The era of swordsmen has come to an end. Like a Dragon: Ishin! It takes us to Japan in the mid-19th century to make us part of the end of the samurai through a story of intrigue, memorable characters and katana (and pistol) combat. This spin-off of the Yakuza series was destined to never leave the borders of the country it portrays, but thanks to the progressive success of the franchise in the West, it has ended up having an international release.
Originally, Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! – as it is called in Japan – was released in 2014 for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. At that time, Yakuza still did not enjoy the following it has today in Western markets, and therefore SEGA chose not to export that delivery so designed for the Japanese public. However, the increasingly notorious popularity of the saga starring Kazuma Kiryu has made it possible, almost a decade later, Like a Dragon: Ishin! reach the whole world in the form of a remake for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series.
Its creators, SEGA's hard-working Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, have stated that one of the reasons behind the relaunch was the recent success of Ghost of Tsushima, Sony's ambitious adventure set in feudal Japan. And it is that, about feudal Japan, or rather, about the end of this era of social classes that ruled the country of the rising sun for centuries, is Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Far from being based on a fictional story and characters, the game is inspired by real events and personalities. Primarily, it follows in the footsteps of samurai and rebel leader Sakamoto Ryoma (1836–1867), who fought to abolish the class system and modernize the country. The funny thing is that, as if it were a play, the real personalities that appear in the game are "interpreted" by the cast of characters from the Yakuza franchise, starting with its protagonist, who here has the face and voice of the already iconic Kazuma Kyriu.
If the main installments of the series are characterized by their long and dramatic cinematic scenes and their numerous and exaggerated combats, this spin-off does exactly the same, although transferring the action from the streets of present-day Tokyo to those of Kyoto of mid 19th century. The narrative sequences are still very well worked and are capable of making us believe that we are watching a movie about the Japanese mafia. It is in the combat where there are more changes, because due to the time in which the game is set, this installment mixes hand-to-hand fights, with a sword, with a pistol, and even mixing the last two.
As in the rest of the installments, it is convenient to know what to expect when it comes to the Yakuza saga. This series of games has always been characterized by its light-hearted sense of humor and this is maintained in this spin-off, where there are many mini-games that allow the player to take a break from the main adventure, which in this case revolves around the murder investigation. On many occasions, Like a Dragon: Ishin! It is not taken too seriously, but it is a resource to underline the true paradox of almost all the installments of the series, which is none other than that of the yakuza –in this case, a samurai– with a good heart.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is now available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series.
The game has been developed by the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by SEGA. The voices of the game are only in Japanese, although it has subtitles in several languages (including Spanish).
