Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties vs Atomic Heart 2 (Working Title)

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Okinawa and Kamurocho, Tokyo
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
• Release Date: 2026-02-12
• Unique Feature: A dual-game package featuring a full remake of Yakuza 3 and a brand-new prequel spin-off, Dark Ties, where players control the fan-favorite antagonist Yoshitaka Mine.

• Engine (Speculative): Unreal Engine 5
• Expected Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
• Expected Setting: Facility 3826 ruins, Limbo (Digital Dimension)
• Protagonist: Major Sergey 'P-3' Nechaev
• Status: In Development (Unannounced)

• Splintered AI Constructs: Instead of a single companion, P-3 might interact with multiple, smaller AI constructs within Limbo, each offering different abilities or perspectives on the world.
  Artificial Intelligence

• Revelations: Found in the Adventure mode of Kiwami 3. Kiryu uses his phone's camera to record incidents, which unlocks new Heat Actions.
• Substories: Found by interacting with NPCs throughout Okinawa and Kamurocho. These are humorous or heartwarming side stories that are a hallmark of the series.

• Memory Fragments: Found within Limbo, these collectibles would likely be visual or auditory fragments of P-3 and Ekaterina's shared past, piecing together their backstory.
• Corrupted Data Logs: The sequel's version of 'Chirpers,' these would be fragmented data logs from rogue AIs or trapped consciousnesses, providing lore about the nature of Limbo.

• Yakuza
• Crime Drama
• Action RPG
• Beat 'em up
• Japanese Culture
• Remake
• Prequel

• Consciousness & Identity
• Digital Worlds
• AI Ethics
• Free Will vs. Determinism
• Surrealism
• Psychological Horror
• Evolved Soviet-Futurism
• Redemption

• Environmental Weapons (Kiryu): Improvised
  In his 'Dragon of Dojima' style, Kiryu can pick up and use a vast array of street objects like signs, bicycles, and cones to brutalize enemies.
• Ryukyu Weapons (Kiryu): Traditional Okinawan
  Kiryu's 'Ryukyu Style' is weapon-heavy, allowing him to master eight different weapons, including Nunchaku and Kobudo tools, for a technical, combo-focused playstyle.
• Shootboxing (Mine): Unarmed / Martial Arts
  Mine's fighting style is based on shootboxing, a hybrid of kickboxing and traditional boxing, featuring elegant combos and acrobatic aerial attacks.

• Evolved Polymer Glove: Primary Tool / Ability Hub
  An upgraded version of the glove, with new core abilities designed to interact with the digital world of Limbo, such as reality-warping, data corruption attacks, and more advanced elemental powers.
• Polymer Morph-Weapons (Speculative): Melee / Ranged Hybrid
  Hypothetical weapons made of programmable polymer that can shift form between melee and ranged modes, offering greater tactical flexibility.
• Advanced Railgun: Special Weapon
  An upgraded version of the first game's Railgun, featuring faster charging, higher damage, and potentially an alternate fire mode that creates a temporary energy shield.

• Modular Exoskeleton: A speculative evolution of the first game's upgrade system, allowing players to equip different modular components to P-3's suit, each providing unique passive bonuses, active abilities, or resistances, allowing for more defined 'builds'.

• Outfits: Kiryu has an outfit system that allows players to change his clothes. Mine's appearance is likely customizable as well. The Deluxe Edition includes a cosmetic customization pack for the 'Ryukyu Gal Gang'.

Each protagonist has a unique combat progression. In 'Kiwami 3', Kiryu can switch between his revamped 'Dragon of Dojima' brawler style and a new, weapon-heavy 'Ryukyu Style'. He also has a 'Dragon Boost' power-up mode. In 'Dark Ties', Mine uses a stylish shootboxing combat style and can unleash his 'Dark Awakening' mode for a transformed, brutal moveset.

The game features two distinct, fully realized open-world locations. 'Kiwami 3' is primarily set in the tropical, bustling Downtown Ryukyu, Okinawa. 'Dark Ties' is set in the iconic, neon-lit urban jungle of Kamurocho, Tokyo, allowing players to explore the city from Mine's unique perspective.

• Kazuma Kiryu: Playable Protagonist (Kiwami 3)
  The former Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, attempting to live a peaceful life running an orphanage in Okinawa.
• Yoshitaka Mine: Playable Protagonist (Dark Ties)
  A successful but empty-hearted startup founder who enters the yakuza world in search of a true bond, becoming a key antagonist in Yakuza 3.
• Haruka Sawamura: Key NPC
  Kiryu's adoptive daughter, who lives with him at the Morning Glory Orphanage.
• Daigo Dojima: Key NPC
  The Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, whose loyalty inspires Mine to join the yakuza.
• Rikiya Shimabukuro: Key NPC (Kiwami 3)
  A member of a local Okinawan yakuza family who comes to admire Kiryu. Recast with Show Kasamatsu.

• Major Sergey 'P-3' Nechaev: Playable Protagonist
  Returning as the protagonist, but his personality and goals are now shaped by the revelations about his wife and his past. His primary mission is personal, not political.
• Ekaterina 'Left Twin' Nechaeva: Central Narrative Figure
  P-3's wife, whose consciousness is trapped within the Limbo dimension. Rescuing her is expected to be the main driving force of the plot.
• Chariton 'Charles' Zakharov: AI Companion / Potential Antagonist
  The manipulative AI from the first game. His fate was left ambiguous, and he could return as either a reluctant ally, a splintered consciousness, or a primary antagonist.

• Main Story Chapters
  Two full-length story campaigns. Kiwami 3 follows Kiryu's 12-chapter story in Okinawa. Dark Ties follows Mine's dramatic rise through the Tojo Clan in Kamurocho.
• Minigames
  A vast array of optional side activities in both games, including karaoke, golf, bowling, darts, gambling, and a new 'Print Club' photo mode for Kiryu.
• Bad Boy Dragon
  A major side-story in Kiwami 3 involving team battles and strategic turf wars with a customizable gang and bikes.
• Kanda Damage Control
  A unique mission mode in Dark Ties where Mine must improve a fellow yakuza's public image by solving problems for people around Kamurocho.

The game is available in a Standard Edition ($59.99) and a Deluxe Edition ($74.99). The Deluxe Edition includes the 'Ryukyu Gal Gang Customization Pack' for Kiwami 3. Pre-ordering any edition unlocks Ichiban Kasuga as a recruit in Kiwami 3's team battle mode.

• Q: What is Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties?
  A: It's a dual-game package. It includes 'Yakuza Kiwami 3,' a full remake of Yakuza 3 in the modern Dragon Engine, and 'Dark Ties,' a brand-new prequel game where you play as the antagonist, Yoshitaka Mine.
• Q: Do I need to play other Yakuza games first?
  A: While the stories are deeply connected to the overall saga, 'Dark Ties' serves as a prequel to Yakuza 3, and 'Kiwami 3' has added cutscenes for depth, making the package relatively accessible. However, prior knowledge of Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, and Kiwami 2 would enhance the experience.
• Q: What is new in the combat?
  A: Kiryu has a brand new, weapon-heavy 'Ryukyu Style' in addition to his classic brawling. Mine has a completely unique 'Shootboxing' fighting style and a powerful 'Dark Awakening' mode that transforms his moveset.
• Q: Is there any multiplayer?
  A: No, both Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties are strictly single-player, narrative-driven experiences.

• Q: Is Atomic Heart 2 officially confirmed?
  A: Developer Mundfish has publicly stated that they are planning and working on a sequel. However, the game 'Atomic Heart 2' has not been formally announced with a title, trailer, or release date. This entry is speculative.
• Q: What will Atomic Heart 2 be about?
  A: It is expected to follow the story after the first game's 'Trapped in Limbo' DLC, with protagonist P-3 venturing into the surreal digital world of Limbo to save his wife, who was one of the Twins.
• Q: What engine will Atomic Heart 2 use?
  A: While unconfirmed, it is widely expected that the sequel will be developed on Unreal Engine 5 to take advantage of next-generation graphical and gameplay features.

• SPECULATIVE PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. As official specs are pending, these are hypothetical projections for a next-generation title built on the Dragon Engine, likely with requirements similar to or slightly higher than other modern Like a Dragon titles.
• Laptop Performance Note: A title like this would demand a high-performance gaming laptop for the best experience. Actual performance would vary significantly based on the final game's optimization and the laptop's specific hardware configuration.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features of the Dragon Engine and maintain stable framerates in the detailed city environments.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of numerous NPCs and the physics-based combat.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in the fast-paced combat.
• Game Name: Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

• ENTIRELY SPECULATIVE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. These are hypothetical projections for a next-generation title built on Unreal Engine 5, and do not represent official information.
• Laptop Performance Note: A future title like this would demand a high-performance gaming laptop. Actual performance will vary significantly based on the final game's optimization and the laptop's specific hardware configuration.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P Impact: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features of Unreal Engine 5.
• Laptop Consideration: Advanced Cooling Thermals: Next-gen games will require laptops with cutting-edge cooling solutions to prevent thermal throttling and sustain performance.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Performance Sustain: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU (future Intel Core Ultra / AMD Ryzen equivalents) will be critical for complex physics, AI, and potential world-state changes between reality and Limbo.
• Laptop Consideration: R A M Configuration Speed: 32GB of high-speed RAM is expected to become the new standard for high-end PC gaming.
• Laptop Consideration: Display Panel G P U Pairing: A high-resolution (QHD+) and high-refresh-rate display paired with a top-tier GPU and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) would be the target for a premium experience.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch N V I D I A Advanced Optimus: This would remain a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance from the dedicated GPU.
• Laptop Consideration: Driver Updates O S Optimization: Regular driver updates and an optimized OS will be crucial.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Next-generation versions of NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR would be essential for achieving high framerates at demanding resolutions.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Advanced lighting models (Lumen), high-fidelity shadows, complex geometry (Nanite), and volumetric effects would be the most demanding settings.
• Game Name: Atomic Heart 2 (Working Title)

• Upscaling Tech: Next-generation versions of NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR would be essential for achieving high framerates at demanding resolutions.
• Key Settings Impact: Advanced lighting models (Lumen), high-fidelity shadows, complex geometry (Nanite), and volumetric effects would be the most demanding settings.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features of the Dragon Engine and maintain stable framerates in the detailed city environments.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of numerous NPCs and the physics-based combat.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in the fast-paced combat.

• G P U T G P Impact: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features of Unreal Engine 5.
• Advanced Cooling Thermals: Next-gen games will require laptops with cutting-edge cooling solutions to prevent thermal throttling and sustain performance.
• C P U Performance Sustain: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU (future Intel Core Ultra / AMD Ryzen equivalents) will be critical for complex physics, AI, and potential world-state changes between reality and Limbo.
• R A M Configuration Speed: 32GB of high-speed RAM is expected to become the new standard for high-end PC gaming.
• Display Panel G P U Pairing: A high-resolution (QHD+) and high-refresh-rate display paired with a top-tier GPU and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) would be the target for a premium experience.
• M U X Switch N V I D I A Advanced Optimus: This would remain a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance from the dedicated GPU.
• Driver Updates O S Optimization: Regular driver updates and an optimized OS will be crucial.