As if Yakuza Kiwami 3 wasn’t getting enough hate already, fans can’t believe how short Dark Ties actually is after it was said to be around the same size as Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
I probably don’t need to tell you that pretty much every Yakuza fan is about as done with the series as any of us has ever seen. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is shaping up to be a pretty negative turning point in the series, with worse reviews than most of the other games and an endless amount of outcry from a passionate community.
Most of the issues with Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties are pretty complex, from sticking with Teruyuki Kagawa as Goh Hamazaki to how both games seem to suggest a massive change in the series’ canon and timeline. Others are a bit more simplistic, though, like the recent revelation that Dark Ties is nowhere near as involved as we were led to believe.
Don’t Expect Dark Ties To Keep Your Attention For Too Long
“Well, Now We Know Why They Were Being Offered Together.”
Although Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties isn’t quite out yet, that hasn’t stopped certain people from getting their hands on it and posting a full walkthrough over on YouTube. As pointed out by Redditor Sanzhukk on the Yakuza subreddit, one of those walkthroughs suggests that Dark Ties is only three hours long for the full game.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Review – Double Ki-Whammy
Yakuza Kiwami 3 enhances the original with new features and improved visuals, but some changes may frustrate longtime fans. Dark Ties is a fun, if brief, detour starring Yoshitaka Mine.
While there’s a good chance that this is just the story mode of Dark Ties and that there are a few more hours of side content, that hasn’t stopped fans from pointing out how “hilarious” it all is. WhyNishikiWhy suggested that the short runtime makes it very clear why Kiwami 3 was packaged with Dark Ties and not a standalone release.
I’m sure some are going to argue that less time with Dark Ties isn’t a bad thing, but we’ll know the response when it launches tomorrow.
To make matters a bit more awkward, several fans pointed out that Dark Ties was previously said to be as long as Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name in a preview from Sportskeeda. For reference, The Man Who Erased His Name was around 10 – 15 hours to complete, which is much beefier than Dark Ties.
It could have just been an estimate or a comment about the similarity in scope between the two, but that isn’t exactly helping a game that’s already struggling pretty hard to win fans over.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
3.5/5
- Released
-
February 11, 2026
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ / Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
-
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
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