So, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is out and…boy, there is a lot to unpack. Reviews have gone up on both Metacritic and OpenCritic and, while labeled “generally favorable” nabbing a 75/100 overall score on both platforms, most of the complaints seem to range on cut content.
For context, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is what we call a soft remake — it’s not an original title fully remade, but it has enough new work done to be above a simple remaster. In the case of SEGA’s gangster action franchise, this is especially true since the “Kiwami” thing was introduced: Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2 were both praised as faithful re-readings of their original counterparts that introduced the franchise to a newer audience.
Not this time, though. As The Gamer and a bunch of others pointed out, SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio somehow thought it would be a good idea to flat out remove some content from Yakuza Kiwami 3. How much content? Well, it’s hard to put into exact numbers but…two thirds, give or take.
How much content was cut from Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Tied was cut
We lied. We have the numbers: to put it in perspective, the original Yakuza 3 — which will no longer be sold as a standalone release and will only be officially found on the remastered collection, by the way — had 119 sub stories (small, optional side quests that may or may not be connected to the main plotline). Yakuza Kiwami 3 only has…31.
That’s nearly 74% and we’re talking only sub stories. Other fun features, like the “Revelations” mechanic (where the main characters uses routinely, often comical situations of the day to learn new, powerful fighting moves), is completely non-existent in the new game.
The aforementioned The Gamer article even mentions the substory of Ayaka, a masseuse therapist who eventually reveals she is a transgender woman to lead character Kazuma Kiryu. It is a wholesome story that was very well received by the Yakuza community — and now it’s gone.
Granted, Ayaka’s bit was based on a real person and the character in question does use her likeness for the original game, so licensing issues might play a part in this case. But that does little to explain everything else.
Look, it’s not like cuts were not expected: Yakuza 3 and its remaster, in fact, are a case of the other way around — the original game had to cut a lot of things due to technical restrictions, but its remastered version added it all back and made the game a lot bulkier in return.
So far, SEGA has yet to come forward providing a reason for the cuts, but if this thread on Reddit is any indication, no amount of explanation will let them off the hook this time.
