The game that seperates hardcore from the normie.
Combat
I think combat is good.
Why? Because this is one of the rare times that yakuza game requires player to be careful about their timings. You actually have to use dodge and grab button? You can't just spam square endlessly? Wow what a big improvement! Actually it's not that big of a thing but of course people that come from kiwami games probably dumbfounded when they realize they have to use buttons other than attack button.
For me it was a fun time with some couple problems. Thing I love For example are... you can bound enemies now! if enemy's back crashes to a wall. Also quick select weapons with d-pad now! More heat actions and couple more move additions here, also more weapons and awesome accessories to equip as well. Bounding alone makes it better than most of the yakuza titles because it's kinda broken :P.
It's not perfect tho, new heat actions and sound effects doesn't feel as brutal as og yakuza 2. Also stun times But I think my biggest problem with the combat is, it feels slow. They probably made this way to force people to not spam attacks or limit Kiryu, because he was overpowered in 2. But I am not into this decision, because it results with too much defensive play. Maybe if I hadn't played y2 I would had seen it as an upgrade because y1 slow as well, but after yakuza 2 it's hard to used to this kind of gameplay speed for me. Also crowd combat feels a bit downgraded compared to y2 I think with only being able to attack your behind.
So I liked the new moves and really fun bounding, but like I said combat speed felt limiting to me but I can still certainly say I had fun. I especially had fun in the boss fights because they actually require you to time shit now.
Story
This game's story is a mess. But have the best characters(for me), so I can't decide if it's a improvement or a decline? Maybe I can explain like I did with combat: it's a one step forward, one step back.
Story is about how kiryu starts an orphanage like his father did and how the land he resides actually have a dark secrets in it. With Kiryu, we slowly learn more about the kids that stay in the orphanage and more about the land's dark secrets. Also this game's story focuses on a pretty small group compared to the previous games and that's really pays off for both the new characters and kiryu itself. Why? Because we really have new opportunity to see father Kiryu in this game.
People tries to unjustify this with saying previous games had it but not to this degree, so I don't agree with them. You really see the struggle of Kiryu with kids and it's really pays off at with Kiryu's character development.
But there is two problems with story, one is the pacing. For some reason, game goes first half full slow, then second half bam bam bam full action. Problem with this: game bores the player with sticking one pacing too long. I like helping people in yakuza games of course but I also like kicking people with my punchs too and game doesn't mix them naturally like the other games unfortunately.
Second problem is, game feels like written with two different people. What I meant is, first half is emotional fatherhood journey, second half is constant action with stupid twists back to back with no stop.
Of course all yakuza games have stupid twists at the epilogue chapter of theirs but yakuza 3 rushes the twists so much, that make you think why...? It's like: wow that character coming back? Wow that character actually betrayed me but actually not? Wow that character actually related to this person but actually not? Wow that is the actual mastermind? Back to back to back Bla Bla Bla nonsense.
Sad thing is, our new antagonist is pretty interesting but slides away in this nonsense. I think he have less time in the story even less then nishiki somehow? Or maybe it's not? But the amount of time goes for spending stupid twists and stupid scooby-doo villains are so much that I wonder did they even think once when they were writing it. Because unused potential is a damn shame in the second half in my opinion.
Also I have small nitpicks
-Game is grey and no, ps3 also can handle other colors fine... so why the game is too much grey?
-You have a "remember the previous adventures" part, yet story have almost have no connections to the previous games except the prologue of this game.
-Upgrades, require obscene amounts of points, I for this fact couldn't unlock the final ones.
-substories sucks ass. Not even mediocre they are just boring. Only saving grace is awesome hitman missions where you track a mini boss and slap him and new heat action revelations where an awesome looking short cutscene happens.
-Amon sucks and not as exciting
and yeah that's my thoughts. For me this game is a step back from yakuza kenzan a little bit and especially og2 but probably the same level as the first game. I am a bit harsh on it but I still choose to give 4/5 because characters are that damn good for me even with the stupid plot twists, they really give the feeling of my own family.
Combat
I think combat is good.
Why? Because this is one of the rare times that yakuza game requires player to be careful about their timings. You actually have to use dodge and grab button? You can't just spam square endlessly? Wow what a big improvement! Actually it's not that big of a thing but of course people that come from kiwami games probably dumbfounded when they realize they have to use buttons other than attack button.
For me it was a fun time with some couple problems. Thing I love For example are... you can bound enemies now! if enemy's back crashes to a wall. Also quick select weapons with d-pad now! More heat actions and couple more move additions here, also more weapons and awesome accessories to equip as well. Bounding alone makes it better than most of the yakuza titles because it's kinda broken :P.
It's not perfect tho, new heat actions and sound effects doesn't feel as brutal as og yakuza 2. Also stun times But I think my biggest problem with the combat is, it feels slow. They probably made this way to force people to not spam attacks or limit Kiryu, because he was overpowered in 2. But I am not into this decision, because it results with too much defensive play. Maybe if I hadn't played y2 I would had seen it as an upgrade because y1 slow as well, but after yakuza 2 it's hard to used to this kind of gameplay speed for me. Also crowd combat feels a bit downgraded compared to y2 I think with only being able to attack your behind.
So I liked the new moves and really fun bounding, but like I said combat speed felt limiting to me but I can still certainly say I had fun. I especially had fun in the boss fights because they actually require you to time shit now.
Story
This game's story is a mess. But have the best characters(for me), so I can't decide if it's a improvement or a decline? Maybe I can explain like I did with combat: it's a one step forward, one step back.
Story is about how kiryu starts an orphanage like his father did and how the land he resides actually have a dark secrets in it. With Kiryu, we slowly learn more about the kids that stay in the orphanage and more about the land's dark secrets. Also this game's story focuses on a pretty small group compared to the previous games and that's really pays off for both the new characters and kiryu itself. Why? Because we really have new opportunity to see father Kiryu in this game.
People tries to unjustify this with saying previous games had it but not to this degree, so I don't agree with them. You really see the struggle of Kiryu with kids and it's really pays off at with Kiryu's character development.
But there is two problems with story, one is the pacing. For some reason, game goes first half full slow, then second half bam bam bam full action. Problem with this: game bores the player with sticking one pacing too long. I like helping people in yakuza games of course but I also like kicking people with my punchs too and game doesn't mix them naturally like the other games unfortunately.
Second problem is, game feels like written with two different people. What I meant is, first half is emotional fatherhood journey, second half is constant action with stupid twists back to back with no stop.
Of course all yakuza games have stupid twists at the epilogue chapter of theirs but yakuza 3 rushes the twists so much, that make you think why...? It's like: wow that character coming back? Wow that character actually betrayed me but actually not? Wow that character actually related to this person but actually not? Wow that is the actual mastermind? Back to back to back Bla Bla Bla nonsense.
Sad thing is, our new antagonist is pretty interesting but slides away in this nonsense. I think he have less time in the story even less then nishiki somehow? Or maybe it's not? But the amount of time goes for spending stupid twists and stupid scooby-doo villains are so much that I wonder did they even think once when they were writing it. Because unused potential is a damn shame in the second half in my opinion.
Also I have small nitpicks
-Game is grey and no, ps3 also can handle other colors fine... so why the game is too much grey?
-You have a "remember the previous adventures" part, yet story have almost have no connections to the previous games except the prologue of this game.
-Upgrades, require obscene amounts of points, I for this fact couldn't unlock the final ones.
-substories sucks ass. Not even mediocre they are just boring. Only saving grace is awesome hitman missions where you track a mini boss and slap him and new heat action revelations where an awesome looking short cutscene happens.
-Amon sucks and not as exciting
and yeah that's my thoughts. For me this game is a step back from yakuza kenzan a little bit and especially og2 but probably the same level as the first game. I am a bit harsh on it but I still choose to give 4/5 because characters are that damn good for me even with the stupid plot twists, they really give the feeling of my own family.