And the localization does a wonderful job of balancing their gruffness, earnestness, and reticence. Ishin is basically a greatest hits of the series’ characters, through the lens of historical fiction. What’s more, despite their fame from the Yakuza series (now called “Like a Dragon” in the West, as well as in Japan) they serve as stand-ins for actual historical figures, like Okita Soji, Hijikata Toshizo, and Nagakura Shinpachi, to name a few. They straddle that line between familiarity and novelty wonderfully, reflecting Ishin’s unique spot in the franchise’s history.įamiliar faces abound in this entry: Ryuji Goda, Goro Majima, Yoshitake Mine, and Tianyou Zhao all show up in roles big and small. Like a Dragon: Ishin’s arrangements of “For Your Sake” and “Receive You” are probably some of the strongest songs in the series, with the incorporation of taiko drums and the shamisen elevating already incredible tracks. The soundtrack is a delightful blend of the harsh electronic tracks from previous Yakuza games and traditional Japanese instruments. Ishin is basically a greatest hits of the series’ characters, through the lens of historical fiction It’s effectively the same kind of game that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been making for upwards of 10 years, just with a different coat of paint. Like previous entries, plot points are laden with long cutscenes that contain loads of exposition about individual character goals and motivations, often betraying a fixation on shocking reveals. Ishin doesn’t stray too far from what the Yakuza series has established as its core gameplay loop: semi-open-world exploration in which you bare-knuckle brawl your way through encounters with unruly thugs on your way to a variety of story quests. And while the remaster of 2014’s Like a Dragon: Ishin! brings much of the franchise’s bombast to bear, in a compelling microcosm of 1860s Japan, it doesn’t avoid the narrative pitfalls the Yakuza games have long fallen into. ![]() The historical drama marks a return to the Yakuza series’ traditional roots, after 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon (yes, the names can get confusing) implemented turn-based combat and a somewhat lacking core cast. ![]() ![]() Here we are in 2023, and that very localization has come to fruition. But then, in 2019, series producer Daisuke Sato mentioned that such a project was “under consideration.” To say that this quote caused a stir among fans would be an understatement. As recently as four years ago, the prospect of a North American and European localization for Like a Dragon: Ishin! might have seemed like a pipe dream.
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