Yakuza 3 Review

By: DarkGizmo

Yakuza 3 is the 4th installment in the Yakuza series (ryu ga gotoku in japan) and takes place some years after the 2nd game. You play as Kazuma Kiryu an ex-yakuza trying to leave the life of organized crime behind and start a new life with his adopted daughter Haruka and 12 other orphans after opening up an orphanage in Okinawa called Sunflower Orphanage. After the deed to his land is threatened. Kazuma suits up once again and re-enters the world of the Yakuza to find out who is behind it. What he learns about an organized group of mysterious men in suits is far more sinister then he could have imagined.



As you can expect, Yakuza 3 is full of non-stop action. Some crazy plot twists and more. Kiryu is as bad ass as he has ever been and has a few new moves with him this time. The fighting system is traditional and if you've played the past 3 games (Kenzan, Yakuza 2 and Yakuza) You should be more then familiar with the fighting system in the game.



Some of Kazuma's friends return in this installment such as Goro Majima. As well as some old foes but what would Yakuza be without them, right? In Yakuza 3 you get to explore a new area in the world known as Okinawa which is where Kazuma and Haruka have relocated to. You will return to Kamurocho as well quite a few times during the game so the new change of scenery is quite nice. You will explore new areas in Kamurocho as well. Kazuma is gonna need a little bit more help this time around then he did previously, so you try to get some old friends to help you throughout your quest.



One thing about Yakuza 3 is it took the same path as Yakuza 2 for it's localization. There is no english dubs. All voice acting is done in Japanese but has english subtitles. This makes the experience more enjoyable and you get a more traditional japanese feel to the game which is what Sega was aiming for in this release. Although cutting the hostess clubs sure didn't help....

The western release of Yakuza 3 isn't 100% however. Sega had taken out some beloved features from the japanese version. One of the most noticable features is the caberett clubs and hostess bars. You will not be able to visit them in the western version of the game. You can still go on dates with the girls but they are scattered all over Kamurocho now and the bars they work at are now gone.



Sorry guys but you won't be able to enjoy the presence of these fine ladies in Yakuza 3's US release. Which is one major blow to us die-hard Yakuza fans. It's not a deal breaker, but it did kind of hurt the score of the game for me. Luckily no content has been cut in Yakuza 4's US release. Yakuza 3 was nothing less then awesome and definitely worth picking up in preparation for Yakuza 4 which will be gracing our shores spring 2011.

Overall, Yakuza 3 is a pleasant experience and quite an action-packed thrill ride. If you were on the fence about purchasing the game. By all means, do so. It is a wonderful experience and a glimpse into Japan's underworld. Although it could have been better without the content being cut from the US release. Yakuza 3 is still a fantastic game.

Gameplay: 9/10
Controls: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Fun factor: 8.5/10
Overall: 9/10 - EXCELLENT!