Like A Dragon Ishin Review – A Fun Remake For Yakuza Fans
Like A Dragon Ishin is the latest in the Yakuza side stories to get a remake. Originally released only in Japan as a release title with the PS4, the Yakuza games had barely any audience back then. Thankfully that’s changed and has led to Sega finally being brave enough to publish the game to western audiences.
Like A Dragon Ishin takes the player to 19th century Japan, where main character Sakamoto Ryoma, his adoptive father and brother all decide on a quest to join forces and destroy his hometown of Tosa’s corrupt system. Before any revolutionising can happen tragedy hits and Ryoma becomes a wanted man. Deciding politicking isn’t going to get him anywhere he joins a gang of corrupt murderers in order to squirrel out the truth and eventually bring them down.
The gameplay for Like A Dragon Ishin is pretty basic and the same as every other earlier Yakuza game. Square to start a combo, triangle for finisher, circle used in Wild Dancer style and X for dodge. This is basically the biggest problem with Ishin, Wild Dancer one of four styles utilizes the katana and handgun at the same time whilst dodging and increasing speed. Very quickly into the game it becomes obvious that sticking with Wild Dance and just spamming square, circle and X at the right time will get you out of any, and I do mean any, combat situation. The bosses who’re meant to be challenging fold like paper to it and that’s just as it’s most basic, when it’s upgraded it becomes so unreasonably strong that it becomes incredibly boring. Sure you could handicap yourself by using the other styles but who in their right mind would?
Next to that Ishin’s plot is fun, the side quests are fine all stuff anyone who’s seen a GIF of Yakuza would recognise. Eventually it all becomes very monotonous. Which is a shame because Like A Dragon Ishin has a ton to offer but realistically only hardcore Yakuza fans are going to get a whole lot of fun out of this one. It’s fine and enjoyable for the most part but nothing spectacular and nothing that will stay in the memories of those who play a lot of games like this.
