Yakuza Kiwami 3, a remake of 2009's Yakuza 3, has been officially revealed by developer RGG Studio during its 2025 Summit presentation While most fans are lukewarm on what's considered to be the weakest game in the series, I for one am delighted to return to sunny Okinawa with Kiryu and his family of adopted orphans. The focus on family life brings out a beautiful paternal quality making the iconic character all the more lovable. What I'm saying is, this game isn't the worst in the series as many would have you believe – Yakuza 4 is.
Yakuza 4 introduced the wonderful Shun Akiyama to the franchise, and boldly served up a squad of playable characters each with their own section of the overarching story, but it's a flawed entry in many ways. It doesn't quite balance the multiple protagonists as well as later entries would do, and the plot is fairly forgettable. The biggest issue, though, goes far beyond such trivial complaints, and it involves a scene with Saejima Taiga.
Trigger warning: this article refers to sexual assault involving a minor.
A needed glow up
Kiryu, Kasuga, or Majima? The best Yakuza games merge action-packed Japanese crime capers with seriously silly fun.
We all know the memes about Yakuza 3 being a weak instalment and I'm not arguing against that, even if the golf course minigame is peak. Trading in the bustling streets of Kamurocho for island living is a bold change of pace that doesn't land well with everyone, but Kiryu suits the fatherly role of the third game well.
The upcoming life sim elements of Kiwami 3 will no doubt appeal to modern, post-Stardew-Valley sensibilities. Kiryu cooks, fishes and tends to his vegetable garden. It's not quite Dondoko Island from Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but it looks like a welcome addition to the title nonetheless, and I'm very excited to see how it develops.
Add in the visual glow, refined combat, new story content and Kiryu's striking new shirt, and Yakuza Kiwami 3 looks set to please players more than the original game ever could. What I'm ultimately daring to say is we'll all be quoting Thanos in Avengers: Endgame as we hold our copies of Yakuza 3 Remastered, emotionally declaring "Perhaps I treated you too harshly." Ok, maybe that'll just be me, but the sentiment remains. Also, Yakuza 3 gave us Majima's dope black suit and he's never looked better, not even in his pirate apparel.
The real worst game
Even without the updated visuals and added content, Yakuza 3 stands above its direct sequel Yakuza 4. The latter game features one particularly vile moment that didn't sit right with me when I first played it and remains a sickening memory now. The instance in question involves protagonist Saejima Taiga, sworn brother of series favourite Majima.
The problem is Saejima Taiga's section of the story sees him come within dangerous proximity of committing sexual assault against Haruka, Kiryu's adopted daughter who has featured in the Like a Dragon series ever since its original 2005 game. Fresh out of prison, Saejima pounces on Haruka after she checks on his recovery, and the tension as they stare at each other is stomach churning.
I must stress that Saejima does stop himself before anything else happens, but to see a child in such a situation is disgusting. Haruka is completely at his mercy, and our attachment to her further hammers home what an evil thing it is to even contemplate what Saejima's is apparently considering.
To make it worse still, Kiryu shows an almost unnatural level of mercy. I know there's the argument that the Dragon of Dojima has softened since taking over the orphanage, but it's never sat right with me that he shows such leniency towards Saejima. I don't blame Kiryu of course, I blame the writers at RGG Studio who decided this is how such a scenario should play out.
Today should be a happy day. A new Like a Dragon game has been officially revealed, and in my section of the gaming world that's about as good as it gets. I've meant to replay Yakuza 3 for a while now, so the prospect of an updated version with plenty extra added on is sumptuous, and when it releases in February 2026 I will be there day one on the virtual shores of Okinawa, enjoying what RGG serves up. Instead, I've been reminded of this incredible franchise's lowest moment.
Whether your new to Like a Dragon or firm fan, here's why you should play Yakuza 0 (again).
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