Like a Dragon: Ishin! Reviews
Although Like A Dragon: Ishin is dated in some respects, the gripping drama and spirit of Yakuza makes for an enticing historical fiction.
You can't go wrong with Like A Dragon Ishin. The game includes what makes the Yakuza franchise so special and combines it with samurais and Edo Period politics. A handful of oddities aside, it leans into its strengths and irons out several of the franchise peculiarities. Every gamer, either invested in the franchise or still uninitiated, needs Ishin in their console.
There’s not much else that can be said of Like a Dragon: Ishin! other than that it’s an exemplary Ryu Ga Gotoku title. Fans of the older Yakuza games and Judgement will feel right at home amidst its familiar gameplay mechanics and story beats, and the polish applied to these facets will ensure they’re well rewarded for the time they invest in the game. It’s a welcome return to the series’ past, and a good sign of how well the series will hold up moving forward.
A welcome novelty and throwback for long-time Yakuza fans, that offers everything they love about the series, although it's held back by a rather underwhelming plot and too much fan service.
Like a Dragon: Ishin is a stellar period piece filled with melodramatic monologues, great combat, goofy side content, and a whole lot of heart.
Old-school Yakuza for better or worse, but still a good point of entry for newcomers.
With Like a Dragon: Ishin seemingly in my rearview, I’ve completed every Yakuza game released in the West. This isn’t me bragging about being better than you. In fact, I would bet you would give me a good, old-fashioned Mr. Shakedown beating if we met in the Kamurocho streets. Instead, I want to set the table for what I’m about to say. Even with a story that ends with a bit of whimper and substories that feel stuck in 2014, Like a Dragon: Ishin is now my third favorite game in the series behind Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Judgment.
As a remake, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is nothing special, but fortunately the game, despite its spin-off nature and a few wrinkles here and there, has little to envy the other chapters in the series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Yes, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio could have redone this with the Dragon Engine and yes, it plays exactly like the original, which is a game from nine years ago, but Like a Dragon Ishin! is still a delight for both newcomers and old time fans alike.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is another incredible action game produced by SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Sakamoto Ryoma's journey is emotional and action-packed, hitting all of the right chords for an excellent Yakuza / Like a Dragon title. This game is welcoming to newcomers while rewarding longtime fans for their continued support of the long-running series.
Like A Dragon: Ishin is a really fun spin off for this long-running series. Many of the big characters from the mainline Yakuza games, bar some of the newer games, are recast as new ones but none of the impact is lost. Edo Period Kyo is a great city to explore with plenty to offer players, and the combat styles are really fun to experiment with, even if Brawler is a bit wasted. The long wait for a Western release has been worth it.
Exciting historical thriller with an atmospheric game world and a lot of humour, which takes away the technical legacy of the original version.
Review in German | Read full review
Like a Dragon: Ishin's timeless story and accessibility options make up for some of its outdated gameplay.
A fascinating game in many aspects, which rewards the patient player and eager to explore. It does justice to the legendary franchise it comes from.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A missing gem from the Yakuza/Like a Dragon saga. Ishin! has the same ingredients that made the franchise great in a story that is set in completely different era. A must play for fans of the saga and a great introductory title for newcomers.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
For all of its strengths, Like a Dragon: Ishin is still weighed down by its cartoonish undercurrent and abrasive ending. On a mechanical and systemic level, it’s a fun jaunt, with familiar faces and more fan service than anyone could possibly ask for, in a vivid historical world. But narratively, it’s a reminder of how quickly the stories in these games can go south. And by the time the credits rolled, I remembered why I’ve had difficulty keeping up with the series over the last few entries. Ishin may be a remake of a 2014 title, but those problems have persisted throughout the interim, and each time it tries to address social issues — current or historical — it takes one step forward, two steps back. The more things change, the more they stay the same, especially in the world of Yakuza.
Kazuma Kiryu's lineage is ever present even as the streets of Kamurocho are swapped for the well-traveled streets of Kyo at a time when American influence was only starting to reach Japan. Despite being a period piece set during the tumultuous Bakumatsu period, Like a Dragon: Ishin! still feels like that classic Yakuza JRPG that fans already know and love.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! despite being set in the distant past, is unmistakenly bore of the same DNA of the Yakuza series proper and will be a treat for fans of the long-running series.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is an enjoyable and interesting spin-off from the Yakuza series, but not an essential one.