In the latest episode of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio TV, Like a Dragon series director Masayoshi Yokoyama said that the team will “definitely” get around to making Kiwami 3, i.e. a remake of the thirdYakuzagame.
As reported byGematsu, this news came after Yokoyama revealed that the studio is currently holding auditions like those forthe live-action hostess scenes in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. He clarified that the auditions are not for Kiwami 3, but for the next Like a Dragon. Whether it’s a sequel to Infinite Wealth or a spin-off like Gaiden, we don’t know yet. The studio isn’t done remaking its original library just yet, though.
“I’m just going to say, I think we’ll do a Kiwami 3 at some point,” Yokoyama said. “I think we’ll definitely do it sooner or later.”
For context, ‘Kiwami’ means ‘Extreme’, and the Japanese kanji icon is used across the games for the iconic Heat moves. The original two Yakuza titles have been remade with the Kiwami moniker, essentially making them ‘extreme’ versions of the PS2 classics. Yakuza 3 hasn’t received the same treatment yet, but it was brought to PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2019 as part of the remastered collection which also contains Yakuza 4 and 5.
Yakuza 3 introduced Okinawa, the tropical seaside setting whereKiryu moved to so that he could run the Morning Glory Orphanage. It marks a huge shift in the series as the story was mostly penned by Yokoyama instead of Hase Seishu, but while the story is often held in high regard, the rest of the game is fairly divisive.
Yakuza 3 is when RGG finally nailed down the look of Kiryu that we know today, so it’s far less dated than the PS2 originals. However, while the visuals hold up, the combat is much clunkier.
Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2 were released in 2016 and 2017 respectively. There have been no remakes since.
One of the biggest complaints about Yakuza 3 is the emphasis on blocking as it drags fights out and makes harder difficulties more tedious, so a lot of fans want to see it remade for the Dragon Engine. This would also make running a marathon of the series far more consistent, as jumping from 0 to Kiwami to 3 Remastered can be a bit jarring right now.
RGG has clearly heard the demand, but whether the remake comes “sooner or later”, we’ll just have to wait and see. I’m still gonna be shouting from the Kamurocho rooftops for a 0 Kiwami, anyway.
