Metaphor: ReFantazio vs Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

A 60-hour turn-based JRPG with 46 Archetypes versus a 20-hour brawler remake—one respects your calendar, the other your backlog.

Metaphor: ReFantazio cover
Metaphor: ReFantazio 9.3/10 Mighty

Surpasses most modern JRPGs — Metaphor takes Persona 5's social-sim-plus-turn-based formula into high fantasy with 46 archetypes and a tighter calendar.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties cover
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties 7.4/10 Fair

For fans of Kiryu's saga — Kiwami 3 is the definitive Y3 remake, but newcomers should start with Y0 or Like a Dragon.

Steam popularity

Shared scale — sparklines are directly comparable across both games.

Metaphor: ReFantazio
Jun 2026 peak CCU 3,344 ↑ 41% MoM
All-time peak 85,194 (Oct 2024 · now at 4%)
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
Jun 2026 peak CCU 584 ↓ 7% MoM
All-time peak 8,263 (Feb 2026 · now at 7%)

Key differences

Genre identity
Metaphor is a turn-based JRPG with social simulation and calendar management, akin to Persona 5 in high fantasy.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a real-time beat-'em-up action game with open-world side activities in a crime drama.
Time commitment
Metaphor demands 60-80 hours for the main story, 100+ for completion, with calendar-based deadline pressure.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a more focused 20-30 hour remake, even with substories, and no time limits.
Series expectations
Metaphor is a standalone fantasy story, welcoming newcomers to Atlus's style without prior knowledge.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 is the third entry in Kiryu's saga—strongly recommended to play Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, and Kiwami 2 first.

Which one is for you?

Pick Metaphor: ReFantazio if

  • You loved Persona 5 Royal and want a fantasy reskin with refined turn-based combat
  • You have 60-100 hours to invest in a single JRPG with class systems
  • You enjoy calendar-based time management and missing-deadline anxiety

Pick Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties if

  • You've already played Yakuza 0, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2
  • You prefer real-time brawler combat over turn-based
  • You want a shorter 20-30 hour game to close Kiryu's saga

Bottom line

Pick Metaphor if you crave deep JRPG systems and have the time; pick Yakuza Kiwami 3 if you're invested in Kiryu's story and want a polished remake, but start with earlier entries.