For someone who loves Japanese culture and wants to experience living there, this game is definitely a must have. Of course there are lots of absurd and unrealistic situations but it's all fun. Gameplay is similar to previous titles but loading is faster in the PS3 so the game is more enjoyable. Fight mechanics are good, mini-games great. People like to compare this with GTA because of the free roaming atmosphere but this game is more like Shenmue (also from SEGA).… Expand

I played Shenmue 1 and 2 all those years ago and loved both of them. In my memory they are one of the best gaming experiences I HAD (note HAD). This game feels very much like Shenmue and that's the problem, this game feels very dated.In its day Shenmue was groundbraking but it has been well and truly surpassed.The streets in Yakuza 3 are beautiful and atmospheric but the old style Low Res in game graphics don't show the scenery its true glory. Places I can see but can't go as I'm stopped by countless invisible barriers,I would love to explore but it is very limited. Downtown Ryuku for example is very small, there's only about 10 Streets to explore so not as big as you may expect. Very repetitive street fight encounters that are only really there to help you increase your abilities, useful for when you face a future boss but it gets repetitive very quickly. I purchased this game because I love all that is Japanese, sadly this fails to impress. The good points, the soundtrack is superb and the story not bad so far but it does have the odd cliche which amuses me when it shouldn't. Maybe I'm missing the point but I don't care for karaoke, fishing, or golfing (the bowling's good though). I want tons of atmosphere, stunning graphics, a large area to explore and a deeply involving story and character which sadly this game lacks. So an average game,not bad but I expected more.… Expand

Who would've thought being a message boy could be so fun? I didn't expect much from this game, but I have to say it held his own pretty well. The combat is intense and visceral, it may be clunky at first, but once you aquire more skills and moves it gets the depth you were waiting for. Never since the day of the final fight/double dragon era has a beat em up game given me such fun. The game starts incredibly slow, and in the first hours you just ache for something interesting to happen, story feels boring and cheesy, combat is lacking, and you can only wonder why do such banal sidemissions exist? (teaching a dog tricks? making banana juice? do shopping?). But before you know it, yakuza gets it's claws on you, you develop an addiction to finish sidequests, just for the sake of seing what will happen next; characters become charming and likable; story becomes interesting (although it remains cheesy); and the combat becomes the most rewarding skull bashing parade I've seen in years (with some minor annoyances). It has many rough edges, and many will hate it, but I can almost say that if you can get past the first few hours you won't be able to leave it before finishing it.… Expand

Most of the negative comments for this game seem to be from people who A) Are too used to be shovel-fed the usual tripe from EA and Ubi, or B) Way too used to playing the latest Call of Duty or Battlefield clone. Just play the game for your own sake and don't let the reviewers skew your opinion; this game (really, the whole series) is a rarity in gaming.

I have not played the full release of this game. I have only played the demo. But I actually took the initiative to sign up on Metacritic and post this review based on the demo. I was completely turned of by the text box dialog, with having to press X to continue. What makes it even worse is it is interlaced in typical cut scenes that have Japanese dialog and English subtitles. Then it changes to a box, with no audio cept that of a typing out as it prints out the text. Then it migrates back to cut scenes. Was completely turned off by that. The fighting felt natural and solid.… Expand

At times I miss last gen's games, and this game reminds me of the PS2 era. While some may see it it as an insult, I say it as a compliment. The game is the third in the Yakuza series, and while I'v never played any previous title, I thoroughly enjoyed Yakuza 3. The game has recap videos that summarize the last two games nicely, and help you understand it's story. As a former Yakuza, Kiryu Kazuma is trying to escape his criminal life by building an orphange(he is an orphange as well) and living a peaceful life. At times the story can be very interesting and tense while it can also be obtuse and over the top. Not looking at the story, you can enjoy a really good beat-em-up with a ton of brawls with other yakuzas and street gangs. There are many bosses, and some of them can be really difficult. The game is very fun and flows really well. There are many sidequests, which are varied and unique enough to encourage you to complete more of them. The game is lengthy and fun and It has a "last gen" feel to it and I think it deserves more attention. give it a chance.… Expand

I am only about 2-3 hours into the game, but so far it is quite good but im getting bored of re taking shots on the golf course lol, there is a lot of text to read and loads of cut-scenes but i cant help think i would give my right arm for sega to make shenmue 3. I mean all the crap sonic games that keep coming out, bayonetta although it was quite good but i was ****** off with gamestation stealing my pre-order gun, and all the other **** arcade games they keep releasing like crazy taxi and sonic adventure 1 (we all know that SA2 was the best) but please sega pull your finger out other wise ryo hazuki will have died before he can get the dragon seal back 0.o… Expand

If you're a fan of the late, great Shenmue, then you should immediately check out the Yakuza franchise. Whilst Yakuza 3 doesn't quite achieve the level of catharsis or the stately dignity of Shenmue, it does have a lot of similar elements (namely, the real world locations and the free roaming RPG mechanics). That said, the game isn't a Shenmue wannabe, as it's tone is completely different. Yakuza 3 has a hilarious Japanese sense of humor that sees you beating the holy crap out of anyone who even looks at you funny. Stamping on a man's face / using a traffic cone as a golf club and a dude's head as a ball / braining somebody with a bicycle wheel... FUNNY EVERY SINGLE TIME! Especially when said 'victims' get up from their beatings and profusely apologize to you. The actual combat is tight and fun, the plot is totally nuts but entertaining (and very convoluted) and there are a ton of mini games to distract you from your main quest. Yakuza 3 made me a full-on franchise fan and was great fun from start to finish.… Expand

A dream come true for any Japanophile and quite a proficient sandbox game featuring an intriguing story and the most charismatic cast of characters ever. The game dares to be different and apart from cut content, plenty of invisible walls, and repetitive random encounters, succeeds at that. Not perfect but loads of fun just the same.

When i picked up Yakuza, I did so due to my interest for the culture, the dramatic pronounciation of the language and facial expression and the adventure that came in the background. The characters are lovable even the children and villians have perfect dept and history. The main protagonist has charm and presence on screen however for the free roaming areas of the map, they could have made it more accessible than the 4 streets and 2 side roads per location, surely in this day and age, recreating TOKYO in a game can't be that hard especially when TAKE2 recreated NEW YORK. The gameplay and fighting was solid, especially the brawls, I loved that completedly and couldn't wait to bump into people who wanted to beat my character up just to reverse the roles. The Story was addictive and a perfect length, well acted out with brilliant animation. Picking up new weapans is also a blast. I bought this for less than £20 from Play.com "Its like STREETS OF RAGE in 3D."… Expand

An enjoyable game that just drags on a litttttle too long. If not for the tedious cut scenes that seem to never end and the repetitive fighting mechanics this game could have been a lot more. Still, overall this game is definitely worth a play.

This game is the defination of **** gameplay sucks. Seriously a total waste of time and money. The only thing a bit good about this game is the combat but only a bit. I even found the story lame.

best game ever best story awesome combat a lot of stuff to do its so japanese that even japanese people say damn that game is japanese an all around fun game that I believe everyone should experience