Analysis of Like a Dragon: Ishin!

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Analysis of Like a Dragon: Ishin!

analysis, Dragon, Ishin

Like a dragon: were! developped by Ryuga Gotoku Studio from the editor SEGAis the “new” game in the highly acclaimed saga Yakuza of the action and adventure genre. But Is it up to par? Stay to see it in our analysis and I predict that it won’t disappoint you.

On this occasion, I played in the version of Xbox series X/S in Xbox series X.

Ishin finally comes to the west

If we look back a few years, we will see that Yakuza it has not always been fully available for our platforms. Often it was not localized in Spanish and most of these games were hard to come by. All that has changed and for those of us who have always been there, we can only be excited about the future of the saga Yakuza (now called like a dragon).

This time we get a remake of the original game Yakuza: Ishin which only saw its release in the east. Some aspects have been retouched in addition to the graphics, although the essence remains the samepure style pleasure Yakuza. We will see many well-known figures from the sagabecause they put on the same face to make them more recognizable, even if their characters are different.

A story of samurai and the search for truth

Unlike the original series, this game is set in late Edo period Japan in the 19th century. In this context, we will monitor Ryoma SakamotoAnd samurai who disagrees with traditional political methods, advocating for the defense and equality of citizens who inhabit Kyoto. We will find clichés of the time but masked by a style Yakuza it suits you very wellthe game perfectly shows the social classes of the time and the privileges that a few held over the rest of the population.

The story is about the search for the truth, since our protagonist is accused of a murder he did not commit. He maintains a correct rhythm that makes you want to move forward and in the meantime, he tells us many other secondary stories that complete the information of the main one.

One of the most significant details of the game is the mime that was posed to understand the conflict both internal and external of our characters. In every conversation we have, we have some kind of glossary on the different terms that we will be able to consult and the historical context will expand a little more. It’s really good, because even if we don’t have much idea about this historical period of Japan, explains it quite well so that we can at least learn about the situation that our protagonists are experiencing.

What will we do on this journey of restorative justice?

In this trip we will fight, but before fully entering this enriched and characteristic section of the saga, we will talk about everything else we can do. Being able to talk to almost any character, which They will be able to entrust us with secondary missions, challenges, mini-games, etc. This makes Like a dragon: were!don’t get monotonous at all (although it can be done if we’re complete). A special mention will have these mini-gameswhich range from cutting logs by pressing the right button at the right time, to dancing in a restaurant, participating in races, fishing… each more imaginative and above all fun. We will not leave empty and it will be worth doing them, because we will earn money, in addition to experience and valuables.

we’re gonna have fun and side quests aren’t just filler. Some of them have continuity and sometimes it makes us forget about the main plot (although really, the game is also about helping people, right?), it’s really satisfying. The feeling that nothing is put is constant, and that today is appreciated. We can also perform a multitude of actions, such as interacting in stores to obtain items, food (recover health); go to the blacksmith to improve our weapons or buy new ones, etc.

We can own our own land, where we will have livestock, we will practice agriculture and we will enjoy the harvested fruits. We can increase it through the virtue points we get by helping the citizens of Kyoto and completing both minigames and side missions.

It’s time for the cake!

But what would become of this Like a dragon: were!without some good cakes, huh? We can be serene about this section, because we will fight countless times (sometimes excessively) and we will enjoy each confrontation. We will have several difficulty modes (specifically five), so we will be able to focus our playable experience to enjoy the story or to impose ourselves in the fights.

Regarding combat styles, we will have four styles and each of them will have its own skill tree that we can improve with the points we get by using these techniques. They are:

  • Brawler style: we will fight with our fists, using dodges and moving with agility. It is the most characteristic style and it will allow us to interact with objects on stage that we can use to kill our enemies.
  • Swordsman style: The classic style of all good samurai, we will be able to perform part of the dodges with precise blocks and counterattack our rivals. It’s certainly a very balanced, damaging and satisfying style.
  • Gunslinger Style: Only valid for medium/long distance. We will have infinite ammunition and different types of shots in addition to unlocking special bullets.
  • Wild Dancer Style: A combination of katana and revolver. If we can manage it, it may be the most effective style.

We won’t be quite alone, it’s time to play cards!

The battles take place in different scenarios, many of them will find themselves on the streets of the city. We will have a fury bar that we will fill for each impact, this will allow us to achieve epic auctions. We have a progression system per style, depending on which one we choose, we will unlock more points that we can exchange for unique abilities of the specialty.

It doesn’t end there, well we will be able to recruit NPCs that will help us in the fights through letters. These cards will also give us some limited advantages in combatsuch as improving our attributes and/or performing special attacks. We will manage our “army”among other things, we can also improve their individual skills.

During the fights we will be able to heal ourselves, so we will have to manage our inventory well and be well equipped for the occasion. Final boss fights are the most demanding, and in case we get punished too much, we can lower the difficulty level for that specific fight. For this reason, I recommend carrying out the side missions and other challenges scattered around the map, since in this way we can more easily solve the challenges that are offered to us.

Graphically the best Yakuza of the saga?

Regarding the other parts of the saga, Like a dragon: were! use the engine Unreal Engine 4. It is true that Yakuza: like a dragon He looked (and still looks) spectacular, but maybe that’s it looks better. The textures have an unmistakable quality, as well as the facial expressions of our protagonists who know how to capture the Japanese essence very well. The lighting is a delight and blends very well with the decor. Speaking of scenarios, we will find temples, houses, streets, recreated in a majestic way which will make us contemplate the scene.

The game is enjoyed with a life of its own, there are usually plenty of people on the street that you can interact with, which means you never feel empty. It’s not a graphically perfect game, but yeah everything looks compact i.e. it works. We will have the already classic fashion pictures to recreate us and an option called cinematic modebased on the most classic films of the Japanese country. Simply a delight to watch and on this section it conforms greatly.

Do you need to understand Japanese to play Like a Dragon: Ishin!?

Of course not! the game lies perfectly localized in Spanish in the texts, aside from the already mentioned glossary, this will ensure that we don’t miss any details. To emphasize, negatively from my point of view, is that the game only has Japanese voices. It makes the experience arguably more immersive, but of course it has its contingencies. Well, sometimes facial expressions and speed of speech make us miss funny moments because we don’t understand daddy and have to read it. This would have been a highly recommended option if at least it had the ability to put the voices in English.

The music accompanies when necessary, the Japanese musical decor is present and the tension of the adversaries is palpable in the fights.

conclusion

Like a dragon: were!, it’s a remake that adds much more than just a graphical overhaul. It feels like a whole new game (in a way, at least in the west) and it’s wonderful for fans of the saga. It is a game that must be taken into account and would recommend without batting an eyelidespecially to those who appreciated others Yakuza. Complies with a minimum of notable in all aspects, it looks spectacular; although he may have English voices, at least. He has one approximate duration of 20 hours in its main story, but you can spend dozens and dozens of hours in their world. Draw your sword, weapon or fists and enjoy.

We can enjoy now Like a dragon: They were In PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox series X/S there computer. Stay with us and with the analysis of the games you like the most, visit our website.

Like a dragon: were!

Like a dragon: were!

Pro.

  • Pleasure guaranteed
  • Very neat and varied secondary content
  • Recreate a beautiful 19th century Japan
  • The city, its inhabitants, everything seems alive and believable.

Contra.

  • If you want to complete it 100%, it can be repetitive in some tasks
  • Localized voices only in Japanese
  • Correct main story, but too classic



I’ve always loved playing video games and reading about them, why not write?


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