I know a lot of you reading these are considering skipping Yakuza 3 and I get why. Yes, the combat and some minigames do show their age and the enemies do block too often on harder difficulties and I can see how you'd get turned off by that. But, if you are invested at all in Kiryu's story, then skipping this game is a sin. Get it on sale and just play the story on easy. Yakuza 3 is vital for developing Kiryu's character and understanding his struggles through the rest of the franchise. If you like Yakuza's story, if you like Kiryu's story, then do yourself a favor and give this game a chance. You won't regret it.