Yakuza 3 PlayStation 3
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Mar 9, 2010
User Score
8.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 94 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 94
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 94
  3. Negative: 10 out of 94

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  1. JohnS
    Mar 16, 2010
    10
    Thoroughly enjoying my time playing this game. Having never played the previous two Yakuza titles, It was the PSN demo that persuaded me to give Yakuza 3 a chance. I'm really glad I did because it has been surprisingly addictive. This game has great atmosphere and is very cinematic. I love the combat, the storyline, the weird and wonderful characters, the cut scenes, sub quests and mini games. Superb value for money.… Expand
  2. jayn
    Apr 13, 2010
    9
    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
  3. melchaios
    May 27, 2011
    10
    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
  4. Isaac
    Dec 7, 2011
    9
    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
  5. brandaman69
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    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
  6. YellowMegaMan
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    Yakuza 3 is a highly underrated game which was overshadowed on release by the bad press it received for not including all of the side quests of the Japanese version. (Most notably, the ability to visit hostess clubs was removed.)

    Nevertheless, Yakuza 3 is well worth your time, especially if you are into Japanese culture and/or enjoy games with detailed story lines.

    Some will complain abo    ut the lengthy cut-scenes, but I think this is a bit overblown. The game always gives you an opportunity to save before showing you a long cut-scene, plus the scenes themselves are skip-able, and you can also re-watch them from the menu. So there's a good deal of flexibility there. Even without the removed content, Yakuza 3 has upwards of 50 hours of content to enjoy. If you're only interested in finishing the story, this takes about 20 hours.… Expand
  7. LegendaryBurger
    Apr 6, 2013
    10
    this game is a masterpiece there are tonnes of things to do and the Yakuza series is reborn on the PlayStation 3™ and all our favorite characters are back including Kiryu,Majima,Daigo etc. along with some new awesome characters with an amazing storyline as usual great graphics and gameplay boy this game made my day! MUST BUY!

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 77 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 77
  3. Negative: 0 out of 77
  1. GameCritics
    Feb 21, 2012
    65
    Don't get me wrong; Yakuza 3 is still a good game that offers a uniquely Japanese experience and dramatic content an order of magnitude more mature than most of what's coming down the pike, but it just doesn't match up to the first two entries. I hate to say it, but the Dragon of Dojima's gotten soft in the middle-it's time for Kazuma to cut back on the yakiniku and get his ass back to the gym.
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  2. Gameplayer
    90
    No other Japanese PS3 game to date provides quite such a vivid game-world in which to play. [JPN Import]
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  3. Play UK
    80
    Tells a good story and is a fun game. [Issue#191, p.74]
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