Like a Dragon: Ishin has been a long time coming for western Yakuza fans. The original game only ever came out in Japan in 2014 on the PS3 and PS4, and ever since then, fans of Kiryu have been quietly hoping to see the second-weirdest spin-off in the series localised for a wider audience.
Most fans had given up hope of ever seeing a game many held up as one of Ryu Ga Gotoku's best on modern platforms or in a language they could understand, especially considering the studio seemly moved on to canon spin-offs like Judgment. However, thankfully Ishin has finally journeyed west, and it was certainly worth the wait. But what are we all doing now we have our hands on it?
8 Look For Connections To The Mainline Games
The best way to think of Ishin is that it's like a travelling Kabuki stage show. These aren't the same characters as the ones that we see in the mainline Yakuza games, but they are played by the same actors, and they retain the characteristics of their modern-day counterparts, they are just telling a different story.
It goes beyond just Ryoma and Kiryu both being chiselled himbo idiots with hearts of gold, and Majima and Soji being mad dogs. In Ishin almost every main character is inspired by characters from Yakuza games past. Something fascinating that RGG has done with this game is that it updated parts of Ishin to include characters from games released after the 2014 original.
For example, in the original game, the real-life Chief of the Shinsengumi, Kondo Isami, was just another side character. Albeit, like all the character models in all of RGG's PS3 games he looked extremely realistic for the hardware. However, in Like A Dragon: Ishin the character model used is that of Koichi Adachi from the seventh game. This is because it was thought this ex-cop's character traits lined up close enough with Isami's. There are loads of little details like this in Ishin and you can quickly find yourself getting lost looking for them all.
7 Spend At Least Five Minutes Saying "Wait, What?" When You Realise Who Cameos In It
This isn't a spoiler since they have been a major part of the game's marketing campaign, but the DLC Trooper Cards still surprise us every time we see them. These powerful attacks are tied to real-life celebrities and streamers that have championed the Yakuza series for years and encouraged a wider audience to get into them.
They include streamers like CobhCarnage and Nyatasha Nyanners, AEW's poster-boy, Kenny Omega, and very good Instagram follow and occasional actor, Rahul Kohli. It's hard not to giggle at the fact that these people are now canonically part of Like A Dragon's Bakumastua era, but it does lead us to wonder, has Ryoma watched Midnight Mass yet?
6 Go Down A Wikipedia Rabbithole
Like a Dragon: Ishin added a neat feature with its key that you can reference during dialogue to check the meaning of keywords, places, and people that folks not intimately familiar with the history of feudal Japan might miss. However, while it is super helpful to know that the city of Kyo would later become Kyoto, we are talking about an entire country's history here, and it's hard to stay on top of things.
Because of this, and because of how many characters are based on real historical figures in the game, it is easy to find yourself becoming engrossed in learning the real history that inspired the game. Just try to play Ishin without going to check just what the Shinsengumi were like in real life, only to look at your clock, and realise it's 3 am, and you have been reading about how samurai swords were folded into shape for the last three hours.
5 Get Distracted In Chapter Two By The, Um, Men On Display
The Man Named Saito is the greatest chapter in any RRG game ever for one very good reason. Actually, four very good reason if we count every ass-cheek on display.
Jokes aside, this was an iconic scene from the series that perfectly epitomises the delicate balancing act of melodrama and slapstick humour that Yakuza does better than any other franchise. Having it remastered at stunningly high resolution with Ryoma and Saigo glistening in 4K finally gives this fantastic set piece the definitive overhaul it deserves.
4 Look Up The Answers For The "It's A Long Story" Substory
One of the first substories that you are likely to wander into is "It's a Long Story". This is because it's just off Kyo's high street and can be triggered right as you enter Chapter Two. Sadly, this might be one of the most frustrating side quests in any of the Yakuza games, as you just have to patiently page through text box, after text box, of intentionally dull dialogue.
Yes, the joke is funny at first, but quickly you'll realise that a joke being aware of what makes it annoying, doesn't make it any less annoying. If you're anything like us, you will lose patience and start to skip through the local gossip's endless conversation until she quizzes you on what she says. At that point there is no shame in turning to a guide online, this substory might be the low point of the game and getting past it quickly allows you to get back to the good stuff.
3 Have That Moment Where You Remember That This Is Still Totally A PS3 Game At Its Heart
There will come a point when despite the game's stunning, next-gen visuals, you will have to reckon with the fact that Like a Dragon: Ishin is, at its core, a PS3 game. While RGG has done plenty to modernise the title for 2023, there are lots of little details that will remind you of its decade-old baggage.
Whether it is the game's fondness for locking the camera in place, its need to play a small cutscene every time you search a basket, or its slightly stiffer feel than Lost Judgment or Yakuza: Like A Dragon, there are a hundred little things that add up. None of these are deal breakers and the core game is still terrific, but the more you play Ishin the more you will realise that it comes from an era of RGG games that weren't quite as accessible and well-paced.
2 Get Way Into The Combat
While some parts of the game might feel reminiscent of a title on the PS2, other parts feel as polished as any other modern release. This is especially true for the game's combat, which you could easily argue is the best in the series.
The four stances all feel vastly different from anything Kiryu or Yagami have ever had access to and encourage you to stop just spamming punch and to think about each encounter. It makes the game feel less like a 3D brawler and more like a game of rock, paper, scissors, where each encounter is suited to a difference combat style. Although we will say, the parry still feels very fiddley and like it has a very demanding timing to it compared to the rest of the combat.
1 Start Investigating The Other Like A Dragon Spin-Off Games
So, you've wrapped up the tale of Sakamoto Ryoma. What's next? Yes, you could obviously dive straight into the six games in the Kiryu saga, but what if you looked into the other spin-offs first before dedicating the next several months of your gaming time to one thing?
Both Judgment games are great looks at life on the other side of the law in the Like a Dragon universe, with the second game dropping almost all contention to organised crime for a straight-up noir detective tale. Yakuza: Like a Dragon might be the seventh mainline game, but its fresh cast of characters and distance from the events of Kiryu's story make it a great place to dedicate 40 to 100 hours to (especially if you love JRPs). Or maybe you go back to the heartbreaking story of Yakuza 0 and see how it all began?
All are valid choices. Except for maybe the zombie game spin-off, Dead Souls. That game has aged poorly. And the two PSP games, Kurohyou: Ry Ga Gotoku Shinshou and Kurohyou 2: Ryu Ga Gotoku Asura-hen. Those would be bad picks. Unless you are fluent in Japanese of course.