Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties vs Project TAL

• 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 (with AI Party)
• Setting: Korean Mythology, Dark Fantasy
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Consoles
• Release Window: 2027
• Unique Feature: A single-player, 'Monster Hunter'-style ARPG where players can climb colossal bosses, combined with an intelligent AI companion party system and a level-less progression.

• AI Party: A core feature of the game. The player is accompanied by a party of intelligent AI companions who dynamically react to combat. They can taunt bosses, deploy defensive barriers, heal the player, and perform combo attacks, fulfilling dedicated combat roles like Tank, Healer, and DPS.
  Varies

• 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.

• Pieces of the Great Relic: The central objective of the main story, required to close the void and save Arsiltus.
• Fragments: Found by exploring the vast environments. These are essential for unlocking new skills, armor, and weapons.
• Runes: Found through exploration and by defeating enemies. Runes are a primary method of enhancing and customizing the player's abilities in this level-less system.

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

• Korean Mythology
• Open World
• Action RPG
• Monster Hunter
• Dark Fantasy
• Single-Player

• 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.

• 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.

Progression is a core part of the RPG experience. The player's combat style is determined by their choice of 5 different weapon types (e.g., heavy weapons, shield, high-mobility weapons), each with unique skills. Progression is also tied to the distinctive companion system, where each of the intelligent NPC allies has their own unique abilities and combat roles (Defense, Support, Melee, Ranged, Magic).

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 massive, open world with a variety of vibrant fantasy landscapes, including sweeping plains, forests, and mythical structures. The world is designed for seamless traversal and encourages exploration of its dungeons and hidden corners.

• 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.

• The Last Guardian: Playable Protagonist
  The hero of the story, tasked with a mission to find the pieces of a broken great relic to save the continent of Arsiltus.
• AI Companions: Party Members
  A party of intelligent NPCs with unique skills, personalities, and combat roles (Defense, Support, Melee, Ranged, Magic) who accompany the player.

• 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 Story Quests
  A cinematic campaign that follows the Last Guardian's quest to find the pieces of the broken great relic and close the void that has consumed the continent of Arsiltus.
• Dungeons
  Optional and mandatory dungeons that must be completed to expand the world and acquire essential items and upgrades for character growth.
• Brutal Hunts
  Targeting and defeating the 70 formidable 'Brutal' bosses scattered throughout the world to progress the story and gain powerful special items.

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 Project TAL?
  A: It is an upcoming single-player, open-world action RPG inspired by Korean mythology. Its gameplay is a mix of 'Monster Hunter' and 'Dragon's Dogma', where you fight colossal bosses by climbing them, and you are supported by an intelligent AI party.
• Q: Is it a multiplayer game?
  A: No, it is a strictly single-player experience. The 'party' consists of the player and their AI companions.
• Q: How does progression work?
  A: The game features a unique 'level-less' progression system. Instead of gaining XP, your character gets stronger by exploring, finding runes, crafting gear, and defeating bosses to unlock new skills and items.
• Q: Is it a Soulslike game?
  A: It shares some similarities, such as fast-paced, skill-based combat and challenging bosses, but it is primarily an action RPG with a strong narrative and a unique AI companion system, drawing more comparisons to Monster Hunter and Dragon's Dogma.

• 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 Unreal Engine 5, with requirements likely similar to other high-fidelity open-world ARPGs.
• Laptop Performance Note: A title like this would demand a high-performance gaming laptop for the best experience. The game's seamless open world and 'Monster Hunter'-style colossal bosses will be very demanding.
• 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 Unreal Engine 5 and maintain stable framerates during boss fights.
• 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 AI of both companions and colossal monsters, as well as the physics of the open world.
• 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, skill-based combat.
• Game Name: Project TAL

• 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 Unreal Engine 5 and maintain stable framerates during boss fights.
• 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 AI of both companions and colossal monsters, as well as the physics of the open world.
• 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, skill-based combat.