Like A Dragon: Ishin! preview \u2013 Stylish samurai combat and bizarre mini games SEGAAlmost a decade after it was released exclusively in Japan, the stylish combat and ridiculous mini-games of Like A Dragon: Ishin! are finally making their way to the rest of the world. While the Yakuza franchise has received plenty of love over the years, the historical spin-off Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin! has remained out of reach for many fans. But with an Unreal Engine 4 remake titled Like A Dragon: Ishin! heading to western shores (and on multiple platforms), that\u2019s all about to change. During a preview session at Berlin\u2019s Samurai Museum, we were given access to Chapter 3 of Like A Dragon: Ishin! \u2013 as well as a chance to explore the game\u2019s open-city world \u2013 and while it was only a small window into the game, I left impressed and wanting more. Set in 1867 during the Bakamatsu era, Like A Dragon: Ishin! follows the swordsman Sakamoto Ryoma as he seeks revenge for his mentor\u2019s murder \u2013 for which he\u2019s been framed. With a new alias, Ryoma travels to the capital city of Kyo and infiltrates the Shinsengumi to find the person responsible. Although Ryoma is a real-life samurai legend, RGG Studio has taken some creative liberties with a blend of history and fiction that makes for an enticing setup. The fact that this is a spin-off title separate from the main Yakuza games also means it\u2019s a great entry point for anyone new to the series \u2013 while longtime fans will still feel at home with franchise staples and some familiar faces. Let\u2019s start with the star of the show: The combat. With the potential for endless flashy combos and four styles to switch between on the fly during battle \u2013 Swordsman, Gunman, Wild Dancer, and Brawler \u2013 I spent most of the preview session attempting to master each one because it\u2019s just so satisfying. For players who prefer slow and controlled combat, there\u2019s the standard Swordsman style which rewards perfect timing with significant damage, while the Gunman style is great for targeting a dangerous opponent from a safe distance. Brawler style is essentially bare-fisted combat, which is risky but fun, letting you grab your opponents or even pick up environmental objects to use as projectiles. While I spent most of my time using the Wild Dancer style \u2013 a speedy mix of swordplay and guns which is undeniably the most enjoyable \u2013 the game works best when you mix and match each style. There are also plenty of weapons to craft or upgrade, and an extensive skill tree that you\u2019ll gradually climb to improve your combat abilities. The game\u2019s hub \u2013 the city of Kyo \u2013 might feel small by 2023 standards, but it\u2019s consistently impressive how much content has been squeezed into each street. From tea shops to brothels, gang ambushes that test your combat skills, and quirky side missions that require you to help townspeople in need, there\u2019s plenty to keep you occupied outside of the main story. Then there are the mini-games. Oh, the mini-games. Want to sing your heart out in karaoke? Sure thing. Go fishing? Why not! Place a bet on chicken races? You can do that, too. Some of these mini-games definitely work better than others \u2013 chicken racing does lose its novelty quite fast, as it\u2019s very much a \u2018sit and watch\u2019 experience \u2013 but they\u2019re all fun in their own way and they\u2019re entirely optional. While there\u2019s not much to them other than pressing the right button at the right time, I really enjoyed the karaoke sessions and traditional Buyo dancing lessons, where multiple song options, difficulty levels, and a desire to beat my own high score kept me coming back for more. It\u2019s a nice break of pace from the bloody fight scenes and serious plot. Final Thoughts Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a stylish, over-the-top beat \u2019em up with a healthy side of ridiculous mini-games that should put a smile on anyone\u2019s face. It looks great, thanks to the use of Unreal Engine 4, and I\u2019m excited to see what the rest of the game has in store when it\u2019s finally out and I can experience more than just one chapter. Like A Dragon: Ishin! launches on February 21, 2023, for Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X\/S.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Like A Dragon: Ishin! preview \u2013 Stylish samurai combat and bizarre mini games SEGAAlmost a decade after it was released exclusively in Japan, the stylish combat and ridiculous mini-games of Like A Dragon: Ishin! are finally making their way to the rest of the world. While the Yakuza franchise has received plenty of love over […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82892\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}