Like a Dragon: Ishin! | Samurai Game Review

"Like a Dragon: Ishin!" is a thrilling historical fiction game set during the last years of the Tokugawa Shogunate, as you play as the famous real life figure Sakamoto Ryoma and come to take part in some of the periods most significant events. Lets dive in and discover how great it actually is!
Check out these other fantasic videos about "Like a Dragon: Ishin!"
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Gaijin Goombah: Yakuza Ishin and the INSANE True Story of Sakamoto Ryoma! - Which Samurai • Yakuza Ishin and the I...
SnowiestAngeman: The Significance and Differences of Like a Dragon: Ishin! (NO major spoilers) • The Significance and D...
Like a Dragon: Ishin! was developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega.
The music in this video is from the "Like a Dragon: Ishin!" official soundtrack.
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[@rhazmel]

"Ghost of Tsushima" was the reason why "Like a Dragon Ishin" was released in the US. The director saw that there was a high demand for Samurai games out here in the west.

[@leobardoestrada848]

Actually lshin was released in Japan around 2010s before ghost of Tsushima

[@burgamushun]

@@leobardoestrada848 He's talking about it's U.S. release

[@eldermoose7938]

@@burgamushun someone wanted to "um actually" so bad they never read the comment

[@bobhill9845]

@@leobardoestrada848 brain damage moment

[@markwalch6065]

I totally believe that!

[@mikotagayuna8494]

Giving characters uncharacteristically white hair is a storytelling device in Japan. Having them implies maturity, wisdom and dignity.

[@TheShogunate]

That would make sense!

[@jamespaguip5913]

@@TheShogunate did know during 1600 century Japan did have artillery they were furanki cannon and the Bo-hiya fire rocket

[@jamespaguip5913]

@@TheShogunate know during 1600 century Japan did have artillery they were furanki cannon and the Bo-hiya fire rocket

[@jamespaguip5913]

@@TheShogunate know during 1600 century Japan did have artillery they were furanki cannon and the Bo-hiya fire rocket

[@saymyname2417]

Fair enough. But that still doesn't explain why none of the main characters look nothing like a Japanese. Ever.

[@bushidoblues9302]

Excellent review, and thanks for the shout-out! It's good to hear that this is a great entry point into the series. The rest of the games are very much like this, and if you want to jump in, I recommend starting with yakuza 0. Also, great point at the end about comparing it to ghost of tsushima. I was doing the same thing as I was playing it and couldn't figure out why, but you nailed it!

[@mandrews6282]

RGG doesn’t get enough credit for the masterful storytelling within their games, as well as the cinematography in their cutscenes. The dialogue sounds natural and they don’t just gloss over things in conversations to get from point A to point B like many other games end up doing. There have been so many times in so many of their games that twists would come that I never saw coming. And it’s generally more than one twist. I got into the Yakuza series and it’s spinoffs, along with the Judgement series, with Yakuza Like A Dragon, and it was mind blowing at the time that these games had gone under the radar for me for so long. Really looking forward to Infinite Wealth coming up. I generally prefer the brawler combat and shy away from most turn based titles, but I knew if LAD had it’s hooks in me that hard I was going to love this series. Loved Ishan and really hoping this game did well enough so that Like A Dragon Kenzan also gets the remaster treatment and ported to the West.

[@theazureknight9399]

I hope the prequel, Like a Dragon Kenzan, gets remade and released in the west soon!

[@blumiu2426]

That may be harder as I think this was a update, while the PS2 game will require a full remake like the first two RyugaGotoku games, so might take longer. At least, I hope they plan on that one, too.

[@josh-oo]

Kenzan isn't a prequel to this. It's a different time period, different historical figures, and has no connection to this game aside from being a spin-off of the Ryu Ga Gotoku series. Also, they would have to change _a lot_ of stuff to make that game acceptable to Western audiences. Haruka is a child prostitute in that game, for example. I mean, yeah, that kinda thing was common in Japan during that time period, but it's still something that Western media has strict rules against.

[@VolkXue]

@@blumiu2426 we already know it wont be for quite awhile considering the upcoming releases planned

[@blumiu2426]

@@VolkXue True

[@kokroughtoss1257]

Same.

[@berserkguts6212]

About "that scene" I think that is how Ryoma/Kiryu views him in his mind because he knows he wasn't like that before its like he sees the evil manifest in this state .

[@TheShogunate]

Ahhh that could be it!

[@PhroggiusPhrog]

I'm actually really glad more people are checking out this game and making reviews about it! I love the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series so much, and I'm so happy it's getting more recognition. I myself will make an eventual review of it to give back to this series which I love. I will make sure to mention you in it as another point of view!

[@samuel.jpg.1080p]

I think most new fans experience the same thing you did. Firstly feeling doubtful of the wacky and silly part of Yakuza/Like A Dragon game and then coming off falling in love with it. I was like that too. I even think the silly part enhances the more serious story because it actually mirrors what real life is like; full of funny moments and serious intense ones. That is why I love this series so much EDIT: as for the side activity, for me I'm not seeking the connection to the main story. For me, the side activity fleshes out more of the playable character. In most Yakuza games, the main character in the main story seems very focused but in the side activities, you can see the little details in their personality which by the time I get back to the main story, I am much more attached to them due to knowing more about their personality. And it's a good opportunity too to flesh out the NPCs littered in the city. And you can lock on to the nearest enemy by holding R1/RB. It's a staple mechanic in the other games too, dubbed as "fighting stance" or something like that

[@BasedPeter]

The final boss theme "Assassination of Bodhitsattva" is a perfect blend of dramatic, beautiful, modern and old musical styles. Also half the boss themes are Edo period remixed versions of the characters' regular theme songs from the Yakuza series, so that's an extra layer of amazing on top!

[@rtlp2]

Getting past the goofy experience and discovering an incredibly interesting, gripping story? Welcome to the series 😂 Glad you enjoyed it! I also hope RGG Games remasters some of their older ones.

[@quixote_7]

They are. 1 &2 got complete remakes and 3-5 got a remaster.

[@samuel.jpg.1080p]

well, all the mainline games got remastered and remade. We just need Kenzan remake/remaster at this point

[@quixote_7]

@@samuel.jpg.1080p I didn't even know kenzan was a thing and now need it too be remade

[@samuel.jpg.1080p]

@@quixote_7 Kenzan is the oldest game in the series that never got localised outside of Japan now. It was released before Yakuza 3 and the first one with multiple styles and the 3rd person camera. Honestly a lot of the series' DNA came from that title And the map is quite different too with various mini places you can transition to and it circling back to the main hub. So where the usual map in the series is one or multiple open districts, Kenzan divided its city to multiple parts of districts

[@shawnamiller191]

Only in the like a dragon franchise can you go from flirting with a woman, to singing karaoke, to crying over the body of a fallen friend

[@Oficial_Mithin]

Oh awesome, I'm near the game's end and it's been a blast so far, glad to hear that you were pleasantly surprised by Ishin

[@NachtKaiser666]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 😄 I've been a fan of RGG Studio for some years now and Ishin was one of my most wanted games in the franchise (even though it's a spinoff) True enough, the equipment given in the story is good enough if you're just going in the story, and if you got any of the DLC it's even better. The Waterdrop katana was a free DLC given to people who registered to their mailing list and got me through 4/5 of the game, I on!y replaced it because the damage output was no longer enough for the Sanada Stronghold battle dungeon. Too bad there's no DLC gun 😂 As for the side content, it's all part of the Like a Dragon experience. You walk around the city and encounter random citizen looking for help or picking a fight with you and it's generally up to the player to engage with these events or ignore them. I have to admit that most substories in Ishin are a bit lackluster and the superboss doesn't even have one this time around, but it's usually some of the most memorable moments that allows you to see the other side of your main character. They're usually how you get your best rewards in the game too. Yakuza 0 probably has some of the best in the series. They tend to be lighter in mood too and where most of the memes from the series come from.

[@A_Toastonawhiteplate]

Great review. The Yakuza games are always strange to get into as an outsider since just from looking from the outside they look very silly. Also fantastic recommendations on the other videos.

[@landonsmith2154]

Truth is, I've never been disappointed by Yakuza. Not even disappointed at Like a Dragon Ishin and Like a Dragon Ishin is one of my least favorites of the series! It does make me want to study the Late Edo even more, such as the Byakkotai, Shinsengumi, the few victories the Shogunate forces had during the Boshin war, and the turmoils caused by Matthew Perry. Ps: Samurai Ondo was the main reason I wanted the Game.

[@bug3ater1]

For many long time Yakuza players, the story is the distraction from all the side content :D

[@franciscor390]

lol you're right.

[@imarock.7662]

Real lol

[@kingjoe3rd]

I was just thinking about your channel because of someone mentioned in another video I was watching (Takeda Shingen) and I remembered that I haven't seen your channel come up in a really long time. I noticed that I didn't have the bell set to "ALL" and I have missed out on tons of your videos because of it. Furthermore, I probably have ten thousand plus channels that I am subscribed to on KZbin since the website was created, so hitting that "ALL" on the bell is very important if you don't want to lose track of a channel.

[@TheJoker-cz2rc]

Ishin really took me by surprise as well, and as I played it I was comparing it with ghost of Tsushima as well. I believe that something ishin makes way better than Tsushima is making the world feel alive with the npc, activities and pretty much everything, you really feel like a Bakumatsu samurai

[@arkane9b]

Regarding sidequests, the very first Yakuza game was a bit like you described. There you had sidequests that were optional yet also story-related and serious, and helped to flesh out the main story. If I remember correctly, the sidequests became more silly as the series went on to show a different side of the main character, a side that was a little less serious and more casual, but also for the player to have something more light-hearted between very serious story sections, and for the player to engage with the world and minor stories unrelated to the main plot and more about the regular world around you.

[@arturius9715]

I imported this way back in the day and loved it. I actually messaged the person in charge of localization a few years ago asking them to please bring it over

[@ErensSmiledog]

The white hair in that scene is a graphical bug that is caused by the engine. It can be seen similarly in another part of the game, where there is a fire (you know what I mean if you got to that part), and ryoma has golden hair.

[@zyxluz4645]

Hold up. No lock-on? RB (xbox) R1 (ps) for it. But what I'm most astonished by is the fact you through the game without it, the best moves in the game and (arguably) the best style are predicated on lock on

[@pixlman]

Glad you had a good time. Needless to say if this managed to pick your interest, the rest of the series is definitely worth it, they are just as compelling. If they do remake or port Kenzan at some point, I just hope they don't feel the need to tone down certain aspects of the story.

[@Hilversumborn]

The final boss theme 'Assassination of Bodhisattva' is a masterpiece.

[@Ticketman99]

I know I'm late, but there's also a Like A Dragon game based on the active duelist part of the life of Miyamoto Musashi(it's closer to being based on Eiji Yoshikawa's literature work than actual history).

[@jorgehenriq]

Hanpeita's hair was a disguise as far as I allowed myself to think about it.

[@mingyuhuang8944]

Loved this game a lot since I'm fascinated by the pre-meiji era end of the shogunate days of Japan. It not only is really fun and goofy, but surprisingly deep and well thought out.

[@thebiggestofmen]

You can lock on btw by holding RB/R1

[@1995yuda]

What year was this out and on which platforms? Reminds me of Ronin Blade/Soul of the Samurai on the PS1(which was an AWESOME game btw). And also Genji Dawn of the Samurai on the PS2(also a great game).

[@tripple-a6031]

2014 PS3/PS4 JP only. The remake is for PS4/PS5 and PC. A quick google search helps you know?

[@1995yuda]

@@tripple-a6031 Thanks a bunch 👍 Yup a Google search would've been helpful for sure, this video just happens to be the first time I see this game

[@abc4781]

I may be crazy for doing this but I'm just now playing this after month's of owning it tobhold me over until Rise of the Ronin.

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

The Yakuza games generally have very strong and dramatic stories and absolutely wacky sidequests. Sort of feels like a different genre cousin of Oblivion. They're worth playing (starting with 0 since it's chronologically the earliest story). I really wish they did proper remakes of 3, 4 and 5 because even with their remasters, they look a bit dated. Dead Souls could also use an upgrade, especially in the combat department.

[@Ayaki6166]

I love Ishin. My ancestor is upper class samurai and part of daimyo's family. One ancestor samurai married daimyo's daughter.

[@AcepitAfficionado]

Awesome ! Which clan if i may ask?

[@Ayaki6166]

@@AcepitAfficionado Hirosaki clan. It was small clan.

[@TheShogun47]

Hell yeah, my boy Gainingoombah got a mention in a ThrShogunate video.

[@MrKernermalkavian]

Hey! I love your channel and loved your review. Im not an expert in Japanese history but I sure love japanese history and culture and at first I throwed a big lol regarding Sakamoto Ryoma alternate identity of Saito Hajime. Im a long hard super mega fan of the whole Ryu Ga Gotoku franchise, to the point I have some of the games in Playstation 3, 4, and even PC. I gotta say that in 2018 I went to Japan , and I spent hours looking to buy Kenzan and Ishin, and everywhere they were sold out, I only was able to find Ryu Ga Gotoku 6 in the stores at the time and not even in superpotato I 've been able to find Ishin. So end up being very discouraged, because I even thought that they even didn' t want to sell it to me because I was a foreigner. So when I knew about Ishin being localized I felt like a kid again and I was super happy. And here is the thing, I know that if you really want to enjoy it more is recommended to learn more japanese as you may lose many jokes, or even parts of the story. Back in the day even with the localization of Ryu ga gotoku 6 and due to warner music contraints some of the OST was replaced. Regarding the inconsequential substories, this is a common thing in yakuza series , and actually the whole point of them I believe is to give you more insight of that point in time and place of the game, more or less show common issues, situations and hilarious stuff that our good man Ryoma/Kiryu has to deal with to tell you more about the character personality. Im anxious about the Kenzan kiwami, and the two new games, the Ryu ga gotoku gaiden and the 8th game.

[@UKProgRock]

Played this for the first time over the last week, bloody loved it.

[@jamespaguip5913]

@The Shogunate did know during 1600 samurai did have artillery they were furanki cannon and the Bo-hiya fire rocket

[@Devilsblood]

RGG studios does it again and delivers a satisfying game.

[@imarock.7662]

Highly recommend the other Yakuza/Like A Dragon games. They're just as good, if not better, than Ishin. On the side activities, and sub stories, the appeal that a lot of Yakuza fans, including myself, find in the sub stories is the the fact that they _are_ disconnected from the main story. They're designed in such a way that they're there to flesh out the player character more, and portry them in a more human light, rather than have them be completely serious or hyper focused on a goal in the main story. It also, in turn, provides much needed reprieve from the constantly serious, and emotionally wrecking main story, and lets you immerse yourself into the world of Yakuza/Like A Dragon, and explore its fun, and badass setting, and crazy characters.

[@jamespaguip5913]

@The Shogunate know during 1600 century Japan did have artillery they were furanki cannon and the Bo-hiya fire rocket

[@pvblivscornelivsscipio]

I imported the original for PS4 way back in the day. Loved it, I like it more than Yakuza 0 honestly.

[@JesseRomano]

I bought this just to play but i wait for a new way of the samurai game 😢

[@jawknee4088]

Will you ever review Sekiro? I imagine this has been requested a lot.

[@m00n119]

really good review! nice to hear the opinion of someone unfamiliar with these games

[@safruddinaly5822]

It's unfortunate you not talk more about the cast historical history like nagakura shinpachi life and other cast life. To see you on next video on bakumastu era

[@TheShogunate]

We'll get to them more when we arrive at that time in my main history series. Tbh there is a lot of stuff there I still need to read more about as it is

[@donvitorio4010]

White hair is probably a light bug. Ishin remake is made on unreal engine 4, which is something new for rgg studios

[@Shade497]

Nah the original was like that too but with long white hair

[@donguapo7862]

I just beaat the ps5 version and it has everything: story, graphics, gameplay, skill tree, mini games...this game is so immersing 10/10 in my humble opinion

[@cynic5581]

I just picked the game up as I’m playing through all the Like a Dragon/Yakuza/Judgment games. I have to say I was expecting a bit more for having a PS5 release. I understand the game is old but by far the biggest enemy of the game is the camera. Constantly being positioned behind walls and obstacles so I can’t see the enemies to telegraph their movement. Also I’m only 7 hours into the game but I have a feeling there is not only going to be a grind that’s unnatural to the flow of the game but oppressive to the point I’ll likely push the main story even if I need to reduce the difficulty to normal or easy. Also I’m not sure where this mechanic is going but my character Ryoma decided outside my control to buy a house and move in with a little girl. Weird I thought at first but leaving the first time forced me to have her use my first name and a relationship meter increased….so bordering creepy? I’m still using my fake name so that’s a thing. Guess I can vanish if child protective services come knocking. Edit: I just looked up her age and she is a reoccurring character that might be 16 and you can change her clothes if you increase her rep enough? What’s going on?

[@Anonymouthful]

The DLC controversy along with Denuvo keep me from wanting to ever purchase this game. The card system is something I agree with you, it just sort of exists. I will keep playing the original in the meanwhile, sad to see another game I was extremely excited to play dissapoint me yet again.

[@Kasaaz]

There's one other factor in this that is more meta with the series. The last main game completely moved away from the style of combat in the previous games, but then they had to go back to it with this. Just from a developer standpoint, that has to be weird.

[@UraniumChef]

I’m not sure how relevant it is but you should do Sekiro next :) I loved that game so much if you have the patience for it’s learning curve it feels amazing to defeat the final boss.

[@LoneWolfe_XX]

I’m new here and great review! I’ve never played a Yakuza game in my life and I’m wondering is this game worth a try because I’m a huge martial arts combat fan

[@arkane9b]

If you're a martial arts fan, I think another spin-off called Judgment would be better since it's in a modern setting and with a lot more focus on martial arts combat than swordplay. There's also the sequel Lost Judgment.

[@LoneWolfe_XX]

@@arkane9b thanks for the comment

[@markwalch6065]

Just started this and Im surprised at reviews saying combats arcadey. Funny! Because Ive been forced to learn to block/swerve/strike/how to switch/utilise styles. Ive tested the arcadey just hack n slash aproach and I die quick. And I love it! Hell Id say its more tactical than ghosts of Tushima myself.

[@thosemerc3113]

People from review sites always play games at the easiest difficulties to pop out as many as possible as fast as possible.

[@hjblacdes61]

the best part is this is a mid tier yakuza game. play the rest theyre great. As far as the substories, in the mainline series while being mostly disconnected from the main plot theyre actually considered to be canon and some will reference substories from previous games or include the same character. The music is also really good throughout the series and it really hits even harder as a fan of the series because many of the characters got period flavored remixes of their theme from a previous game. not many examples i can say without getting into spoilers but one that I can without is Niibori Matsusuke stand-in Shun Akiyama's theme of Affected Fight which is his battle theme from Yakuza 5 in which hes playable.

[@joaomanoel3197]

Amazing 😲👍🏻👍🏻

[@hajime5486]

Please do a deep dive of Rise of the Ronin

[@louisnguyen6610]

The game is just downright fun and always has new and interesting content. But the use of the gun with no restriction feels illegal compared to the sword combat that requires a little brainpower

[@quixote_7]

Anyone else know what was going on with the white hair cuz I was just as confused as shogunate

[@Welther47]

This and Ghost of Tsushima are games I've been wanting to see since early 2000's. The Way of the Samurai series is just too silly.

[@revbladez5773]

There is lock-on, it is R1.

[@-RONNIE]

I like the game Ghost of Tsushima now it's similar but in a lot of ways different. Thank you for the review.

[@1995yuda]

I haven't played video games for yearsss lmfao 😂 I really wanna get Ghost of Tsushima it looks badass

[@blumiu2426]

Do it. Story is good, but not Kurosawa level as they wanted it to be, but about everything else is immersive for sure.

[@BDG96]

If you haven't played I'm years then GOS is a good jump in. Pretty simple but enthralling gameplay and visuals. It's gonna turn you into a game head.

[@mookiestewart3776]

Hope you picked it up, ghost of Tsushima is a fantastic game

[@1995yuda]

Looks dope 👍

[@loloshua]

Press r1 to lock on

[@TheShogunate]

I think I tried that but when I was doing it, it would not stay locked on. Perhaps I was doing something wrong

[@loloshua]

@@TheShogunate you have to hold it down

[@TheShogunate]

@@loloshua That makes more sense

[@edbagge]

Loved this game

[@arunkanthi8985]

Why no review on last samurai

[@TheShogunate]

Have not gotten that far yet in my history series!

[@arunkanthi8985]

@@TheShogunate ah please do one loved your reviews on other films and I felt it was really accurate but in reality was it?

[@Chadsolderbrotherbrad1111]

Just bought this one 1️⃣

[@forlornfool221]

I wanna rescue cats n dogs! kool side option

[@Questchaun]

I enjoyed it put 160 hours into it

[@michael-vo5ol]

The real life Okita Soji is a pretty boy yet he's portrayed by Goro Majima Majima as Soji: Damnit! Why do you question my looks, eh?! Years of constantly fighting on the battlefield can drastically a man, ya know?!

[@mikotagayuna8494]

There are no surviving Okita Soji photographs. His good looks is just an anime/manga construct to cater to bishōnen fans.

[@antfrancis9941]

The prize tickets/draw, what a waste of time unless you're after a thousand sheets of scrap paper.😡

[@nejiefelipe]

i would give this game a 7,0/10,0 because the combat is too clunky, the graphic is not nearly as good as it could be and replayability is low for a AAA game... i still think ghost of tsushima is the best samurai game made to this date. 😌

[@revbladez5773]

Ghost of Tsushima is just a game about the idealized samurai that never actually existed. Not to forget all the other inaccuracies in it. This game on the other hand is more about the reality of the samurai. As a result, this is the superior samurai game.

[@cius2112]

this isn't a AAA game tho

[@Damocles3]

Games are already too long these days, replayability is not so important for a game that takes dozens of hours to complete

[@jamespaguip5913]

@The Shogunate know during 1600 century Japan did have artillery they were furanki cannon and the Bo-hiya fire rocket