TGS 2025 – Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Hands-On Preview: Mine Gaiden

Does the name Yoshitaka Mine mean anything to you? Longtime players of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series will no doubt recognize Mine as the businessman-turned-steely yakuza antagonist of Yakuza 3 from way back in 2009. However, when SEGA and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios announced Yakuza Kiwami 3, the third in the post-Yakuza 0 remakes of Kazuma Kiryu’s epic saga, I don’t think even diehard fans were expecting the remake to be bundled with Dark Ties, an all-new, additional side story detailing Mine’s rise in the streets of Kamurochō.

From what we’ve seen of Dark Ties, it seems to be comparable in size to the story in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. And hoo boy, is it a Yakuza game. After Mine’s business world is shaken, he develops an interest in the underground world of Japanese crime, particularly surrounding Daigo Dojima of the Tojo Clan. The demo dropped me immediately in front of that iconic main street in Kamurochō, the Yakuza series’ ever-evolving analogy to the real Kabukichō entertainment district in Shinjuku. Having lived in and around Tokyo for some time, I was immediately taken with the vibrancy and realism with which they mimic reality—so much so that it’d make for a fine slice of tourism. The lighting, especially, looked fantastic. I immediately beelined for the Don Quijote, only to be flanked, as expected from this series, by street punks.

Dark Ties returns to Yakuza’s beat ‘em up days. Despite his business attire and striking good looks, Mine’s mixed martial arts style is pretty savage, involving lots of throws and ground-pounding. His standout move for me was holding the circle button to run and launch off enemies, following up against another enemy with either a Superman punch, flying kick, or sidelong tackle. Dealing damage to (and beating bills of yen out of) enemies builds Mine’s “Dark Awakening” hearts, which can be charged and activated in increasing intensity to boost attacks and unleash a shadowy, bloody effect to Mine’s moveset. I liked how Mine fights a little more like Wolverine compared to the burly Kiryu, and there’s something sinister about his finishing and Dark Awakening moves that makes him stand apart from most Yakuza protagonists.

After knuckling through some packs of street trash, I tried what minigames the demo afforded: a photo booth (I forget the in-game name, but it apes the cutesy Purikura booths so popular with Japanese teens), and karaoke for a round of “Baka Mitai.” Yes, RGG Studio truly knows their audience. As the chorus hits, Mine shows some rare emotion, acting out a dramatic pantomime with the demo’s villain, Tsuyoshi Kanda.

Oh yeah, the story! Mine begins his dive into the world of yakuza by tailing Kanda as he is released from prison and returns to Kamurochō to break his, erm, long dry spell in the red-light district. I actually laughed out loud at how quickly Kanda returned, and Mine’s comments on it. Aside from its purposefully goofy side content, Dark Ties’ Japanese voice-acting perfectly strikes the series’ delicate balance between engaging crime melodrama and campiness. New to Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties is English voice-acting, though I didn’t get a chance to hear it this go-around. But hey, if you need less reading in your life, there you go. I did notice some interesting discrepancies between the Japanese audio and English text, such as a random thug trying to shake down Mine for 300,000 yen Japanese (roughly $3000 Canadian dollars), and, somewhat ridiculously, thirty-thousand dollars in the English text.

The Dark Ties demo ended soon after, but I was left with enough feel for the characters and the refreshed take on mid-oughts Kamurochō that I think this is a very worthy prequel to play before returning to Yakuza 3 for fans who want more of the Yakuza formula they love. For new players, this package is a sleek entry into said gameplay formula, though even I (having played through a handful of Yakuza games) have a hard time ordering the complexities of the Tojo Clan and its affiliate crime groups. I, for one, welcome a smaller slice of new story content, especially one where you play as an actual yakuza/bad dude for once.

*Note: I was going to stick around to have a go at Yakuza Kiwami 3 proper, but some SEGA employees threatened to smash a bicycle over my head if I didn’t give up my seat. [Editor’s Note: I am 99% sure this is hyperbole, unless SEGA’s booth was more immersive than I expect.]

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties releases February 12th, 2026 across Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, PC, PS4, and PS5. Learn more about what’s included in our announcement article, and check out more screenshots below:

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Screenshots