Yakuza 3
Yakuza 3 is a PlayStation 3 role-playing game released in 2009 developed by SEGA. It centers on area and route exploration, story, case, or mission progress, and area exploration, with controls and information arranged around the DualShock 3 or Sixaxis twin sticks, triggers, and face buttons, with PlayStation Move only where explicitly supported.
- AI score · out of 10
- 8.0 / 10
About this game
Yakuza 3 is a PlayStation 3 role-playing game centered on area and route exploration, story, case, or mission progress, and area exploration. Story beats, exploration, and progression resources support a longer campaign, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on length, sales, or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Characters, world building, environments, and music carry most of the atmosphere, while HD 3D scenes, Blu-ray data streaming, surround audio, and cinematic presentation need to preserve action, state, and text readability together. The genre-specific limitation is that dense text, menu layers, repeated battles, loading, or language dependence can slow progress. Platform conditions also include Blu-ray loading, HDD installs, system software, DualShock 3 battery life, Move accessories, resolution and frame rate, and retired online services affect present-day use. This description covers only this platform release and does not import features or conveniences from remasters, emulators, or other console editions.
Collected in series
Like a Dragon, formerly known in English as Yakuza, follows people trying to hold on to loyalty and dignity amid crime and betrayal. Dense city districts invite you to step away from serious drama for games and eccentric side stories. Some entries use direct-action brawling, while Ichiban Kasuga’s adventures bring a party into turn-based combat.
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PlayStation 3
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
Kiryu's family duties give the street battles unusual emotional weight, despite rough combat edges.
The original Western PS3 Yakuza 3 works because Okinawa's orphanage routine and Kamurocho's criminal power struggle belong to the same character story. Kiryu's attention to the children gives later conflicts over land and loyalty a personal reason to matter. Punches, throws, Heat moves, improvised weapons and photographed revelations make fights dramatic, although slow target turning and committed animations can punish attempts to reposition. Shops, street chatter, Japanese voice performances, side stories, karaoke and fishing make both cities worth inhabiting between plot beats. The orphanage errands also slow the opening, and this Western edition omitted some activities present in Japan. Those are real limits within an otherwise rich adventure. The original PS3 disc asks for a roughly five-gigabyte install and can show obvious line shimmer, even as its sound and basic rendering serve the atmosphere. This is the 2010 Western PS3 version: later remaster clarity and Japanese-edition content are not credited to it. Its strongest achievement remains the link between everyday care, dramatic loyalty and playful urban discovery.
Strengths
- Family story and city detail create memorable attachment
- Expressive brawls and varied side activities support a long stay
Weaknesses
- Lock-on and animation commitment reduce combat precision
- Slow opening, regional omissions and visible image shimmer
Who it is for: Players who enjoy character-led crime drama mixed with urban exploration and brawling.
Play notes: Assesses the original Western PS3 edition, not later remasters or Japan-only activities.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension The family story and urban side activities reinforce each other, despite a slow opening and regional cuts. | Reviewed | 8.5 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Heat moves and improvised weapons land well, though turning and attack commitment can frustrate. | Reviewed | 8.0 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Japanese performances and lived-in streets make Kiryu's family ties unusually tangible. | Reviewed | 8.6 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension A sizeable install and visible shimmer burden an otherwise functional PS3 presentation. | Reviewed | 6.4 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- SEGA
- Publisher
- SEGA
- Release date
- 2009
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Action · Primary genre
- Tags
- Third PersonTurn-based CombatFantasyLong-term ProgressionExploration3D GraphicsStory-drivenSolo-friendlyLevel ProgressionMain Story 20–50 Hours
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- MultiplayerSingle player
- Perspectives
- First personThird person
Release editions
- PlayStation 3Worldwide2009
Game gallery
Sources
Not provided