Yakuza Kiwami 3: Combat and Miyazato Dojo

Yakuza Kiwami 3: Combat and Miyazato Dojo All right, before getting into the harder fights, I want to cover the training in Kiwami 3. If you're coming straight from Kiwami 2 or remembering the original Yakuza 3, don't assume Kiryu works exactly the same way here. You have Dragon of Dojima: Kiwami and Ryukyu. Spend time with both. If you only learn the basic attack string in one style, you're leaving a lot of options untouched, and some of those options solve the exact problem a difficult fight is putting in front of you. Get comfortable defending first Dragon of Dojima has the quickstep. Time it just before the hit lands and you get a Perfect Quickstep, which gives you a counterattack opening. Practice that against ordinary enemies before trying to learn it while a boss is taking chunks out of your health. Ryukyu changes the defensive rhythm. Its shield and weapon combinations give you a different set of answers, so switching styles should be part of how you react to a fight, not something you only do because you're bored with one animation. . What Ryukyu is doing The starting stance uses the tinbe shield and rochin spear. Different attack inputs bring in the other weapons: sai, nichogama, tonfa, tekko, nunchaku, eiku, and surujin. You aren't buying eight disposable weapons and equipping each one manually. They're built into the style. The shield can protect against bullets, which matters when gunmen are interrupting everything you're trying to do. Learn which follow-ups lead into Heat Actions instead of stopping the moment the normal combo ends. Dragon Boost changes what the weapons can do. That includes projectile sai and the nichogama's hooking attacks. Use the boosted moves deliberately, and pay attention to the Finisher opportunity rather than burning the entire state on the first attack you remember. . Miyazato Dojo progression The dojo is above Chura Bar in Ryukyu. Training Points move you toward promotion exams. Check the Training List as well as the practice sessions; regular completion activities contribute to this progression too. At the dojo, look at each session's bonus conditions before starting so you're actually earning the extra points available. . The promotion thresholds and rewards are: - 1,500 points: Beginner exam, unlocking Dashing Iron Heart. - 4,000 points: Advanced exam, unlocking Deadly Drift. - 10,000 points: Assistant Instructor exam, unlocking Meteor Slam. - 20,000 points: Master exam, unlocking Tiger Drop. The earlier exams teach you to deal with different enemy combinations. Against the armed defensive group, use guard-breaking options rather than continually hitting a shield. In the Assistant Instructor fight, clear the gunmen before settling into the stronger opponent. For Miya's final exam, watch the aura, use defensive timing to create openings, and don't force long strings while he's able to hit through them. Vary your Heat Actions rather than relying on the same one repeatedly. . Tiger Drop isn't a reason to skip the rest It is absolutely worth unlocking, especially before the harder cleanup fights. But a counter only helps if you can recognize the attack and time your response. Take it into ordinary fights, get the timing down, and then bring it into the Coliseum or Amon attempts. I would also keep buying the abilities that support the way you're actually fighting. More options are only useful if you remember you have them. Every time you unlock something substantial, test it immediately rather than buying a page of moves and forgetting all but one. Check the phone before blaming your damage The phone customization has gameplay effects. Straps and other accessories can strengthen Kiryu; it isn't all cosmetic decoration. Look at the effects you're equipping and make sure they fit what you're doing. An exploration setup and a difficult boss setup don't necessarily need the same accessories. . The order I'd use is simple: learn the defensive timing, work through the dojo while the story progresses, keep the ability tree and phone updated, and finish the Master exam before the demanding optional fights. It saves you from spending an hour fighting something with a version of Kiryu who is missing half the tools you could already have unlocked.