‘Players should absolutely not skip it’: Yakuza Kiwami 3 director says its new orphanage content is its ‘most essential’

The director of Yakuza Kiwami 3 says he hopes players will fully play the extended orphanage section, as he feels it’s the most important part of the remake.

At the start of the original 2009 release of Yakuza 3, protagonist Kazuma Kiryu is running an orphanage called Morning Glory (renamed the Sunshine Orphanage in Western versions).

This section has been greatly overhauled in Yakuza Kiwami 3 – the remake of the game set for release next month – and now plays more like a life sim with mini-games.

Players can now cook, harvest vegetables, help children with homework, sew their clothes and do some fishing and bug catching, building bonds with the orphanage’s children (each of whom has their own substory) and trying to become the best father figure for them.

In an group interview attended by Automaton, game director Ryosuke Horii said he hopes players won’t rush through this newly expanded section, because he feels it’s crucial to the game.

“I consider Life at Morning Glory to be the most essential content in the game, and I think players should absolutely not skip it,” he said. “That’s because the story of the Morning Glory Orphanage in Yakuza 3 was fragmentary. While it did depict the bond between Kiryu and the children, we realized that their story lacked depth.”

He added: “The reason why Life at Morning Glory is more akin to a life simulation game is because I wanted to depict Kiryu as a father. I think a father is not someone who’s only there to give good advice when something happens.

“I myself am a father, and I think that a big part of child rearing is based around interactions you make through daily chores. That’s how you get to build mutual trust and have your kid open up to you.”

Yakuza Kiwami 3 will be released on February 12 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PS4 and PC.

As well as a full remake of the 2009 action adventure game originally released on PS3, it will also include Dark Ties, a brand new spin-off game starring antagonist Yoshitaka Mine.