Launched at the end of last February, the game Like a Dragon: Ishin! bring back the series yakuzanow under a new franchise name, as a remake of the game Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin!released in 2014 exclusively for Japan.
Does this new look at the SEGA classic of the past decade manage to deliver qualities for PCs and next generation consoles? TechSmart tested the version for Xbox Series X|S and tells you the details.
We start with one of the great strengths of the game: the story. It takes place in the 1860s, with the setting of Feudal Japan. The plot portrays the country in its forced opening to the West, when the period marked by Samurai and Ronin classes came to an end, while firearms started to appear in the place.
The player controls the protagonist Sakamoto Ryoma, a ronin from Tosa, who is accused of having murdered his adoptive father. However, he did not commit the crime and starts trying to find out who really committed the murder.
To reach the goal, Ryoma uses an alias and infiltrates the group in which the real killer belongs. This context of death, suspense and persecution generates references to the Yakuza franchise.
The plot is composed of chapters, which mix moments of cutscenes, dialogues and moments of exploration of the scenario and action scenes. A negative point here is the lack of localization in Portuguese. That is, you will have at most conversations in Japanese, with English subtitles.
The gameplay also brings elements of the already known Yakuza. One is in the combat system. The protagonist has four different fighting styles. One of them with punches and kicks; another with the Katana; the third shoots enemies with a revolver; and the last one consists of combining the Katana with the firearm to generate more damage.
A tip for progress is to always carry a lot of healing items. Although common combats are more “quiet”, bosses tend to take much more life than their blows. Therefore, it is also worth being strategic in Like a Dragon: Ishin!.
Commands are not difficult. At the beginning of the game, there is a tutorial during the first battles, to teach which button has each blow intensity – the combos work by pressing them repeatedly. When exploring the environment, you will only have “A” (Xbox) or “X” (PlayStation) as the main one to interact with the elements of the scenario.
There are also minigames, ranging from breaking firewood to the classic Karaoke, for you to earn important items throughout the campaign. They serve as an important plot break, to give the player lightness and fun.
Overall, the mechanics don’t bring much news compared to the original title. In any case, the developer knew how to update what it could from the old game to the new generations and fulfilled the proposal of improving the players’ experience.
In other words, don’t expect to find here the gameplay evolutions found in the Yakuza franchise after the launch of the 2014 game. These are occasional improvements, but without incorporating what came in the future.
The graphics of Like a Dragon: Ishin! are generally pleasing and show a great improvement in this remake. To the cutscenes are the main moments where the look was improved. Each scene displayed looks more like a movie than a game, so detailed.
In dialogues, we felt a drop in the quality of textures. Character details are lost, which makes viewing more artificial. But this does not affect the elaborate design of the scenarios. In any case, we did not experience any drop in frames throughout the campaign.
In the soundtrack part, it is possible to notice that all the effects help to make the environment more immersive. Whether it’s the original Japanese voice acting, or the footstep effects of other interactions.
The songs will appear more in the action moments. They are placed in the background, with volume below the blow effects, just to add a touch of greater suspense, without affecting the time to hear the movements during fights.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! manages to deliver a satisfying experience to the player in general. The story pleases and takes the franchise to the Feudal Japan period, with the end of the Samurai and Ronin era.
The good setting is favored by the well-designed graphics in the scenes and constructions of the place. The game’s sounds join the visuals to successfully expand the user’s immersion.
In the gameplay part, we highlight the various forms of combat, which go beyond what the Yakuza series brings. That is, it brings already known elements, but with part of its unique mechanics.
Well-setting storyReferences to the Yakuza seriesEasy to understand mechanicsDetailed graphics in cutscenes and backgroundsSoundtrack helps with immersion
Unbalanced gameplay on bossesTexture drop in dialogsNo location in PT-BR
Story well set and located in time. Too bad it doesn’t have a location in PT-BR.
Gameplay brings differentials, but still lacks a balance.
Very detailed graphics in cutscenes and scenarios, with texture drops in dialogues, but without compromising the experience.
Soundtrack plays its role in expanding the setting, through effects and music that fit well with the game’s moments.
The game is engaging as a whole and allows for long hours of gameplay, always with maximum attention.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! it does well as a remake of a 2014 game. The developer got it right in maintaining the story and updating the graphics and mechanics to current generations.
It is worth it?
The SEGA game can be purchased for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC platforms – via Steam –, for the suggested price of BRL 299. We understand that a better value is something close to BRL 200. Or even an option consists of buying physical media, which can be found for lower costs.
This title is highly recommended for fans of the Yakuza series, or those who enjoy a historical setting within the game.
What were your impressions of “Like a Dragon: Ishin!”? Comment with us!
*Thanks to the game advisor for providing a copy to TechSmart for this review!
