Uploaded May 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Today we're playing Yakuza 3, the third entry in the ongoing Ryu ga Gotoku series, and the first one I played nearly a decade ago (must have been 2010? 2011? How time flies). A victim of cut content for localisation/time and a plot overloaded with kid drama, can Kiryu stop the latest big criminal plot while he also has to manage an orphanage? The answer is yes, because those two plots exist in separate universes! It's time to bring the heat in this brawling political thriller slice of life action/inaction title!
Thanks to GAMESD for the Wesker illustration
Thanks to Emily Nace for the Playing logo/Thumbnail
Patreon - patreon.com/tehsnakerer
Twitter - twitter.com/TehSnakerer
INDEX
01. Introduction 00:00
02. Boxart and Kenzan 03:46
03. Story Introduction 06:18
04. Sayonara Sayama 08:13
05. Tying up Loose Ends 10:37
06. The Orphanage 13:31
07. The Yakuza Plot in Miniature 20:38
08. Ryukyu Introduction 25:25
09. Cut Content and Minigames 26:40
10. Free Roam and Ryukyu 34:18
11. The Tojo 2009 37:43
12. Combat Intro: Red Heat and Weapons 40:12
13. Instantly pull out a heat move 42:34
14. Parries and Unlocking Moves 44:57
15. 100% Completion and 1000% fullness 52:50
16. Stealth Copter & Foot Chases 55:01
17. Noteworthy Substories 59:11
18. The Conspiracy: In as Brief as I can Make It 01:08:26
19. Pacing, Antagonists, and False Escalation 01:17:59
20. Rikiya 01:24:33
21. Hospital Schemes & Orphaned Themes 01:27:14
22. Finale 01:37:54
23. Conclusion 01:43:32
Links
Articles
Sega sorry for cut content - digitalspy.com/gaming/a277834/sega-sorry-for-yakuza-3-cut-content
A lot more was cut than hostess bars - kotaku.com/yakuza-3-players-say-a-lot-more-was-cut-than-hostess-ba-5491650
Producer says Kiryu Might be a Virgin - usgamer.net/articles/yakuza-series-producer-says-kiryu-might-be-a-virgin
Japanese orphans - quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-be-raised-in-a-Japanese-orphanage
Japanese orphans 2 - economist.com/asia/2016/06/17/a-new-law-will-make-it-less-absurdly-hard-to-adopt-orphans-in-japan
Japanese orphans 3 - japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/3-keys-npo-founder-sheds-light-on-japans-child-inequality-poor-orphanage-conditions
Videos
Resident Evil 5 Footage - youtube.com/watch?v=bBe8C2euOog
Kenzan clips - youtube.com/channel/UCuUJjSIvijquzRWx8Mag5QA
Haruka and May’s MAD - youtube.com/watch?v=ZURNR3uuHGA
How to play Mahjong - youtu.be/tRCb_LOkEmQ
How to play Shogi - youtube.com/watch?v=wditZ3EPX3Y
Mahjong Video Games - youtu.be/inMwG1xVZZ4
Yuma from Jewel - youtu.be/yN-eKJDpCV0
Trivia King championship - youtube.com/watch?v=veY3QzvSwfE&t=62s
A Tour of Paris - youtube.com/watch?v=e5Kg_Au2ZYw
Amon - youtube.com/watch?v=Ysg9gjgdJiM
Yakuza 2 Chapter 9 - youtu.be/nWhqieYm5zE
Yakuza 2 Endgame - youtu.be/YiNrC1K_BaE
Today we're playing Yakuza 3, the third entry in the ongoing Ryu ga Gotoku series, and the first one I played nearly a decade ago (must have been 2010? 2011? How time flies). A victim of cut content for localisation/time and a plot overloaded with kid drama, can Kiryu stop the latest big criminal plot while he also has to manage an orphanage? The answer is yes, because those two plots exist in separate universes! It's time to bring the heat in this brawling political thriller slice of life action/inaction title!
Thanks to GAMESD for the Wesker illustration
Thanks to Emily Nace for the Playing logo/Thumbnail
Patreon - patreon.com/tehsnakerer
Twitter - twitter.com/TehSnakerer
INDEX
01. Introduction 00:00
02. Boxart and Kenzan 03:46
03. Story Introduction 06:18
04. Sayonara Sayama 08:13
05. Tying up Loose Ends 10:37
06. The Orphanage 13:31
07. The Yakuza Plot in Miniature 20:38
08. Ryukyu Introduction 25:25
09. Cut Content and Minigames 26:40
10. Free Roam and Ryukyu 34:18
11. The Tojo 2009 37:43
12. Combat Intro: Red Heat and Weapons 40:12
13. Instantly pull out a heat move 42:34
14. Parries and Unlocking Moves 44:57
15. 100% Completion and 1000% fullness 52:50
16. Stealth Copter & Foot Chases 55:01
17. Noteworthy Substories 59:11
18. The Conspiracy: In as Brief as I can Make It 01:08:26
19. Pacing, Antagonists, and False Escalation 01:17:59
20. Rikiya 01:24:33
21. Hospital Schemes & Orphaned Themes 01:27:14
22. Finale 01:37:54
23. Conclusion 01:43:32
Links
Articles
Sega sorry for cut content - digitalspy.com/gaming/a277834/sega-sorry-for-yakuza-3-cut-content
A lot more was cut than hostess bars - kotaku.com/yakuza-3-players-say-a-lot-more-was-cut-than-hostess-ba-5491650
Producer says Kiryu Might be a Virgin - usgamer.net/articles/yakuza-series-producer-says-kiryu-might-be-a-virgin
Japanese orphans - quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-be-raised-in-a-Japanese-orphanage
Japanese orphans 2 - economist.com/asia/2016/06/17/a-new-law-will-make-it-less-absurdly-hard-to-adopt-orphans-in-japan
Japanese orphans 3 - japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/3-keys-npo-founder-sheds-light-on-japans-child-inequality-poor-orphanage-conditions
Videos
Resident Evil 5 Footage - youtube.com/watch?v=bBe8C2euOog
Kenzan clips - youtube.com/channel/UCuUJjSIvijquzRWx8Mag5QA
Haruka and May’s MAD - youtube.com/watch?v=ZURNR3uuHGA
How to play Mahjong - youtu.be/tRCb_LOkEmQ
How to play Shogi - youtube.com/watch?v=wditZ3EPX3Y
Mahjong Video Games - youtu.be/inMwG1xVZZ4
Yuma from Jewel - youtu.be/yN-eKJDpCV0
Trivia King championship - youtube.com/watch?v=veY3QzvSwfE&t=62s
A Tour of Paris - youtube.com/watch?v=e5Kg_Au2ZYw
Amon - youtube.com/watch?v=Ysg9gjgdJiM
Yakuza 2 Chapter 9 - youtu.be/nWhqieYm5zE
Yakuza 2 Endgame - youtu.be/YiNrC1K_BaE
