Nugget alert coming soon! Like a Dragon: Ishin! remake of Yakuza Ishin, developed by Ryu ga Gotoku Studio, published by SEGA and released only in Japan in 2014 on PS3 and PS4, will finally arrive in the rest of the world 9 years later, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series on February 23, 2023. The game was unveiled in a trailer at the last Tokyo Game Show.
A"historical action adventure" (as PlayStation defines it on its blog) that plunges players into the heart of the Bakumatsu era, a pivotal period in the history of modern Japan, and gives you the role of Sakamoto Ryomo, a samurai bent on revenge. Draw your sword and take justice into your own hands, in the vein of previous Yakuza opuses!
"In 1860s Kyoto, inequality reigns supreme. But one samurai's quest for justice will change the course of history. As Ryoma Sakamoto, you travel to Kyoto to find your father's killer, clear yourself of a murder you didn't commit and clear your honor. In doing so, you will end the age of the samurai and change the face of Japan forever.
Our preview of Like a Dragon: Ishin! :
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a surprising game - at least the part we were able to test at Paris Games Week - which takes the best gameplay from the Yakuza franchise and adds some interesting (but not spectacular) graphics. On the two demos on offer, we were tempted by the combat section (we could choose between exploration and combat), as you may have guessed.
On this demo, positive and negative points. Let's start with the positives: the combat system is relatively fluid and easy to get to grips with, even against a boss (which we were able to see for ourselves). We appreciate the NPC help system, which should be used sparingly, as it takes some time to load. The idea is a good one, however, and makes combat a little more complex and redundant (all you have to do is get close to the enemy and hit him with your katana).
Graphically speaking, we also appreciate the detail of the faces in the cinematics. In fact, they take great pleasure in using close-ups on the faces, revealing all the details of the expressions. On the negative side, we were less than thrilled by the character's movements in the game space, which were too slow for our liking, and contrasted a little too much with the vast map on offer. Going from point A to point B to find the boss to kill becomes rather tedious, especially for those who want to progress faster in the story. On the other hand, gamers who like to spend time admiring the environments should be won over.
In short, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a promising game in terms of gameplay, but could do with a little more punch in terms of character movement. Still, we're intrigued by the game, and can't wait to see what happens next!
All you have to do is get your hands on it!
Dates and Opening Time
Starts February 23, 2023
