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 23rd, 2023. A software that was revealed in a trailer at the last Tokyo Game Show.
A"historical action adventure" (that's how PlayStation defines it on its blog) that plunges players into the heart of the Bakumatsu era, a pivotal time in the history of modern Japan, and that offers you to play as Sakamoto Ryomo, a samurai who is in love with revenge. Draw your sword and take justice into your own hands in this game in the vein of the previous Yakuza opuses!
"In 1860s Kyoto, inequality reigns supreme. However, a samurai will change the course of history in his quest for justice. As Ryoma Sakamoto, you travel to Kyoto to find your father's killer, clear yourself of a murder you did not commit, and clear your honor. In doing so, you will end the era 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 on the part we were able to test during the Paris Games Week - taking the best of the gameplay of the Yakuza franchise while adding an interesting graphic paste (without being spectacular either). We were tempted, on the two demos, by the combat part (we had the choice between exploration or fighting), as you may have guessed.
On this demo, positive and negative points. Let's start with the positive points: the combat system is relatively fluid and easy to handle, even against a boss (which we could see for the occasion). We appreciate the NPC help system, to be used sparingly, as it takes some time to load. But the idea is good and makes the fights more complex, a bit redundant in their functioning (you just have to approach the enemy and hit him with your katana).
Graphically speaking, we also appreciate the detail of the faces, during the cinematics. The latter take great pleasure in making close-ups of the faces, revealing all the details of the expressions. On the other hand, on the negative side, we were not very happy with the character's movements in the game space, too slow for our taste, and contrasting a bit too much with the vast map offered. Going from a point A to a point B, to find the boss to kill, becomes a bit 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 summary, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a promising game in its gameplay, but it could use a little more punch in its characters' movements. We are still intrigued by this game, which we are impatiently waiting for!
You just have to get your hands on it!
