable without mods.

External guides: The primary issues identified in the user feedback are the lack of in-game guidance and the presence of bugs and issues that disrupt gameplay. These problems significantly impact the user experience, often requiring players to seek external resources such as walkthroughs and wikis to progress.

Voice actor controversy in remaster: Players have noted a controversy surrounding a voice actor in the remastered version of the game. This issue has sparked discussions and debates among the community.