Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties vs Onimusha: Way of the Sword

• 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.

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Feudal Japan (Edo Period)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Release Window: 2026
• Unique Feature: A modern revival of the classic Onimusha series, blending cinematic samurai action with a deep, deliberate combat system and the iconic soul absorption mechanic.

• Oni Gauntlet (Voice): The game is a single-player experience. The sentient gauntlet on Musashi's arm serves as his constant companion, providing dialogue, lore, and access to his supernatural powers.
  Artifact / Spirit

• 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.

• Souls (Red, Blue, Yellow): Absorbed from every defeated enemy. They are the primary resource for upgrades (Red), special abilities (Blue), and healing (Yellow).
• Hidden Scrolls: Found through exploration, these scrolls likely unlock new weapon techniques or provide deeper lore about the Genma and the Oni.

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

• Samurai
• Feudal Japan (Edo Period)
• Supernatural Horror
• Demonic Invasion
• Mythology
• Action-Adventure

• 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.

• Katana: Primary Melee
  Musashi's primary weapon, used for a deliberate system of light attacks, heavy attacks, parries, and ripostes.
• Two Celestials: Twin Daggers
  A unique weapon that enables special strategies, integrating with the soul system for cyclical healing and damage.
• Oni Gauntlet Powers: Supernatural Abilities
  Special attacks fueled by the blue soul gauge, allowing for area-of-effect strikes, crowd control, and other powerful abilities.

• 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'.

• Functional Armor Sets: Customization is likely functional through the equipping of different armor sets. Each set will have a unique appearance reflecting the game's historical and mythological Edo-period aesthetic. Unlockable costumes are also a staple of the series.

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.

Progression is centered on the Oni Gauntlet. Players absorb colored souls from defeated enemies: red souls are used at shrines to purchase permanent upgrades for weapons and abilities; blue souls fill the 'Oni Power' gauge for special attacks; and yellow souls provide healing. The game also features classic experience-driven stat boosts and new moves unlocked through progression.

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.

The game features a 'wide linear' world design, not a full open world. It consists of large, explorable zones with secret paths and optional sidequests, which are interspersed with more linear, story-focused segments. The design balances exploration with a well-paced narrative.

• 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.

• Miyamoto Musashi: Playable Protagonist
  The legendary real-world swordsman, reimagined as a warrior fighting back against a demonic invasion with the help of the supernatural Oni Gauntlet.
• Sasaki Ganryu: Antagonist / Rival
  Musashi's historical nemesis, who also wields an Oni Gauntlet. Their complex rivalry is a central part of the story.
• Oni Gauntlet (Voice): Companion / Guide
  The sentient artifact bound to Musashi's arm. It provides guidance, exposition, and banter throughout the journey.

• 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.

• Main Campaign
  A cinematic, story-driven campaign following Miyamoto Musashi's quest to fight the demonic Genma, confront his rival Sasaki Ganryu, and unravel the mysteries of his Oni Gauntlet.
• Side Quests
  Optional quests found in towns or through exploration using 'Oni Vision'. These offer new gear, lore, and unique mini-boss encounters.

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: What is Onimusha: Way of the Sword?
  A: It is a modern revival of Capcom's classic samurai action series, Onimusha. It is a single-player, third-person action-adventure set in a dark fantasy version of feudal Japan.
• Q: Is it a remake or a new story?
  A: It is a brand-new game with a new story, featuring the historical swordsman Miyamoto Musashi as the protagonist.
• Q: How is the combat different from the originals?
  A: The game moves away from the old 'tank controls' to a modern, fluid third-person system. It is more deliberate and tactical than a typical hack-and-slash, with a strong emphasis on timing-based parries, dodges, and special 'Break Issen' finishers.
• Q: Is it a Soulslike game?
  A: While it shares some elements like challenging combat and bonfire-like shrines, the developers have stated it is tuned to be more accessible than a typical Soulslike, with a forgiving parry system and fair progression.

• 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

• SPECULATIVE PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. As official specs were not provided, these are hypothetical projections for a next-generation title built on the RE Engine.
• 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 RE Engine, including ray tracing.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense, effects-heavy 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 enemy AI and physics-based combat.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus would be a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in the timing-based combat.
• Game Name: Onimusha: Way of the Sword

• 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: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features of the RE Engine, including ray tracing.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense, effects-heavy 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 enemy AI and physics-based combat.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus would be a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in the timing-based combat.