Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Walkthrough – Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Yakuza Kiwami 3 is the remake of the action-adventure game Yakuza 3. The original game is already well-loved by the fandom, but the remake will introduce more players to the franchise. The combat system and mechanics have been overhauled, and much more new content has been added. For more information regarding the game, head over to its Steam page.

The game features the story of Kazuma Kiryu’s adventure as he fights to protect his loved ones. The journey can be challenging, as there are many aspects to consider in the story, and the combat can be a little tricky. So, here in this guide, I will provide you with a comprehensive walkthrough of Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties Chapter One, New Beginnings.

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New Beginnings Walkthrough

After a long cutscene, you will see Chapter One appear on the screen, and another cutscene will then start. The game takes place in Kamurocho in January 2007, so as the cutscene ends, your objective will be to visit the graves before leaving. Follow the marker to visit Nishiki’s grave to pay your respects.

Pay Your Respects At Nishiki’s Grave

After some dialogue, you will get two options. You can either reminisce or move on. This is a recap of Yakuza 1’s story. I recommend the former so you can understand everything that is going on if you have forgotten it. The cutscene is going to be long, really long, but believe me, it will be worth watching.

After the lengthy cutscene, you will receive another objective to visit the grave of Terada. It will be right next to Nishiki’s grave.

Visit Terada’s Grave

Once you are at Terada’s grave, pay your respects, and after the dialogue, you will get two options again. Now, if you remember what happened in Yakuza 2, you are good to move on. However, if you do not recall the events, then I recommend choosing the first option. If you go with reminisce, a very long and intense cutscene from Yakuza 2 will begin. After the cutscene, you will not have to visit any more graves.

Talk To Sayama

Your objective will then update to talk to Sayama. You can pay your respects to even more graves if you want.

For that, you will have to select the second option and continue paying your respects. However, if you are done, go with the first option. Choose the first one, and then you will have a conversation with Sayama.

After another long cutscene, you will finally be able to roam around the streets of Kamurocho. However, for now, since Haruka is with you, you will have to head to Stardust.

Defeat The Thugs

As you move forward, some thugs will interrupt your journey, and it is showtime. This will basically serve as a tutorial for the combat mechanics, and I recommend using a controller to have the best possible experience. First, you will need to perform a normal combo, so it will not be tough. Evading can be a little tricky, but as you perform it more often, it will become easier for you.

Make sure not to counterattack every time after evading, as another enemy could attack you mid-animation. Also, if you perform a perfect quickstep, you will be able to land a critical hit on the enemy.

Critical Hits And Combat Style

There are many other conditions for landing critical hits, which the game will explain to you, so make sure to read the pop-ups. For now, do not focus on the ones that are unlocked by abilities, as you will unlock them over time. After you have completed the tutorial, the game will ask you whether you prefer the manual combat setting or the assisted one.

I recommend going with the former, as that way you will have the best experience. However, if you are someone who struggles a lot with action games and does not enjoy brawling, you can choose the assisted option for much simpler inputs.

Also, turn Always Sprint in Battle on, as this will help you with evading attacks. A single input to Quickstep is better than pressing two inputs. This will also increase the chances of you performing a perfect quickstep and then landing a critical hit on the enemy.

Take Care Of The Enemies

Now that you know a bit about how combat works, take care of the enemies. For now, you can only use one style, so try out different combos. You do not have to be perfect. Just test things out and make sure to time your evades properly. Spending a little more time in this fight will get you ready for some of the ruthless fights that await you.

You can also grab an opponent by pressing the O or B button. Not only that, you can pick up objects like a parking cone, a bicycle, or other nearby items and use them to beat the enemies. Once you have defeated them, it is time to head to Stardust.

Head To Stardust

When the fight is over, you will need to move just a little ahead, and a cutscene will commence. In the cutscene, Kiryu will begin a conversation with Yuya and tell him about moving to Okinawa to run an orphanage. After that, your objective will be to visit Kazuki at Emoto Medical Clinic.

Head To Emoto Medical Clinic To Talk to Kazuki

The medical clinic is right on the left side, so sprint there, and a cutscene will begin. You do not have to worry about Haruka. Sprint to the location, and you will come across some punks. Of course, you will now have to deal with them.

Defeat The Thugs

Now you will be introduced to another mechanic known as Heat Actions. To perform this, you will have to pick up an object or a weapon with O or B. You can either perform a normal Heat Action by simply pressing Triangle or Y, or grab an enemy, take them near a wall, and then press Triangle or Y.

There are different ways to perform Heat Actions, and all of them are pretty fun. However, for now, just focus on the basics. After that, you will get a pop-up about Dragon Boost. This is basically a buff, and Kiryu’s combos will change. You will be able to grapple and throw opponents more frequently, and it will be a fun sight to behold. As the boost is about to end, you should also perform a finisher by pressing the same button used for its activation.

Head To Kazuki

Once you have defeated the thugs, enter the building ahead, and a cutscene featuring Kazuki will commence. After a conversation with Kazuki and the doctor, the objective will change to singing some karaoke. Head to the location marked on the map, and you will suddenly be stopped along the way by an enthusiastic employee selling LaLaLa Mobiles.

LaLaLa Mobile Features

Kiryu will then receive a new mobile, as this is basically an introduction to how the developers have expanded the features of the in-game phone. You can customize the phone from the main menu according to your taste. You will then be introduced to LaLaLa Love Land, which explains how you can make friends and potential love interests.

Red Thread Of Fate Transmission

Then, you will have to use the Red Thread of Fate Transmission on the company president by pressing L2. After that, press R2 to communicate, and Lala Aizawa will become your friend. Now, you can either make more friends or head straight to sing karaoke.

Head To Karaokekan

Either way, you will have to sing karaoke, so head to Karaokekan. The first song Kiryu will sing is going to be Baka Mitai (you can choose any, but I chose this one as it is my favorite). You will have to press the correct buttons on your gamepad to sing the song properly. Simply pressing the correct button is not enough; you will also need to time it accurately.

Once you complete this mini game, you will receive a ranking and a score. After you are done singing, you will face even more punks.

Defeat More Punks

After a fairly reasonable conversation with the punks, the fight will begin. Do note that this fight is going to be a little harder than the previous ones. However, if you perform combos on the enemies and evade their attacks at the right time, you will not have much trouble.

Even Hiroshi, the tough-looking punk, will not give you much trouble if you execute a few solid combos on him. The combos do not need to be different, as you can use the same ones. Then, a Yakuza member named Aniki will show up and recognize that Kiryu is the fourth chairman of the Tojo Clan.

Head Back To The Medical Clinic

After the brawl, you will have to head left, where you will notice some suspicious men. Fighting them is not mandatory, so if you do not want to engage, simply continue toward your destination. However, defeating these enemies will earn you some money, so it could be worth your while. You may even encounter some Yakuza members as you move ahead.

Simply defeat any enemies you come across on your way to the clinic. Once you enter, you will have a conversation with Emoto, the doctor. Kiryu will leave Haruka here, and your objective will change to heading to the Millennium Tower.

Head To The Millennium Tower

The Millennium Tower is pretty close to the clinic. It will be marked on the map, so make your way there. On the way, you may encounter more enemies. It is optional to defeat them, but I recommend engaging in as many fights as possible in the early game. This will help you get comfortable with the combat system and learn different combos.

Once you get near the tower, you will notice Nishida from the Majima Family standing outside. Approach Nishida and interact with him to ask what is going on. Majima will then reveal his surprise, and you will have to face Majima’s construction employees.

Defeat Nishida And The Majima Family Goons

Nishida is going to be the first proper enemy you face in the game. This will be your first boss fight. Do note that Nishida has a lot of health and deals significant damage. During this fight, you will also be targeted by deadly attacks. These deal heavy damage and can inflict status ailments.

You will see a bright red light before an enemy uses a deadly attack. To avoid getting hit, quickstep or guard at the right moment. Try to take out the goons with weapons first, and then shift your focus to the others. There will be quite a few enemies, so eliminating the ones with weapons and then concentrating on Nishida is a solid strategy.

Keep in mind that Nishida can dodge or even block your attacks. After you have defeated him, finish off the remaining enemies, and a cutscene will begin.

Go See Majima

Now that you have experienced Majima’s surprise, it is time to head inside the tower and meet him. Go down the escalator and enter the lift on the left side. After you interact with the lift, you will receive a notice that this conversation could take a turn for the worse.

If you want to prepare yourself or complete some side quests first, select the I need more time option. However, if you are ready, choose the first option, and a cutscene featuring Majima and Kiryu will begin. You may already be aware of Majima’s character and how he is likely to react after Kiryu asks him to rejoin the clan.

The conversation will eventually lead to a battle against Majima.

How To Defeat Goro Majima

This is going to be the first proper boss of the game, and he can be a little challenging to deal with. This fight is very different from the ones you have faced so far. Majima can attack while you are attacking him, so you will have to be very attentive when fighting him.

While you may be able to land some hits while you are mid combo, I recommend quickstepping away and waiting for him to finish his combo. He can also perform perfect quicksteps, which will leave you vulnerable to counterattacks. If he sidesteps your attacks, you can continue the combo string and adjust your direction to catch him during his recovery frames.

Your combos and quicksteps are going to be the most important aspects of this fight. If you cannot perform quicksteps at the right time, you may find yourself in trouble. Also, once you have taken down his first health bar, I recommend using Dragon Boost. He has two health bars, so taking unnecessary damage can be costly.

While in Dragon Boost mode, go on the offensive and perform the Dragon finisher once the boost is almost over. This will not remove a huge portion of his health, but it will definitely make a difference.

Go On Full Offensive Once The Purple Veil No Longer Surrounds Majima

The purple veil around Majima will eventually disappear, which will allow you to play much more aggressively. That is your opportunity to take out most of his second health bar. However, keep in mind that the purple veil can return, and staying overly aggressive when it is active can be risky.

This fight may take you a few tries, and that is completely fine. Once you defeat him, a cutscene will begin featuring Majima and Kiryu talking. After that, several events will take place, and your objective will change to seeing Kashiwagi at the Millennium Tower.

Head To Kashiwagi At The Millennium Tower

He will be outside the tower, sitting on a bench. When you approach him, a conversation will trigger, and he will tell you about a new gang called the Reapers. It is a gang with a grudge against the Tojo Clan, so you will need to deal with them.

Note: Members of the Reapers can be found around Kamurocho, and you will see them marked on the map. They all have two health bars and can be somewhat challenging to defeat. Their difficulty is based on the number of stars they have.

Talk To Haruka And Head to Okinawa

After that, your objective will change to talking to Haruka, so follow the quest marker. You can now either head to Okinawa or deal with the Reaper members you see on the map. I took care of two of them, and Nishida suddenly appeared.

After your conversation with him, you can talk to Haruka and leave for Okinawa. Majima will give you a memorable farewell, and with that, Chapter One, New Beginnings, in Yakuza Kiwami 3 will be concluded.

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