Like a Dragon: Ishin! Review: A Whole New Take

Getting into the Like a Dragon, formerly Yakuza in the west, series at this point can feel like it requires a lot. With eight main titles, numerous spin-offs, and side stories, it’s understandable if it can seem intimidating. For those who don’t know where to jump in, you might consider Like a Dragon: Ishin! a remake of a PS3-era spin-off. RGG studio’s latest offering takes the traditional gameplay the series is known for, gives it a few interesting twists, and sets it in 1860s Japan. It undoubtedly leads to a different vibe, but fans of the series will still find a ton to like.

A Blast From The Past

You play as Sakamoto Ryoma, a samurai who is fed up with the class stratification in Japan. After returning from many years of training, he plans to team up with his adoptive father and brother to make real change, but their plans are cut short by an unexpected tragedy which Ryoma takes the blame for. Now he has to clear his name while seeking vengeance for those who were wronged.

The story of Like a Dragon: Ishin! is intriguing enough, with memorable characters and some interesting twists, though the ending ultimately lets it down a bit. The most fascinating part, though, is that these characters in 1860s Japan are basically played by characters from the Like a Dragon series. When I say that, I don’t just mean the same actors either, though the same actors are here. Sakamoto Ryoma, for example, is played by Kiryu, the series’ main character. He doesn’t just remind you of Kiryu because he looks like him, however. He effectively is Kiryu, down to his sense of honor and how he interacts with everything. That’s true of other characters as well. Okita Soji is Majima in every way that matters. While some characters do have a somewhat changed role within the story from that of the games they come from, they’re all true to the characters. Whether that’s a positive is up to you. I would have liked to see characters play more against type as it could have led to more surprises, but it’s nice to see these characters in a new context.

Pick Your Style

When it comes to playing Like a Dragon: Ishin! you’re looking at a fairly traditional game in the series, though with an 1860s twist. Like in many Yakuza titles, you have multiple combat options, with four unique styles for you to upgrade and use here. These include Swordsman, Gunman, Brawler, and Wild Dancer. The first three are fairly self-explanatory, but Wild Dancer is a combination style where you simultaneously use a sword and a gun.

I found most of these compelling, though I used the swordsman style far more often than not. It’s satisfying to fight through your foes, using Heat Actions, the series’ more spectacular attacks, to really tear into them. The gunman style is also really useful in a variety of situations, particularly when you run into huge characters who can rip you apart up close. A variety of boss battles provide some nice variety as well.

Keeping Things Fresh

Speaking of variety, Like a Dragon: Ishin! has all the loads of content fans have come to expect from the series. You, of course, have your main story and a variety of sub-stories set around town where you can help locals solve their issues. This isn’t my favorite set of sub-stories in the series, but there are some highly memorable ones, and you tend to trip over these regularly. The same is true of random encounters though these are perhaps a bit too frequent for my liking, rarely offering interesting combat after you’re used to the combat system. They can make exploring the town where you spend most of the game a bit of a pain, and that’s not helped by this area having none of the charm that Kamurochō and other areas in the main series offer. It’s not badly designed, but it’s a bit more spread out than is necessary, and Ishin loves sending you running back and forth to opposite sides of it for a single cutscene.

If you want more than the main game has to offer, though, all of the side content the series is known for is here as well. No, there’s no karaoke in 1860s Japan, but there is a singing mini-game. There’s a dancing one, too, fishing, wood chopping, chicken racing, Shogi, and many more. There’s enough here to keep players busy for a long time if you really dig into everything.

Like a Dragon: Ishin! has been fully remastered since its PS3 or even original PS4 release as well. Comparing the graphics to the original is striking, and while it won’t wow PS5 players, everything looks and sounds excellent. So while most western players never got to play the original release, they’re ultimately getting the best option to do so.

Conclusion

While not the best game in the series, Like a Dragon: Ishin! offers great fun to long-time fans while also delivering an excellent opportunity for those interested in these games to jump in and see what all the fuss is about. While it’s a different take on the classic formula, there’s enough here that still feels like a Like A Dragon game to provide an idea of whether this series is for you.

Final Verdict: 4/5

Available on: PS5 (Reviewed), PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC; Publisher: Sega; Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio; Players: 1; Released: February 21st, 2023; ESRB: M for Mature; MSRP: $59.99

Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of Like a Dragon: Ishin! provided by the publisher.