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Like A Dragon Ishin review: a step backwards in the best wayThat’s radish
That’s radish
I am legendary ronin Sakomoto Ryoma. I shout “yosh!” as I harvest six (6) gleaming radishes from my allotment. I shoot a bandit in the head with a revolver. I send my adoptive daughter to trade some homemade pickles. I partake in a brooding chat, then stamp on a dude’s head. I help a recluse regain his confidence. I have totally forgotten what I was meant to be doing.
Like A Dragon: Ishinfeels like a step backward, but in a brilliant way. Kiryu and co. may have moved onto a turn-based future, yet Sakomoto Ryoma and his pals have turned back the clock to an Edo period of brawlin' and chicken betting that’s most reminiscent ofYakuza 0, only it’s not the roaring 80s but the bloody 1800s. There’s nothing here that will convert those who aren’t keen on the series, but if you’re an ardent fan or a newcomer eager to experience its wild swings between serious and silly, Ishin is an excellent place to start.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! | Ambush TrailerWatch on YouTube
Like a Dragon: Ishin! | Ambush Trailer
Like A Dragon: Ishin was originally a Japan-onlyYakuzaspin-off that released back in 2014 and never came to the West. Now a few years later, we’ve got an entirely remade Ishin which means everyone can experience the joys of late Edo period faction warfare. I’d liken the game to a one-off Yakuza special set in 1800s Japan, where many of the series' favourite characters take on entirely different roles. Kiryu is Sakamoto Ryoma, a real historical samurai who’s still basically Kiryu in personality. Others, though? Damn, who knew they could be so nasty? If the Super Smash Bros announcer were to describe the roster in a shout, he’d say, “ALMOST EVERYONE IS HERE!!”.
Kyo’s less dense than, say, Kamurocho, which means it’s easier to bump into its weird and wonderful inhabitants and trigger their sub stories.
And if you need to get away from the seriousness of the story, Kyo offers plenty of pastimes to lose hours to. You can belt out some bangers in the singing parlour and slice cannon balls in half. There’s even the option to play rock paper scissors in a brothel, or like, open your own ramen stand. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent plucking broad beans from my little allotment and betting on chickens. I’ve been to a lot of Yakuza’s Buffets Of Distraction, and let me tell you, Ishin has put on a good spread.
Out of all the Yakuza games, I’d say Ishin features some of the best brawling of them all too, and that’s thanks to Ryoma’s ability to switch between four different fighting styles: Swordsman, Brawler, Gunman, and Wild Dancer. Other games in the series also feature swappable styles, sure, but here you’re freed from the confines of calcium and let loose with metal delights, like revolvers, katanas, and even a combination of revolverandkatana.
Trooper Cards return from the original, which let you activate special abilities mid-battle. There’s a whole bunch of the series' quirkiest animals, protags, and randos to collect, each with their own strengths, stats, and synergies.
But I wouldn’t say Ishin resolves all of Yakuza’s historical woes when it comes to combat. Street thugs morph from funny larks into irritating pests you’d rather swat away in an instant. And – at least early on - you’re forced to open the inventory menu every time you’d like to heal sizeable chunks in a pinch, which adds major clunk to the most climactic of tussles. Some things are hard to shake.
I chose correctly.
The game also handles the RPG side of things in a typical Yakuza manner: you must become an exotic goods warehouse. Question) You want a thing?; Answer) You cannot have it, unless you have a thing to give. To craft, say, “Your Dad’s Sword” at the blacksmith (hypothetically speaking, of course), you must have lots of money and like, two pieces of golden manure, some manuka honey, and “The Blade Of Papa” to hand. To get these, you must spend time in tucking into the larger portions of the Buffet, accepting missions at the trooper camp, which involves clearing waves of enemies from caves and smashing boxes of loot.
Being shuttled into Ishin’s heftier minigames isn’t all that bad, though, because they’re simple and direct. Yes, you may have to pour time into another activity to get some golden manure, but at least the activity is self-contained in a wacky scientist’s clockwork scarecrow house, or a calming villa out in the sticks where I get to harvest radishes and flip my little salmon so it chars nicely on the firey wirey. Technically you don’t need to bother with any of these side hustles, but trust me, it’s impossible not to get sucked into dungeoneering or a bit of peaceful farming.
Here’s me chasing down a fella who stole my clothes while I relaxed in a bath house. This gif deserves an installation at the Louvre, I’d say.
I will say that Ishin’s perhaps a bit too keen on you forming bonds with certain folks. There’s alotof “friendship meters” that you’re meant to oh-so gradually fill as you repeatedly interact with shopkeepers or sword enthusiasts or some kid who absolutely loves vegetables. I get that it’s not a massive deal! In fact, it’s nice handing “Kid Who Loves Veggies” a treat from your farm each time you pass him on the way to a mission. And I get that longtail payoff is an enticing thing, but sticking bars above heads has never felt particularly in keeping with Yakuza’s concise, human storytelling.
So yes, Like A Dragon Ishin isn’t going to convert those who dislike Yakuza. It still carries some of the series' historic frustrations and feels like a bit of a step backward when you compare it to Yakuza: Like A Dragon’s turn-based shake-ups and modernisations. Although, a step backward isn’t a bad thing at all! Ishin feels most like Yakuza 0 (my fave) that’s sure to please longtime fans, and its standalone nature means that it is, without a doubt, one of the strongest starting points for newcomers. Now excuse me, I best get back to harvest my radishes.
