paulshayde Like a Dragon: Ishin! Review

This is basically a Yakuza game in a samurai suit. The story is so predictable and just follows the classical style of RGG games. The ending especially drags on for way too long. The gameplay is dated as is the overall experience. Yakuza combat just doesn’t go well with swords and samurai warriors. It’s rigid, it’s janky, it’s not consistent. The minigames are fun as usual, but the series could really use an overhaul in the UX department. Simple actions take too long and the grind is crazy, making it just tedious. In a typical Yakuza fashion you are forced to do the same mindless actions over and over again and the pay off is just not that satisfying. Nevertheless, it keeps you hooked. I guess the Yakuza formula works well, so they just don’t feel the need to improve. But this is clearly an outdated remake and still feels too much like a 2010s game.