Yakuza 3

Like many recent Yakuza fans, i started with this highly covet crime drama franchise with Yakuza 0, the perfect entry point being a prequel. I love its style, and consequently have been moving through the series, from kiwami 1 and 2, and then onto 6 and 7. Always leaving enough time between entries so i dont get burnt out, because even though its an awesome series, it also tends to be quite formulaic. Still, i was nonetheless a bit weary of trying out the ps3 titles, but due to 2021's game drought i had little excuses.

And my initial fears were right, being the oldest game released that i have played, its the one which has aged the worst. Even for its time, 2009 was the year that gave us Uncharted 2, Resident Evil 5 and Demon's Souls. Games whose polished gameplay still feels great today. Yakuza 3 doesnt by any means, and this is very apparent right from the start of the game. The very awkward running cycle, the often creepy facial animations, and very laggy and janky combat. It all adds up to a game that feels like its playing against you. Not to mention how little options there are to break enemies guard, and because of that boss battles are really a battle of atrittion. The franchise has always had trouble with difficulty spikes in boss fights, but in here its just extremely boring because enemies can block 20 hits in a row without consequence (at least in early game).

Yakuza's strongest asset is the story, and its also the weakest of the series. The antagonist is only defined on its last quarter, and i couldnt get attached to the new characters in this story. Its nonetheless an important chapter in Kiryu, to understand what the orphanage means to him, and his growing relationship with Haruka. It makes the story in yakuza 6 definitly hit harder, but thats really the best thing about it. Cutscenes continue to be very cinematic and gripping, with a couple of standout moments that i wont ruin.

Yakuza is also known for the plentiful side activities. I didnt dedicate a lot of time to them, both because of the lack of rewards in doing them, but also due to how janky they feel. The forced golf segment was enough to put me off it forever. The cabaret minigame is also a damn bore, and the restaurants give way too little experience to invest in.

Its a game thats very easy to criticize, but despite all its faults, the care and love of the studio is still apparent, particularly in the story. It was their first try with ps3 hardware and it shows, they would only improve from here. But this is definitly an odd entry in the series, the weakest i have played so far by a large margin, but still essencial enough for fans to play.