Yakuza Ishin is finally coming to the west!

Comments Off on Yakuza Ishin is finally coming to the west!
Posted September 16, 2022 by Richard Lee Breslin in Announcements, Gameplay, Gaming News, PC, PS4, PS5, Trailers, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
yakuza ishin

Credit: SEGA/RGG Studio

Finally, Yakuza Ishin is coming to the west as revealed during this week’s State of Play event.

Yakuza Ishin was released in 2014 for PS3 and PS4. Sadly, however, it was only released in Japan. For years fans have been pleading with SEGA and RGG Studio to bring this game to the west, and now we’ve got our wish.

Furthermore, this eagerly awaited spin-off to the beloved Yakuza series will be rebuilt from the ground up on Unreal Engine 4. The official name for this remake is Like a Dragon: Ishin. So no longer will fans need to play the Japanese import with a written translation by their side.

According to a PlayStation Blog post:

Like a Dragon: Ishin is an action-adventure historical thriller set uniquely in 1860s Kyo, a fictionalised version of Kyoto. While other games tell earlier stories in Japanese history, Ishin lets you experience the story of how the iconic samurai era vanished. Our hero, Sakamoto Ryoma, is a true historical figure largely credited with overthrowing the shogunate and taking Japan into a radical reformation.

Like a Dragon: Ishin brings in familiar faces to tell this epic historical tale. Fans will recognize our protagonist as Kazuma Kiryu from earlier entries in the franchise. In Ishin, Kiryu is cast as Sakamoto Ryoma and brings the rest of his crew along too. Goro Majima and other Yakuza celebrities join Ryoma as friends and foes in this fictional world that trades the flashy streets of Tokyo for the chaotic bustle of 1860s Kyo.

Like a Dragon: Ishin will feature four combat styles that you will be able to switch on the fly. The fighting styles include Swordsman, Gunman, Wild Dancer (sword and gun) and Brawler. Furthermore, a combat gameplay video was revealed during the RGG Summit.

 

It’s been a great week for Yakuza fans so far. We’ve not only had the long-awaited arrival of Ishin, but also the sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon as well as a new game starring Kiryu, which takes place after the events of Yakuza 6, leading up to Like a Dragon 8 (the sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon).

Oh, it’s worth mentioning that SEGA and RGG Studio have now dropped the “Yakuza” name. Going forward, the entire franchise will be known as “Like a Dragon“.

Are you excited about this remake? Let us know across our social media channels. Like a Dragon: Ishin will be released in February 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Featured Image Credit: SEGA/RGG Studio/Source: PS Blog