What justifies a remake? Some would argue that completely redesigned graphics are a perfectly legitimate reason to re-release a title. Guess we’re at this point, given how many older games keep reappearing with better polish. However, Like a Dragon: Ishin, of course also visually re-edited, has another reason why I’d say it’s perfect for a remake. The original was released in 2014 only in Japan, so unless you knew Japanese and imported it, this title was out of everyone’s reach. I would say that the growing interest from the West in Like a Dragon and Yakuza games and their spinoffs means that the rest of the world now has a chance to try it out.
In other words, it’s time to meet Japan in 1860 and become a samurai. Unlike the other more current installments of the series, this one takes us to the last years of the Edo period. A chaotic time, no doubt.
The protagonist, Sakamoto Ryōma, returns home after spending a year perfecting his swordsmanship. Once home, everything happens at a frantic pace, and after a series of events, Ryōma flees his village. It ends in what was then the Japanese capital Kyo (later known as Kyoto). From there follows a fairly classic story in which revenge is the driving force. At first it will not seem surprising, in fact the first chapters of the game are quite disturbing. But, as with many other stories, the plot thickens.
As the hours pass, I begin to see past its flaws and discover several good things. What we’re experiencing in the game has its why, and once you start spending hours on it, it’ll grab you and you’ll want to see where it all leads. There are many names and faces to see, but the most important is the character on the run, a man forced to live under an alias who seeks revenge for forcing him out of town. The game offers us a revenge story that requires a bit of detective work.
Now let’s look at the shortcomings I mentioned earlier. Because while this remake is a big improvement over the original from nearly a decade ago, it still feels pretty dated. The characters are rigid and the animations make them look like wax dolls that won’t stop moving. Even the stage looks more like a flat backdrop than a place to live. For example, if we think of Ghost of Tsushima, which, despite being from another era, is the closest comparison (except for the rest of the games in the series, of course), it always seems that the visual effects do not meet today’s expectations. . Especially when the world of video games sets the bar so high. Small details, such as stationary trees and vegetation, empty walkways with a lot of lack of detail and a kind of stiffness, don’t exactly give a good technical visual impression.
However, when night falls in Kyo, the decor changes slightly thanks to the lights, which add a more cozy atmosphere. While the comparison to the series’ more modern titles, filled with neon lights and paintwork that bring the streets to life, might be unfair, it’s what I think about all the time when playing. Many areas and details have been neglected, as if they have put all their effort into a few places and forgotten about the rest of the game. Entering the main street of Kyo also gives me this same feeling. Occasionally we can find striking details, but the overall impression is far from what I would like.
To round off my dissatisfaction, it must be added that the cutscenes are neat and that a good camera job was done. The characters suddenly seem to come to life in these sequences. There are also points that have a little more shine, and compared to the original it is clear that it is still a big change in certain points. However, that’s far from what we’d expect from a 2023 game.
The emphasis on action and combat is fluid and quite rewarding overall. The tactics and importance of defending and changing playstyles are well balanced. There are four different options. You can fight with your fists, with a katana, with a gun or with a pistol and a sword, a style called “wild dance”. For me, the best is to fight only with the sword. Typically, you face a group of four or five enemies, or you’re faced with tougher individual challenges that require more leveling. Combos and abilities are unlocked as you progress. Everything good about an RPG is here in the form of items and gear upgrades.
It’s also packed with side quests and minigames, many of which are comically layered, set to action music and a slightly wacky presentation. The one that involves helping serve the food has a frenetic pace where you have to remember the correct button combinations. It offers many craps games and even a western poker room to relax. If you’re one of those people who likes to slow down and savor all the game has to offer alongside the main story, here’s plenty of hours of gameplay to put in. Many side quests appear as you move through the streets and alleys. I like how natural the characters bring the side missions to you, most of the time you turn a corner and a short sequence plays out in which the problem of the character in question is presented. It’s much more dynamic when it feels like everything is happening randomly, although you can also notice some rigidity, at least the encounters with the different characters are entertaining.
While hanging out in the streets, you may encounter petty gangs and other gangs who are very eager to get in trouble. One can notice a hint of comedy in the presentation of the waves of thugs that start attacking you. Despite the massacre and the blood flowing, curiously after everything is fine, they ask forgiveness and run away with their tails between their legs. I guess they want to keep the streets from becoming cemeteries. However, it will surely not disappoint those who expect a lot of action due to the large number of fights the game offers.
It’s in the interaction with the multitude of characters that the game seems to stand out. They all have characteristic personalities and are loosely based on real historical figures. Additionally, they share the same appearance and have the same voice actors as the other characters in the series. For example, the main character bears a strong resemblance to Kazuma Kiryu, the protagonist of the main Yakuza games. Many names go by, and for those who want to delve into Japanese history, even during conversations you can learn about places and events and read a bit more about them.
The story unfolds in chapters, and after a few hours of long and boring intro, the good part begins. There aren’t many changes in terms of gameplay, but a big part of it is getting to grips with everything the adventure has to offer. It is also more fun to participate in many fights after unlocking certain skills. As I mentioned, there is a lot of bloodshed when slicing bodies with swords, especially when using special abilities, and switching from one fighting style to another is done easily via the digital joystick. You can dodge, block, and get longer combos in fights with a little practice. Unfortunately, these movements, like many others, are a bit sluggish and not as smooth or crisp as one might expect.
Despite all of my criticisms, there are a lot of things about this game that are okay, if not nearly good. It is full of content, fans of the series should also try this installment without a doubt. If you’ve immersed yourself in the Like a Dragon series, it’s probably a staple in your gaming library. As for me, I would have liked it to be less dated and less rigid. Now, there are a lot of small details to consider. For example, the screen goes black for a second when you change areas or enter a building. These are also things that justify my own overall experience, in which very small negative details interrupt my rhythm.
A title that’s going to travel into the future, of course, has to be able to meet the standards we have today, and by that rule, there’s a lot in this game that could have been worked on more. You spend a lot of time running around in a rather boring location, the intense combat and pacing are interrupted, with the long off-kilter dialogue sequences being quite sluggish. Above all, it could have used a little more life and movement than just characters that seem frozen in place. However, the positive part is that it has a story that you will enjoy until the end and it is full of content in the form of side missions among others.
I wish a lot had been introduced earlier in the narrative, although it’s also nice that the excitement of the adventure grows over the hours of play. But in general, it’s very rough and sharp , which for a samurai and his trusty sword is a big deal.