How Like a Dragon: Ishin! Departs from the Yakuza You Know (and What Remains the Same)

of yakuza series You weren’t one to sit still — players explore the vibrant and violent ’80s. Yakuza 0 Up to the present day in neon colors yakuza like dragonThe series has moved forward consistently, but from the next (re)release rape studio, Like a Dragon: Restoration! (ever shortened “Ishin”)which takes you back to Japan in the 1860s.

The Bakumatsu era wasn’t quite as different from flashy, modern Kamurocho (the main setting of most Yakuza/Judgment titles). Isin Something familiar to Yakuza veterans.What is this Isin Changes… and things that don’t change:

that is…?

The swordsman Ryoma Sakamoto is nostalgic.He didn’t know his name (apparently, he was real samurai), but the face is unmistakable. No, Kiryu, Mashima, and other members of the Tojo clan didn’t jump in the DeLorean to act out their samurai fantasy. A situation where familiar faces and personalities are mapped onto casts from different eras of Japanese history.

This also means everyone is back at the table. Yakuza 0 Use yakuza like dragon, often pointing at the screen and saying, “Is that ___?” Even if familiar faces came to an untimely end in the previous title, or we thought they were dead, they survived, only to find out they’re actually dead in a dramatic and meaningful scene. Turns out (it happens in this universe!) — they may show up to Isin in a new guise. Enjoy your deja vu!

lights out

Happened in the mid-19th century, you would expect IsinThe Kyoto setting of Kyoto (then known as modern Kyoto) had little in common with the bustling, brightly lit Kamurocho. yakuza series. Although the architecture and technology are very different, Isin Players will find Kyo to be similarly sized and, more importantly, to be as densely packed with interactive locations as the more familiar Yakuza locations. Isin is a very open world, with karaoke bars, hostess clubs and beef bowl restaurants giving way to blacksmiths, fish markets and udon restaurants.Despite the change in clothing on set, Ryoma develops relationships with various merchants and bar owners, so many of the interactions resemble games played in modern Japan.a bit anachronism) don quixote For your shopping pleasure!

Act first, strategize later

Turn-based RPG Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the latest (or only!) RGG title you’ve experienced. Isin Play like action-heavy Yakuza games or recent Judgment titles. nevertheless, Isin It marks the biggest deviation we’ve seen so far from an action brawler. The emphasis is on weapons, especially swords (which feature crafting and upgrading elements), and the co-star role of firearms. Yakuza games typically restricted the use of guns, Isin Whenever provoked, he immediately draws his sword and revolver.

During our hands-on time, I was drawn to Ryoma’s Wild Dancer style, swinging his sword in wide arcs with one hand and interrupting slash combos with revolver shots to great effect. Brawler fans won’t be left out, as Ryoma can holster and sheath his equipped weapon for classic unarmed brawling. But why?

Swingin’ (18) 60’s

One of the hallmarks of the Yakuza franchise is its frequent shifts from intense drama to absurd moments. This probably shouldn’t work, but any fan will tell you it absolutely does.so i’m relieved to see it Isin Karaoke may not have existed in the 1860s, but there’s definitely a singing mini-game, with voice actor Takaya Kuroda singing period-specific tunes inspired by Ryoma violently ripping a radish out of his garden. . You… have to be there.

And sure, you don’t have to wait that long in front of you. can there. Like a dragon: Restoration! comes to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S on February 21, 2023.