The Like a Dragon series (formerly known as Yakuza) has taken off over the years. Its popularity outside of Japan finally grew outside of its niche at or around Yakuza 0 when it was released in North America and Europe in 2017. While remasters and ports have given newer players access to many of its earlier entries, Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin remained locked to Japan and out of reach for those who don’t import games and know the native language. Like a Dragon: Ishin not only brings that entry to other territories but expands upon the original game and opens it up to a whole new audience.
Ishin utilizes a new engine (Unreal Engine 4), but this remake isn’t a full visual overhaul like The Last of Us Part I and not nearly as dramatic as the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes. Side-by-side comparisons show the multiple ways the visuals have improved, though. Character models have been slightly reworked. Lighting is more realistic, meaning everything loses that strange yellow glow from the original. However, the most noticeable change is the vastly superior depth of field that makes the well-shot cutscenes even more cinematic. There are some aesthetic minor changes to the heads-up display, but it still looks recognizably like a Like a Dragon game and one that was originally developed on less powerful hardware, as some of the more barren environments can attest to.
Visual adjustments, no matter how small, are always expected for a remaster or remake, but Ishin goes beyond that with its new content that ranges from silly to incredibly important. On the sillier side, the karaoke bar now has “Baka Mitai” in its soundtrack, the hypnotic and heavily memed song from Yakuza 0. Certain characters from that game are also making their debut in Ishin like Daisuke Kuze, Hiroki Awano, and Shibusawa Keiji. They’re joined by familiar faces like Koichi Adachi, Tianyou Zhao, and Mabuchi Akira from Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Joon-gi Han and Koshimizu Kanji from Yakuza 6. It’s a welcome change since it adds to the idea that Ishin is an elaborate play put on by the series’ memorable cast.
Combat has seen a few changes and keeps the four styles from the original — Wild Dancer, Gunman, Swordsman, and Brawler — but adds HUD elements that make it easier to see which one is equipped. They’re also ridiculous in different ways, as Swordsman has incredibly over-the-top violent attacks, Gunslinger lets users shoot an unrealistic amount of bullets (without needing to reload), Wild Dancer makes players blast and slash like Dante from Devil May Cry, and Brawler lets players pick up and swing comically huge objects littered around the environment.
While not present in the preview, its tweaked Trooper Card system is poised to bring even more variety to fights and expand upon what was originally there. These wacky special moves run the gamut from summoning a Shiba Inu to starting a dancing flash mob and seem to amp up the ridiculousness while also offering more depth over the original.
It’s disappointing that there isn’t a lock-on function, especially with its added emphasis on swordplay since moving the camera while fighting makes one-on-one duels a little more laborious. That omission is surprising since there are a handful of various options in the game this time around that make it more accessible, which is a term that broadly applies to the remake as a whole. Accessibility is where the true value of Like a Dragon: Ishin lies since releasing on multiple different systems in other territories truly opens this game up to way more people. The series has always balanced absurdity with gripping drama in its own way, so withholding such a unique entry in a unique series was unfortunate. It’s understandable given the localization costs, but disappointing nonetheless.
Even though The Last of Us Part I is fantastic and the Resident Evil 4 remake is incredibly promising, games like Like a Dragon: Ishin are more deserving of the remake treatment. It may end up having some 2014 cruft stuck within it somewhere, but Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has seemingly updated enough of the experience while also keeping its signature cinematic flair, drama, and sense of humor intact. There are goofy chicken races, exaggerated boss fights, and superbly acted cutscenes, all of which are given more of their own unique flavor because of its 1860s setting. It’s not a new game, per se, but it will be for so many, and that’s more important.
