Like A Dragon Ishin! Kiwami
The other day I finished Yakuza Like A Dragon, the latest game in the mainline series, with Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth right around the corner. With a new protagonist comes a new gameplay engine, transitioning from what was once a brawler with RPG elements into a full role-playing game. Fans of the traditional Like A Dragon gameplay were treated to two surprises this year, the second being Like A Dragon Gaiden, which will serve as a side-story to Yakuza Like A Dragon. The first surprise was Like A Dragon Ishin!, released in February of this year.
Ishin! like Kiwami and Kiwami 2, is a remake of a previous Like A Dragon game with a twist. The Japanese name is titled as such, Ishin! Kiwami. The original never received a Western release. Released in 2014 under its original name, Ishin! was a launch title for the PlayStation 4. Unlike other spin-off games in the Like A Dragon series, the events in Ishin! are unrelated to those in Kamurocho and modern-day Japan. The setting takes place a couple of hundred years back in the final stages of the Edo period, during the Bakumatsu era. Much like Wo Long, while Ishin! uses historical characters and real-life events, the canonicalization of said events is incredibly fantasized.
Ryoma Sakamoto is a swordsman from Tosa who trained in swordsmanship for a year in Edo. Upon his return, the magistrate expresses his desire to appoint Ryoma to the Loyalist Party in an attempt to rid of the caste system in Tosa. Everything goes wrong when the magistrate is assassinated, forcing him to flee after being blamed for the death of his own father figure. After hiding in Kyo, he learns that the assailant uses a sword style known as the "Tennen Rishin." The Tennen Rishin-ryu is a martial art taught by members of the Shinsengumi. Now under a new alias, Hajime Saito, Ryoma joins the ranks of the Shinsengumi to learn more about the truth behind his father's assassination.
Immediately, players will recognize Sakamoto as the likeliness of Kiryu Kazuma, from his voice, face, and his mannerisms. There are other characters from previous Like A Dragon titles who also appear as their historical counterparts, including Goro Majima, Tianyou Zhao, and Kuze Daisaku among others. Much like Yakuza Like A Dragon, the player does not need to play the other Like A Dragon titles to enjoy Ishin! although some of the "casting choices" for the historical characters were amusing for those who would appreciate the references.
Sakamoto, for example, has parallels with Kiryu but is far more abrasive. He has no qualms about fighting, much like Kiryu, and is good at helping those in need. Ryoma seems to be a bit more hardened, no doubt being a lone wolf compared to Kiryu surrounded by support. There are also elements of callbacks from previous entries in the game, but these are usually one-off references.
This wouldn't be the first time that Sega would mess around with this concept as Like A Dragon Kenzan! was released in 2008 on the PlayStation 3. It was the first new Like A Dragon title on new hardware, following Like A Dragon 2 on the PlayStation 2. Much like Ishin!, Kenzan! was a Japanese exclusive, except this time Kiryu plays the role of Miyamoto Musashi, a couple hundred years before the events of Ishin! (Which, again was a couple hundred years before the first Like A Dragon)
Like A Dragon Ishin! features the classic "Kiryu style" brawling gameplay that felt like homecoming after spending several weeks with Ichiban and the crew. At times I miss the RPG battles, but skillfully dodging and parrying enemy attacks while taking them out with violent heat actions reminded me of the "good old days."
There are four fighting styles, beginning with "Brawler," which is similar to Kiryu's traditional "Dragon of Dojima" fighting style. "Swordsman" is the "default" fighting style as most samurai favor swords. "Gunman" uses Kiryu's side revolver as a main weapon style, focusing more on zoning. Lastly, "Wild Dancer" combines the keep-away potential of the "Gunman" while also closing the distance with the "Swordsman" in a bloody dance. There are trainers all over Kyo that will help Sakamoto become adept in each style.
While not entirely related to Ishin! itself, I appreciated the character choice for Kiryu as a fan of the Rurouni Kenshin series. One of the central characters was Hajime Saito, a captain of the Shinsengumi, as well as Kenshin's former rival turned trusted ally. In the series, much like his real-life counterpart, he became a master of the "Tennen Rishin" style (known in the series as Gatotsu). Here's where things get interesting.
Ryoma Sakamoto is also based on a real person with an entirely different history relating to the Bakumatsu era. I have no doubt that Ryoma taking on the alias of Hajime and shadowing his path to becoming a captain of the Shinsengumi bears relevance to Ishin's story and I can't wait to see what becomes of it.
With Like A Dragon Ishin! now available on Game Pass, much like I did with Yakuza Like A Dragon, you can expect a full review in the near future. So far, I like this return to form and it's a good palate cleanser before I reintroduce myself to Kiryu Kazuma in Like A Dragon Gaiden.