The Good
- City of Kamurocho feels alive
- Diverse range of fun minigames
- Excellent voice acting
- Revelation photo challenges are hilarious.
The Bad
- Occasional framing problems with camera during combat
- Weapon crafting system feels tacked on.
The delay coming to the West has been worth the wait. While localisation removes some of the more esoteric Japanese cultural phenomena like hostess clubs, the game retains its excellent Japanese voice acting and includes subtitles rather than redubbed audio for cutscenes. The biggest new feature is the inclusion of the game's Japanese downloadable content free in the box, which adds a survival cage match mode and a minigame challenge that lets you explore the city with minor character Haruka.
Don't let the fact that you haven't previously tackled a title from the Yakuza franchise put you off picking up this game. While the learning curve for the story starts off a little steep, by the end of the ludicrous, action-packed storyline, everything falls into place and you have formed genuine connections with endearing characters. Yakuza 3's detailed and living environments, engaging story, and abundance of extra things to see and do make it an entertaining ride and a great addition to your brawler collection.
Score: 8.0/10
