Like a Dragon: Ishin! to bring Yakuza spin-off overseas for the first time
Ryū Ga Gotoku Studio and Sony Interactive Entertainment have teamed up to bring a samurai-themed Yakuza spin-off to the West for the first time.
Originally a 2014 PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 release titled Ryū Ga Gotoku Ishin! that only launched in Japan, Like a Dragon: Ishin! will now launch for the PlayStation 5 as well as the PS4. The new name more closely ties Ishin! to the Yakuza series, probably due to the growth in popularity that the franchise has experienced abroad.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!‘s story follows real-life historical figure Sakamoto Ryōma, who helped establish the Empire of Japan and end the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yakuza players should have a good idea of what to expect from Ishin!, which is over-the-top brawls, four combat styles, and a compelling narrative with complex characters. Fans should also notice that Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu has stepped into the robe of Sakomoto, with other well-known characters—like Goro Majima—playing supporting roles, too.
According to PlayStation Blog, Ishin! is the first game that RGG has built in Unreal Engine 4, giving it a graphical boost over the original. RGG will reveal more about the game during a livestream on September 14th at 3 a.m. PT (someone record it please).
Like a Dragon: Ishin! launches sometime in February 2023.
Michael Goroff has written and edited for EGM since 2017. You can follow him on Twitter @gogogoroff.
