Software:Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin!

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Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin!
Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! cover.jpg
Developer(s)Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Hiroyuki Sakamoto
Producer(s)Masayoshi Yokoyama
Artist(s)Nobuaki Mitake
Writer(s)Masayoshi Yokoyama
Composer(s)
  • Chihiro Aoki
  • Hidenori Shoji
SeriesLike a Dragon
Platform(s)
Release
  • JP: February 22, 2014
Genre(s)Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin![lower-alpha 1] is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. It is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series, formerly and commonly known in English localization as Yakuza. It was released in February 2014 exclusively in Japan, serving as a launch title for the PlayStation 4. A remake, Like a Dragon: Ishin!,[lower-alpha 2] was released in February 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It was developed using Unreal Engine 4, and received a worldwide release unlike the original game.[1]

Set in the chaotic Bakumatsu (1853–1867) phase of the Late Edo period, players take on the role of Sakamoto Ryōma, who is distressed resulting from conflicting pressures and uncertainty about one's self and role in the society. Being embroiled in the middle of a Tosa coup d'état and bent on finding the murderer who assassinated his mentor, Ryōma burrows himself with a hidden identity in the streets of Kyo and joins the grim Shinsengumi.

Despite being the second Like a Dragon series spin-off set in the samurai era instead of modern-day Japan, this game is unrelated to Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan!, which was released in 2008 on the PlayStation 3. Kenzan is set two centuries before Ishin!, hence the plots are not related with each other. Each game focuses on a different character, the historical figures of Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645) and Sakamoto Ryōma (1836–1867) respectively.

Gameplay

Like other titles in the Like a Dragon series, Ishin! utilizes a robust combat system, notably similar to its predecessor Yakuza 5. Players control the sole playable protagonist, Sakamoto Ryōma, and have access to a total of four fighting styles: Swordsman (which uses a katana as the primary weapon), Gunman (which uses pistols), Brawler (which uses hand-to-hand combat, more similar to the traditional combat style), and Wild Dancer (which uses a combination of katana and pistol). The game introduces a new system, Virtue, which can be gained by completing side-quests, story events, gaining Completion Points, and other tasks. Virtue points can be exchanged for abilities. The game features new types of side content, the biggest of which being Battle Dungeon, a dungeon crawling mode which utilizes special ability cards (also known as Trooper Cards), and Another Life, a side-story where Ryōma must pay off the debts of Haruka, a girl in debt due to illness. There are also returning series staples like Gambling, Singing Bar, and a fighting arena, among other minigames.

Synopsis

Setting and characters

Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! is set in the 1860s Japan during the Bakumatsu era at the end of the Edo period. Japan is thrown into turmoil after the arrival of Western ships, galvanizing the imperialist ideals of the Shishi, who wish to rebuild the nation around the Emperor by overthrowing the Bakufu and expelling foreigners. The game features an open world focusing on a powerful feudal domain and castle town in east Japan, Tosa, and Japan's capital city at the time, Kyo. Kyo is divided into several key areas: the hospitality district Fushimi, the red light district Gion, the bustling Rakunai, the deserted Rakugai, and the perilous Mukurogai. The Shinsengumi, a notorious police force organized by the Bakufu, are headquartered in Kyo, where the majority of the game takes place.

Ishin! features an ensemble cast, the majority of whom are loosely based on real Japanese historical figures. The characters' appearances are largely adapted from various existing characters in the Like a Dragon franchise. The primary protagonist of the game is Sakamoto Ryōma (Takaya Kuroda), a disgraced rōnin from Tosa who seeks to avenge his murdered adoptive father, Yoshida Tōyō (Unshō Ishizuka). Escaping to Kyo as a wanted man, Ryōma joins the Shinsengumi using the alias Saitō Hajime, in order to track down Tōyō's murderer. Notable members of the Shinsengumi include: Chief Kondō Isami (Eiichiro Funakoshi/Akio Otsuka), Deputy Chief Hijikata Toshizō (Nakamura Shidō II), Military Advisor Ito Kashitaro (George Takahashi/Hitoshi Ozawa), Inspector Yamazaki Susumu (Nobutoshi Canna/Yuichi Nakamura), and the Division Captains: Okita Sōji (Hidenari Ugaki), Nagakura Shinpachi (Rikiya Koyama), Matsubara Chuji (Hiroki Tōchi), Takeda Kanryūsai (Shun Sugata/Riki Takeuchi), Inoue Genzaburō (Shunsuke Sakuya), Tani Sanjuro (Kenji Hamada/Masanori Takeda), Tōdō Heisuke (Shunsuke Daito/Nobuhiko Okamoto), Suzuki Mikisaburo (Ryōta Takeuchi/Ayumi Tanida), and Harada Sanosuke (Hiroki Yasumoto).

The primary antagonist of Ishin! is Takechi Hanpeita (Katsunori Takahashi/Hideo Nakano), Ryōma's adoptive brother who commands the Tosa Loyalist Party following Tōyō's death. Takechi is supported by his right-hand man, Okada Izō (Kazuhiro Nakaya), a notorious assassin also known as "Izō the Butcher". Other notable characters in the story include: Katsura Kogorō (Koichi Yamadera), leader of the Choshu Loyalist Party and a member of the Shishi, who frequently uses the alias Niibori Matsusuke; Saigō Kichinosuke (Masami Iwasaki), General Commander of the Satsuma Domain Army; Nakaoka Shintarō (Kazuhiro Yamaji), Tōyō's former retainer who allies with Ryōma to investigate Tōyō's death; Otose (Romi Park), the proprietor of Teradaya Inn where Ryōma stays at during his time in Kyo; Oryō (Nanami Sakuraba/Manami Sugihara), a young woman who works at Teradaya Inn as Otose's apprentice; Yamauchi Yōdō (Hiroaki Yoshida), the ruthless daimyo of the Tosa Domain; Sasaki Tadasaburo (Rintarō Nishi), commander of the shogunate police force Mimawarigumi; Katsu Rintarō (Kenyu Horiuchi/Kohsuke Toriumi), Minister of the Navy for the Tokugawa shogunate; Ikumatsu (Aya Hirano), Katsura's lover and a geisha who operates as a spy for the Choshu Loyalist Party; the Bathkeeper of Sai (Yoshiaki Fujiwara), a powerful Kyo gangster who acts as an information broker; and Tokugawa Yoshinobu (Satoshi Tokushige), the 15th Shogun of the Tokugawa clan. Also featured in the game is Haruka (Rie Kugimiya), a young orphan girl who is taken in by Ryōma; the character is a direct counterpart of Haruka Sawamura, a main character of the Like a Dragon series.

Plot

In 1866, after finishing sword training in Edo, Sakamoto Ryōma returns to his hometown in Tosa. After a scuffle with several jōshi, the highest ranked of Japan's samurai, Ryōma is imprisoned and set to be executed, but is saved by his adoptive father, Yoshida Tōyō. Tōyō, who is a government magistrate, seeks to end the rigid social class system in Tosa, and implores Ryōma to aid his cause. Ryōma later meets with his adoptive brother Takechi Hanpeita, who recruits him to the Tosa Loyalist Party. Ryōma, Takechi and Tōyō meet at Kōchi Castle, where they discuss the plan to seize the castle and negotiate with the ministers. However, a mysterious assailant appears and mortally wounds Tōyō, and escapes after defeating Ryōma and Takechi in combat. Ryōma escapes captivity, vowing to return to Tosa to prove his innocence once he captures the assailant.

One year later, Ryōma resides in Kyo, going by the alias Saitō Hajime. He wanders several renowned dojo, inquiring information about the Tennen Rishin, a fighting style which Tōyō's assailant was using, though he has failed to learn anything worthwhile. After a run-in with the Shinsengumi, Ryōma meets an individual going by the alias Niibori Matsusuke, who points him to the Bathkeeper of Sai, a notorious information broker who may have information on the Tennen Rishin user. The Bathkeeper reveals to Ryōma that the Tennen Rishin style is practiced by a group of Edo warriors who founded the Shinsengumi. Believing that the assailant is one of the founding members, Ryōma decides to join the ranks of the Shinsengumi. Ryōma later reunites with Takechi in the Mukurogai district, where he learns that Takechi has become a jōshi and allied himself with the elders of Tosa. As Takechi expresses disapproval of Ryōma's decision to join the Shinsengumi, Ryōma denounces his brotherhood with Takechi and departs.

The next day, Ryōma goes to the Shinsengumi's headquarters in Mibu to enlist. After impressing Second Division Captain Nagakura Shinpachi in a duel, Ryōma personally meets with the Deputy Chief, Hijikata Toshizō, who appoints him as Third Division Captain after executing the previous captain, Yamanami Keisuke, for desertion. Ryōma is later contacted by Nakaoka Shintarō, Tōyō's former retainer who believes Takechi is the real mastermind behind Tōyō's assassination, as he stands to profit the most from the latter's death. After surviving an ambush by Tosa loyalists, Ryōma and Nakaoka part way as they agree to cooperate.

In one of Ryōma's first assignments, he accompanies several Shinsengumi captains to apprehend Okada Izō, Takechi's right-hand man who has gained notoriety for assassinating several Shinsengumi officers. Ryōma defeats Izō and allows Kyo's police to detain him, though later learns that he is to be taken to Tosa to face Lord Yamauchi Yōdō, possibly implicating Takechi and the loyalists. Some times later, Ryōma joins the Shinsengumi to raid a loyalist meeting at Ikedaya Inn. Ryōma encounters Niibori, who reveals his true identity as Katsura Kogorō, leader of the Choshu Loyalist Party. Upon learning that Takechi revealed Ryōma's identity to Katsura, the two pretend to fight one another, allowing Katsura to escape the Shinsengumi. Later, Hijikata reveals in a meeting that Fourth Division Captain Matsubara Chuji was secretly a Choshu spy, and has him executed for treason.

Eventually, after additional investigation, Ryōma finally gets confirmation that Takechi is in fact the mastermind behind Tōyō's death and has stolen Ryōma's name as part of a plot to overthrow the Emperor. Ryōma and his allies in the Shinsengumi then stage an assault on Takechi's stronghold in Tosa, fighting through both Takechi's forces and his British allies. Ryōma then has a final confrontation with Takechi and defeats him, but cannot bring himself to kill his own sworn brother. In his defeat, Takechi finally realizes that he cannot save Japan through force of arms alone, and reveals the true mastermind behind plot is Yōdō, who has been pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Yōdō then arrives and shoots both Ryōma and Takechi, boasting that he plans to allow the British to use Tosa as their foothold to turn Japan into a British colony. Ryōma declares that Japan is capable of taking care of itself as his allies arrive to corner Yōdō, and Ryōma subsequently kills him.

Two years later, it is revealed that Takechi has assumed Yōdō's identity and used his position to usher in the Meiji Restoration, bringing back imperial rule of Japan. Meanwhile, Ryōma decides to discard his name and live as Saitō, retiring to a quiet life in the countryside while the official history states Ryōma was killed.

Development and release

Promotion at TGS 2013

A 2.4GB[2] playable demo named Yakuza Ishin! Demo Version (龍が如く 維新！ 体験版) was made available for download on the Japanese PlayStation Store on February 13, 2014.[3]

On February 13, 2014, a 2.6GB free version named Yakuza Ishin! Free App for PlayStation®Vita (龍が如く 維新！ 無料アプリ for PlayStation®Vita) was made available for download on the Japanese PlayStation Store.[4]

On February 22, 2014, a 200KB DLC named Digest Narration Voice (ダイジェストナレーションボイス) was made available on the Japanese PlayStation Store priced at ¥300.[5]

Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! sold 138,158 copies on PS3 and 82,540 copies on PS4, for a total of 220,698 copies on its first two days on sale.[6] As of March 31, 2014, the game has sold 390,000 copies.[7] The original Ishin! was awarded near-perfect scores of 38/40 and 39/40 on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 respectively by Famitsu.[8]

Remake

Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Like a Dragon Ishin Cover Art.jpg
Developer(s)Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Yasuaki Uehara
Producer(s)Makoto Suzuki
Artist(s)Daisuke Fukagawa
Writer(s)Masayoshi Yokoyama
Composer(s)Hidenori Shoji
Chihiro Aoki
SeriesLike a Dragon
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
  • WW: February 21, 2023
Genre(s)Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

On September 14, 2022, the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio official Twitter account announced a remake of Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin!, titled Like a Dragon: Ishin!, which was released on February 21, 2023.[9] The decision to bring over Ishin! was influenced by success of Western titles like Ghost of Tsushima, which also shared the premise of a historical samurai setting.[10][11]

The remake of Ishin! aimed to retain most of the gameplay system from the original game, with the exception of the Trooper Cards, which can now be used optionally in regular combat. Certain enemy encounters were also adjusted by giving boss enemies special abilities. In addition, several characters of the game were also recast with new actors, who have previously portrayed other characters in the mainline titles, notably from Yakuza 0, Yakuza 6, and Yakuza, with the audio only being available in Japanese. The singing bar features songs that are from the original game, as well as new songs, including an arrangement of the series' fan favorite karaoke track, "Baka Mitai (I've Been a Fool)", with translated lyrics in not only English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean, but French, German, Italian and Spanish, a first in the series. An option to switch between the Japanese kanji & romaji (if set to English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese or Korean; Japanese kanji if set to Japanese) lyrics and the translated lyrics, which is previously in the Yakuza Remastered Collection, is also available for all languages besides Japanese.

In January 2023, Sega announced a downloadable content bundle for Ishin!, titled "Elite General Trooper Cards", which contains six Trooper Cards based on certain celebrities, including wrestler Kenny Omega, actor Rahul Kohli and VTuber Nyatasha Nyanners.[12][13]

On February 16, 2023, the Sega official Twitter announced a Combat Demo for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam.[14]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PC) 80/100[15]
(PS5) 81/100[16]
(XSXS) 78/100[17]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid8/10[18]
Game Informer8.25/10[20]
GameSpot8/10[21]
GamesRadar+4.5/5 stars[22]
IGN7/10[23]
PC Gamer (US)78/100[25]
Push Square8/10[26]
Shacknews8/10[28]
VG2475/5 stars[30]


Like a Dragon: Ishin! received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[15][16][17]

Eurogamer liked the game's side stories but felt it retained much of its early eighth-gen DNA, "Despite being rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 4, it feels as though the team has stuck with the same building plans as the original, where loading screens separate interiors and neighbouring locations, while NPCs retain the awkward, late-PS3 marionette look and movements".[31] Polygon praised the game's depiction of 19th century Kyoto, writing, "The environments are gorgeously rendered, with unpaved roads punctuated by maple trees and streams that run through the city".[32]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: 龍が如く 維新！, lit. "Like a Dragon: Restoration!"
  2. ↑ Known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! Kiwami (Japanese: 龍が如く 維新！ 極, lit. "Like a Dragon: Restoration! Extreme")

References

  1. ↑ Romano, Sal (September 13, 2022). "Yakuza: Ishin! remake Like a Dragon: Ishin! announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and PC". https://www.gematsu.com/2022/09/yakuza-ishin-remake-like-a-dragon-ishin-announced-for-ps5-xbox-series-ps4-xbox-one-and-pc. 
  2. ↑ 龍が如く 維新！ 体験版, Japanese PlayStation Store
  3. ↑ 2月22日発売予定『龍が如く 維新！』、PS3®用体験版の配信日が2月13日に決定！
  4. ↑ 龍が如く 維新！ 無料アプリ for PlayStation®Vita - Japanese PlayStation Store
  5. ↑ ダイジェストナレーションボイス
  6. ↑ Handrahan, Matthew (27 February 2014). "Knack beats Yakuza to Japanese number one". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-02-27-knack-beats-yakuza-to-japanese-number-one. 
  7. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (9 May 2014). "How are Sega's video games selling?". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-09-how-are-segas-video-games-selling. 
  8. ↑ Sal Romano (12 February 2014). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1315". Gematsu. http://gematsu.com/2014/02/famitsu-review-scores-issue-1315. 
  9. ↑ @RGGStudio (14 September 2022). "Like a Dragon: Ishin! launches on February 2023 for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Steam! Watch the announcement trailer here: youtube.com/watch?v=jE8eEa6eY-s #LikeADragonIshin". https://twitter.com/RGGStudio/status/1569823366705741824. 
  10. ↑ Nicholson, Alexandra (2022-09-15). "Like A Dragon: Ishin Inspired By Success Of Ghost Of Tsushima" (in en-US). https://gameranx.com/updates/id/363106/article/like-a-dragon-ishin-inspired-by-success-of-ghost-of-tsushima/. 
  11. ↑ Yang, George (2022-09-15). "Ghost of Tsushima Gave Sega Additional Affirmation to Release Like a Dragon: Ishin in the West" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/ghost-of-tsushima-gave-sega-additional-affirmation-to-release-like-a-dragon-ishin-in-the-west. 
  12. ↑ Franzese, Tomas (2023-01-26). "Like a Dragon: Ishin's Trooper Cards are full of cameos, including Rahul Kohli" (in en). https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/like-a-dragon-ishin-trooper-cards-rahul-kohli-interview/. 
  13. ↑ Lada, Jenni (2023-02-13). "Here's How to Get the Nyatasha Nyanners Like a Dragon: Ishin Trooper Card" (in en-US). https://www.siliconera.com/heres-how-to-get-the-nyatasha-nyanners-like-a-dragon-ishin-trooper-card/. 
  14. ↑ Template:Cite Twitter
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Like a Dragon: Ishin! for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/like-a-dragon-ishin!. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Like a Dragon: Ishin! for PlayStation 5 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-5/like-a-dragon-ishin!. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Like a Dragon: Ishin! for Xbox Series X Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-series-x/like-a-dragon-ishin!. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  18. ↑ Van Allen, Eric (February 17, 2023). "Review: Like a Dragon: Ishin!". https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-like-a-dragon-ishin/. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  19. ↑ Franzese, Tomas (February 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon: Ishin! review: a positive change for Yakuza". https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/like-a-dragon-ishin-review/. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  20. ↑ Hester, Blake (February 17, 2023). "Like A Dragon: Ishin! Review - A Step Back In Time". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/review/like-a-dragon-ishin/a-step-back-in-time. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  21. ↑ Higham, Michael (February 17, 2023). "Like A Dragon: Ishin Review - Rewriting History". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/like-a-dragon-ishin-review-rewriting-history/1900-6418031/. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  22. ↑ Gerblick, Jordan (February 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon: Ishin review: "A kick-ass Yakuza game in samurai clothes"". https://www.gamesradar.com/like-a-dragon-ishin-review/. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  23. ↑ Ogilvie, Tristan (February 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon: Ishin! Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/like-a-dragon-ishin-review. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  24. ↑ Brown, Andy (February 17, 2023). "'Like A Dragon – Ishin' review: over-the-top excellence". https://www.nme.com/reviews/game-reviews/like-a-dragon-ishin-review-3398207. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  25. ↑ Tarason, Dominic (February 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon: Ishin! review". https://www.pcgamer.com/like-a-dragon-ishin-review/. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  26. ↑ Ramsey, Robert (February 17, 2023). "Review: Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS5) - One of the Most Intense and Intricate Yakuza Games Yet". https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/like-a-dragon-ishin. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  27. ↑ Logan, Jonathan (February 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon: Ishin! Review". https://www.rpgfan.com/review/like-a-dragon-ishin/. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  28. ↑ Tan, Nick (February 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon Ishin! review: Sharpening an old katana". https://www.shacknews.com/article/134222/like-a-dragon-ishin-review-score. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  29. ↑ Castle, Matthew (February 17, 2023). "Review: Like A Dragon: Ishin! is a welcome release release for Sega's stylish samurai saga". https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/like-a-dragon-ishin/. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  30. ↑ Makar, Connor (February 17, 2023). "Like a Dragon: Ishin review – An exceptional RPG that fulfils the Samurai fantasy". https://www.vg247.com/ike-a-dragon-ishin-review. Retrieved February 17, 2023. 
  31. ↑ Wen, Alan (2023-02-17). "Like A Dragon: Ishin! review - both a Yakuza greatest hits and a somewhat dated remake" (in en-gb). Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/like-a-dragon-ishin-review-both-a-yakuza-greatest-hits-and-a-somewhat-dated-remake. 
  32. ↑ Hashimoto, Kazuma (2023-02-17). "Like a Dragon: Ishin! can’t outrun the Yakuza series’ past" (in en-US). https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23602909/like-a-dragon-ishin-review-yakuza-remake-release-date-ps5-xbox-series-x-pc. 

External links




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