Like a Dragon: Ishin Review – Shoguns ‘n roses

For almost a decade, there’s been one game in the Yakuza series that has been highly sought after. One game that was never released outside of Japan, and unless you were willing to jump through a few import hoops to get your hands on it, it looked like it’d remain exclusive to those shores. A tale of swords and guns set amidst the backdrop of one of the most pivotal eras of Japanese history, Yakuza: Ishin was deemed impossible to port over to Western audiences due to anachronistic challenges.

Never say never though, because at long last, the tale of Sakamoto Ryoma has made the leap to console and PC, bringing with it all of that trademark Yakuza magic–or, as it’s now known, Like a Dragon–to global audiences. It’s not the most lavish remake on the market and its gameplay has inherited some last-gen annoyances, but this LAD spin-off is still a sharp blade that cuts deep with excellent storytelling and epic duels.

Where to buy Like a Dragon: Ishin

• Koodoo
• BT Games
• Takealot

Unlike the games in the mainline Yakuza series, Ishin swaps the neon-lit streets of modern-day Japan for the dusty roads of Kyoto in the 1860s. An age of great upheaval for Japan, when foreign powers were flexing their military might and ruling classes terrorized the local population, Ishin slowly builds on its plot as a simple tale of revenge evolves into a grand odyssey of political upheaval, and a potential civil war.

Enter Sakamoto Ryoma, a real-life figure from Japanese history books, who here bears the visage of Yakuza’s favorite thug-punching machine Kazuma Kiryu. Ryoma isn’t the only familiar face here, as numerous characters in Ishin’s storyline have all been plucked from Yakuza’s meaty cast of friends and foes. While you don’t have to have an encyclopedic knowledge of who’s who in the Yakuza zoo, there’s a certain thrill to spotting these characters reimagined as actual historical figures, with Ishin adding a few extra characters from Yakuza 0,6 and Like a Dragon to the mix.

These inclusions are all part of a fascinating “what if” scenario that would have made history class far more gripping if learning about the Meiji Restoration era included more radical sword duels, and AEW wrestlers traveling through time to lend you a hand. Some citation is probably needed, but if the Bakufu shogun of Japan really could attack you with Kame-Hame-Ha beam blasts during a climatic sword duel, then maybe history is more exciting than we give it credit for.

Beyond those liberal changes to past events, Ishin doesn’t stray far away from the established Yakuza format. The fisticuffs and sword battles might draw your eyes in, but Yakuza games have always prioritized story above action, and Ishin is no different. It takes a few hours to get going, but once the plot is established and all the pieces are in play, Ishin charges headfirst with its tale and rarely gives you a moment to breathe. Your senses are continually assaulted with a Wikipedia’s worth of names, locations, and ideas born from the time period.

It’s classic Yakuza, as between walls of text and cinematic cutscenes, there’s a city to explore and ruffians to brutally beat down. While the modern-day Yakuza games focus on developing your hand-to-hand skills, Ishin is a more refreshing split between fists, swords, and guns. Not every style is equal in power, and don’t be too surprised to find yourself investing heavily in one of the four combat arts. Brawling is largely forgettable but flexible when you’re battling in city streets full of useful objects; the Swordsman style is easily Ryoma’s bread-and-butter; the Gunman style is hilariously overpowered if you know how to use it properly; and Wild Dancer is a fun mix between melee and long-ranged offense.

Swordfighting is where Ishin feels at its sharpest, and investing experience in unlocking new skills helps evolve Ryoma into a samurai who’s fast, efficient, and lethal with every stylish slash. Light RPG elements are mixed in on top of this, and while it’s always handy to do a little bit of grinding through Shinsengumi missions to get better materials, this facet of Ishin is mercifully much less frustrating than Like a Dragon’s infamously tiresome dungeons.

An interesting addition to Ryoma’s gameplay are Trooper Cards, beneficial perks that can be activated in combat. Recruiting troops for Kyoto’s infamous police force and upgrading them unlocks a few handy skills during combat, which range from small amounts of health regeneration to increased cutting power. On the more absurd side of the scale, the right card can chain a lightning attack through enemies or even smash them down with fireball attacks.

While you don’t need to remain constantly invested in upgrading your troopers, this mini-game side of Ishin makes for a nice break from the usual brawls and allows for more fine-tuning of Ryoma during the course of his adventure. As you’d expect, there are a lot of these side quests available, ranging from helping out an Udon cafe, to running your very own homestead, which are all entirely optional. Side stories also return, but compared to some of the more bonkers quests present in Yakuza games, these are fairly tame in comparison as you deal with bandits, starving children, and a cult of happy-go-lucky peasants that take their lackadaisical attitude too far.

Take all of those elements above, mix them up, and you’ve got a typical Yakuza outing ready to serve up. Ishin is fantastic at adhering to this formula, especially with its chapter-based format making it a decadent delight to savor day-by-day. However, it’s also a game that is filled with archaic ideas that slow down its momentum. Kyoto is an absolute drag to explore, as the drab narrow streets lack the Kamurocho charm of other entries in the series.

Just the overall layout of this city is a nightmare to navigate, and you’ll find yourself hitching a Palanquin ride often to avoid bandits and riffraff littering the street. There’s also a certain sloppiness to the game’s technical side, as at the time of writing this review, it wasn’t unusual to see assets clip into place, rough transitions into new areas, and background characters running amok during conversations. These aren’t game-breaking bugs, but they do show a significant lack of polish on developer RGG’s side. Which is unusual.

Likewise, the refreshed visuals only go so far as to make a PS3-era game look better. Characters appear fantastic with their nuanced design changes, overhauled cinematics are popcorn-guzzling events, and extra special effects shine. However, ugly and rough textures are easy to spot.

When Ishin is at its best, though, every one of these complaints are forgotten. Climatic duels preceded by dramatic cutscenes, over-the-top acting and intense moments of action all help set the game up for thrilling clashes of steel and ideologies. With a final act that goes all in and lays its cards out on the table, Ishin is an excellent and essential entry in the Yakuza series.

Like a Dragon: Ishin! is out now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.