Following up on a previous announcement, publisher Sega and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have revealed that a demo for Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties will be released on PC (via Steam) on January 21, 7 AM PT/10 AM ET. PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 will receive the same demo, albeit at 9 PM PT.
The Yakuza Kiwami 3 portion of the demo will allow the exploration of Ryukyu, Okinawa, as protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. Throughout this section, players will get a taste for the beat ‘em up combat through two of Kiryu’s combat styles—the Dragon of Dojima: Kiwami style and the weapon-oriented Ryukyu style. There will also be side activities to explore, including karaoke, a few of the early-game substories, and outfit customization.
In the Dark Ties portion, players will be able to enjoy the start of the brand new story that stars Yoshitaka Mine. The main setting for this will be Kamurocho, and players will get a taste of Mine’s shoot-boxing combat style while experiencing various side activities. Both demos will be bespoke experiences, and players will not be able to carry over any save data into the full game.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios had also recently confirmed that, once Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties launches, Yakuza Remastered 3 will no longer be available to purchase individually. Noting that it wants players to experience the new vision of the classic Yakuza title, the studio has noted that those who want to experience the unaltered original will be able to pick up the game through the Yakuza Complete Series bundle.
“We place great importance on staying faithful to our creative direction, and we hope you will enjoy the completely new experiences we have envisioned for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties,” wrote the studio in its announcement through social media. “Those who already own Yakuza 3 Remastered will still be able to continue playing it. For those new to the series who wish to experience the original version, it will be available with the purchase of the Yakuza Complete Series bundle.”
While the core story of Yakuza Kiwami 3 won’t see many changes, the remake will feature a host of new content in the form of an expansion to Mine’s plot through Dark Ties, as well as additional side activities. Some, like the new karaoke songs and substories, were detailed earlier this month.
Among the new side activities is a new way for Kiryu to befriend those around him—LaLaLa Loveland. Similar to the Aloha Link system from Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, LaLaLa Loveland will allow Kiryu to use special “Red Thread of Fate” technology in his new cellphone to bond with owners of similar phones. This “Red Thread of Fate” can also be used to unlock “Loveboxes” that have been hidden throughout the game’s explorable areas.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 on February 12.
