Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is rated M for Mature 17+ by the ESRB with Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, and Use of Alcohol. Also includes In-Game Purchases. This is an open-world action game, in which players assume the role of a former Japanese gangster (Kazuma Kiryu) and an aspiring Yakuza member (Yoshitaka Mine) through various events. As players follow storylines amid the streets of Tokyo and Okinawa, they can engage in barehanded street fighting against enemy thugs and yakuza members. Players use punches, kicks, and weapons (e.g., bottles, chairs, swords, pistols) to beat up enemies; players can trigger scripted attack moves (e.g., slamming heads into walls; stabbing enemies) to deal additional damage. Battles are frenetic, highlighted by gunfire, screams of pain, and large blood-splatter effects. Some cutscenes depict additional acts of intense violence: bodyguards executed at close range; a man hit in the back/head by a sledgehammer; a man repeatedly shot in the stomach at close-range, with copious blood effects. The game contains some sexual material: sexual moaning sounds heard in the background; women pole-dancing at a night club, with close-up camera angles. During the course of the game, players' character can order and drink whiskey at bars/restaurants—a status icon indicates drunkenness; excessive consumption can cause players' character to walk erratically. The word “f**k” appears in the game.