It's still Yakuza but doesn't reach the heights of the Kiwami games.
I was spoiled having only learned about how amazing the Yakuza series was after watching the Giant Bomb Quick Look of Yakuza 0. Now having completed Yakuza 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3 Remastered is a major downgrade compared to those games.
Unlike Yakuza 0 or the Kiwami games, Yakuza 3 remastered uses the original engine and fighting mechanics. Coming from those games and playing Yakuza 3 is rough. The camera is unwieldy and constantly needs to be adjusted and the combat isn't as enjoyable due to the limited move set and bosses who tend to block constantly.
The main plot is a slow burn. At this point in the Yakuza saga, Kiryu has retired from the Yakuza and is running an orphanage with Haruka in Okinawa. The first 3 hours involves Kiryu being a good dad. After this extended prologue, the story picks up but unfortunately it is filled with character cameos who make brief appearances only to disappear afterwards.
The side stories are okay, there are a few goofy and silly ones ie: helping a dad get stacked ice cream cones across the street to his family, but most of the side stories involve someone getting cheated with a combat encounter afterwards.
The new mini-games are golfing and the Hostess club. The golfing is standard video game golf. The hostess club is not the same as running the hostess club in Yakuza 0 or Kiwami 2. The mini-game has you manage one hostess at a time. It is a lot more RNG based and it is easy to get patrons that are difficult to please due to the stats on your hostess. The game also doesn't do a great job explaining which apparel increases which stat.
Yakuza 3 is the weakest Yakuza game I've played thus far. Even so, the combat still has the devastating Heat actions that are fun to watch and the story is still as melodramatic as ever with intense staring and long conversations. Also it wouldn't be a Yakuza game without a shirtless fight at the end on a rooftop.
My Yakuza Ranking: