The 2014 title Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin! will finally be brought to audiences outside of Japan with the upcoming Like A Dragon: Ishin!, which falls somewhere between a remaster and remake. The game is developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio alongside publisher SEGA, and features various changes and quality of life improvements for players while remaining true to its roots. Screen Rant attended a special hands-on preview event for Like A Dragon: Ishin!, which illuminated more of what fans can expect from the title.
The preview for Like A Dragon: Ishin! focused on the soon-to-be-released samurai spinoff's third chapter, entitled Mibu Wolves. Set in 1860s Kyo, the story follows protagonist Sakamoto Ryoma on a quest for justice. After Ryoma is framed for the murder of his father figure Yoshida Toyo, he flees to Kyo, adopts the alias of Saito Hajime, and embarks to find the true killer, who he knows practices the rare combat style Tennen Rishin. This leads him to the Shinsengumi, an elite group of swordsman who practice that very style; chapter three picks up right as Ryoma has decided to infiltrate the Shinsengumi and find Toyo's murderer.
While Ryoma Sakamoto is based on a real-life historical figure, his appearance will look familiar to fans of the Yakuza series. The role of Ryoma is played by Kazuma Kiryu, and he isn't the only modern character in Like A Dragon's feudal Japan. Others, like Shinsengumi First Division Captain Okita Soji, are also recognizable from previous titles, with Soji resembling Goro Majima. While this chapter largely focused on the Shinsengumi, there are many other people and places in Kyo to hold players' attention outside the main storyline.
The world of Kyo feels alive, a bustling city full of minigames, substories, and vendors for players to interact with. There are 12 total minigames that dot the map, ranging from a rhythm activity centered around singing karaoke to statistics-based chicken racing where bird bets can be placed. Players will build relationships with restaurant owners and vendors, who offer health-restoring food and other useful items. Substories involving different NPCs can also be found, ranging from sweet to very silly in their plot, and players may encounter random events like bandit attacks or robberies where they can choose to intervene.
Just as previous games like Judgement have featured fighting styles, there are four unique ways players can choose to take down enemies in Ishin!: Swordsman, Gunman, Wild Dancer, and Brawler. Swordsman is a katana-focused stance good for powerful slashes, whereas Gunman is centered on ranged attacks. Wild Dancer is a blend of both of these styles, allowing for up-close sword attacks that shift to evasive, long-range shots. Brawler utilizes the environment as a weapon instead, using not only Ryoma's fists but items found in the vicinity to hurt opponents. Players can easily switch between these styles with the D-pad with zero cooldown period.
Over time, these four styles can be improved in Like A Dragon: Ishin! through the use of orbs, which are often dropped after a fight. Every style has its own skill tree, each of which uses a corresponding type of orb to unlock new upgrades and features. There's even an element of in-game crafting, as with the right materials, players can have their weapons improved by the local blacksmith. In conversation, the Kyo blacksmith does mention the art of enchanting swords as well, although he makes it clear it isn't done in his establishment.
During battle, players can use items to manage both their health and the familiar heat gauge. Once players build up enough heat - either through items or landing hits on the enemy - a flaming aura envelops the protagonist as a cue that a devastating special move can be unleashed, which varies based on the fighting style being used. After each fight, players will earn a grade based on things like combos landed and damage taken, which corresponds to the amount of XP they receive from the conflict.
Like A Dragon: Ishin! weaves narrative and in-game history lessons together throughout its story, featuring several other real-life warriors alongside Ryoma Sakamoto. This is evident as soon as Ryoma arrives at the Shinsengumi barracks to begin his infiltration, when players meet the real-life-inspired Nagakura Shinpachi, the Shinsengumi Second Division Captain that Ryoma must defeat in order to prove himself. Once players achieve victory in tryouts utilizing any variety of fighting styles, Ryoma will be deemed worthy of the Shinsengumi, although not without protest from the previously mentioned First Division Captain Okita Soji.
From here, players will be granted a room at the barracks, which restores health upon entering and houses Ryoma's inventory that can be accessed from prayer sites around town. The initiation process then continues, with the game beginning to grow in moral complexity as players get to know Deputy Chief Hijikata Toshizo, who sees potential in Ryoma but doubts the depth of his dedication to the group. This culminates with another epic battle in Like A Dragon: Ishin!, where the protagonist learns what it takes to truly earn the trust and respect of the Shinsengumi, after which the chapter ends.
The third chapter of Like A Dragon: Ishin! foreshadows where a lot of the game's future conflict will lie, with Ryoma successfully beginning his Shinsengumi infiltration and earning both ire and admiration. The title features a diverse combat system that feels true to the now-rebranded Like A Dragon series and makes for fight scenes that feel full of action while leaving room for skill growth over time. This chapter did an excellent job of encapsulating how Like A Dragon: Ishin! features a combination of an engaging story, varied combat system, and a world that feels alive, which players will get to experience upon its release next month.
Like A Dragon: Ishin! will release February 21 for PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, and PC. Screen Rant attended a special hands-on preview event for the purpose of this preview.
Source: PlayStation/YouTube
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Like a Dragon: Ishin!
- Summary:
- For the first time ever, Like a Dragon: Ishin! arrives on western shores in this remake of the original PS3 title. Set in the late Edo period of Japan, Ishin! focuses on Sakamoto Ryoma, a man struggling with his role in society currently being shaken to its core. With his mentor assassinated and a coup d'état currently ongoing between factions, Ryoma blends into the city of Kyoto and joins the controversial Shogunate police known as the Shinsengumi. Players will traverse a fictional Kyoto back in the 1800s as they hack, slash, and shoot their way through strife-filled time as a representation of the real Sakamoto Ryoma, known for leading the revolution against the Shogunate starting its reformation. Like a Dragon: Ishin! will play more like the original Yakuza series games with more weapon-based combat. Ishin! releases on all major platforms on February 21 2023.
- Franchise:
- Yakuza
- Platform:
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Released:
- 2023-02-21
- Developer:
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher:
- Sega
- Genre:
- Action, RPG, Hack and Slash
- Engine:
- Unreal 4
- ESRB:
- M
- Mode:
- Single-Player
