There are only a few weeks left until the release of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, a new title by RGG Studio bundling a Yakuza 3 remake and a brand-new spin off game. With a demo coming soon and the full release just around the corner, AUTOMATON recently had the opportunity to hear more about the upcoming game in a joint media interview with producer and director Ryosuke Horii. He told us some more about Yakuza Kiwami 3’s new Life at Morning Glory side content. According to Horii, Life at Morning Glory is the most well-made and most crucial part of the game, exploring the character of Kazuma Kiryu as a “father.”
“I consider Life at Morning Glory to be the most essential content in the game, and I think players should absolutely not skip it. That’s because the story of the Morning Glory Orphanage in Yakuza 3 was fragmentary. While it did depict the bond between Kiryuu and the children, we realized that their story lacked depth,” Horii said. Furthermore, he also mentioned that, as Kiryuu had been growing older with each new series entry since Yakuza 3, looking back at this life, he felt the best opportunity to properly depict the character’s relationships with other people would be in the remake of Yakuza 3. In this sense, as Life at Morning Glory gives Kiryuu the chance to interact with many of the orphanage’s kids, it was used to flesh out his character and show a fatherly side of him that wasn’t entirely explored in the original Yakuza 3.
“The reason why Life at Morning Glory is more akin to a life simulation game is because I wanted to depict Kiryuu as a father. I think a father is not someone who’s only there to give good advice when something happens,” Horii explained. “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.”
Apparently, the lineup of minigames available in Life at Morning Glory features some of Horii’s least favorite chores, like cooking and sewing. By partaking in those mundane tasks, Kiryuu will be able to raise his “Daddy Rank,” expanding his skillset as he becomes more “fatherlike,” and getting more opportunities to interact with the kids. Through daily interactions with the children, Kiryuu will be able to gradually build a bond with them, unlocking unique stories for each kid, and learning more about their personalities, private lives, hopes and dreams. “I’m very proud of how well-crafted the Life at Morning Glory content is,” Horii added.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties releases February 12 for PC (Steam)/PS5/PS4/Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S.
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※Content is currently under development.
