The recently releasedLike a Dragon: Ishinwas predictably met with a lot of hype from fans, with Western audiences having waited close to a decade for a localized release of the original 2014 title. As might be expected with a remaster such as this, the release has implemented lots of brand-new content for players to enjoy, although the core gameplay and narrative of the title are predictably in-line with its source material.
Like a Dragon: Ishinis one of the most unique titles to come under the growing range of spinoff games for theYakuzafranchise, with its unique historic setting fostering a whole new world for the IP to explore and showcase. The unique nature of the game is best showcased in its offered combat gameplay, with many ofIshin’s fighting mechanics being a far cry from those usually showcased within the mainline franchise.
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The Usual Combat of the Yakuza Franchise
For most of the franchise’s history, theYakuzamainline gamestook pride in addictive beat-em-up gameplay, in which the large majority of combat features unarmed and fast-paced fighting that combines well with interactive environments and special moves. In the majority of the franchise’s installments, the player can briefly equip weapons that quickly break, yet the core fighting styles that make up these titles are almost always typified by hand-to-hand combat.
While more recent mainlinegames likeYakuza: Like a Dragonembrace more consistent usage of a variety of weapons, the roots of theYakuzafranchise are synonymous with street fights and punch-ups that fostered some of the franchise’s most iconic gameplay. These gameplay beats were so consistent within mainline games that a series of spin-off titles have been released over the years for theYakuzaIP, and these games smartly moved away from the established norms of mainline titles in a very determined manner.
How Like a Dragon: Ishin’s Combat Is Unique
Like a Dragon: Ishinis set in the year 1867, and thus thrives on a setting that is significantly removed from the seedy metropolitan criminality of the mainlineYakuzastory. Featuring the voice and likeness oflongstanding protagonist Kazuma Kiryuas the lone Samurai Ryoma Sakamoto, it is no wonder that swords and even firearms are a core aspect ofIshin’s combat.
This implies one of the key differences betweenIshin’s combat from the franchise norms, with three of the four corefighting styles ofLike a Dragon: Ishinprioritizing either armed or ranged combat. The Swordsman style showcases bladed combat, Gunman concerns pistol combat, and the Wild Dancer style fascinatingly blends the two. The Wild Dancer style also possesses a unique spin that strays fromYakuza’s standards, with the style being centered around deeply rhythmic combos that require much more concise timing than the button-mashing combos that most other franchise fighting styles possess.
While firearms and weapons can be used to a brief extent in some other mainline titles,Ishinfully integrates blades and firearms into the game’s most basic combat.Ishin’s in-game crafting systemis also used to develop special ammo types and improved swords that can, in turn, boost the efficacy of fighting styles. Of course, the combat ofIshinis still broadly in-line with the gameplay motifs of the wider IP, but it is clear that the spin-off has worked hard to integrate a truly unique sense of style and identity within its fighting mechanics.
Like A Dragon: Ishin!is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.
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