Most people think Like a Dragon Ishin is just a "Yakuza game with swords." That’s a massive mistake. Honestly, if you go into this expecting a 1:1 reskin of Yakuza 0 set in the 1860s, you’re going to miss why this game actually matters. It’s not just a spin-off. It’s a historical fever dream that somehow manages to make the chaotic Bakumatsu period feel like a modern-day soap opera.
I've spent hundreds of hours in the streets of Kyo. The game is dense. It's weird. It’s incredibly punishing if you don’t respect its systems. This isn’t just about Kiryu—or rather, Sakamoto Ryoma—punching guys into the Kamo River. It’s about a pivotal moment in Japanese history where the age of the samurai was dying, and everyone was desperate to decide what came next.
The Ryoma Problem: History vs. Fan Service
Let’s get one thing straight. Like a Dragon Ishin is not a history textbook. It’s historical fiction that plays fast and loose with the timeline. You’re playing as Sakamoto Ryoma, but he’s also posing as Saito Hajime. If you know anything about the Shinsengumi, you know that’s basically like saying George Washington was secretly Benedict Arnold. It shouldn’t work.
But it does.
The genius of RGG Studio was casting familiar faces from the main series into these historical roles. Seeing Kuze as a high-ranking official or Majima as Okita Soji adds a layer of "meta" enjoyment that newcomers might miss, but it also creates an immediate emotional bridge. You already know these characters' "souls," so when they betray you in 1867, it hurts just as much as it did in 2024.
The Bakumatsu period was a mess. You had the Shogunate loyalists, the Imperialists who wanted the Emperor back in power, and the foreigners trying to open Japan up for trade. The game simplifies this by making it personal. Ryoma isn't trying to change the world at first; he’s just trying to find the man who killed his father figure. It’s a classic revenge tale wrapped in a political conspiracy that eventually involves the fate of the entire nation.
Why the Combat System Kinda Breaks the Rules
If you’ve played Yakuza 5 or Zero, you’re used to style switching. But Like a Dragon Ishin does something different with its four styles: Swordsman, Gunman, Brawler, and Wild Dancer.
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- Swordsman is your bread and butter. It’s slow, deliberate, and great for blocking.
- Gunman is arguably broken. You can literally just stand back and pepper enemies with lead. It feels cheap, but in a game where enemies carry guns too, it’s survival.
- Brawler is mostly for when you want to feel like Kiryu, but honestly? It’s the weakest style here because, well, everyone else has a katana.
- Wild Dancer is the showstopper. You wield a blade in one hand and a revolver in the other. It’s a spinning vortex of death.
The mistake most players make is sticking to one style. The game rewards flow. You need to parry with the sword, then immediately transition into a Wild Dancer spin to clear out the fodder. And don't get me started on the Trooper Cards. People hated these when the remake was announced. They thought the "magic" attacks—literally shooting lightning out of your hands—would ruin the grounded samurai feel.
They were wrong.
The cards add a deck-building layer that makes the endgame grind actually tolerable. Without them, some of the bosses in the battle dungeons are just massive bags of health that take twenty minutes to chip down.
The Kyo You Won't Find in Guidebooks
Kyo (ancient Kyoto) feels different from Kamurocho. It’s not neon-soaked. It’s dusty, wooden, and smells like incense and blood. The layout is a nightmare at first. You’ll get lost. You’ll find yourself in a dead-end alley in Mukurogai—the slums—wondering why the atmosphere suddenly shifted from "quaint village" to "I’m about to be shanked for a nickel."
The side content in Like a Dragon Ishin is where the "human" element shines. One minute you’re debating the merits of opening Japan to global trade with a confused scholar, and the next you’re teaching a kid how to cut wood or racing chickens. The chicken racing is a rabbit hole. Seriously. People have lost millions of mon (the currency) betting on a bird named "Legs of Steel."
There’s also "Another Life." This is a farming simulator tucked inside the game. You live in a quiet villa with Haruka, grow vegetables, and cook meals. It’s the most peaceful thing RGG has ever made, and it serves as a necessary palate cleanser between the decapitations and political assassinations.
The Grind: Crafting and the Curse of the Enchanted Blade
Let's talk about the crafting. It’s the most polarizing part of the game. If you want the best weapons—like the legendary Vortex or the Sakura-maru—you are going to have to grind. Hard.
We’re talking about hours in the Battle Dungeons, praying for a specific drop like a "Dragon Whiskers" or "Fine Silk." The UI for crafting is a bit clunky, and the cost of upgrading can be astronomical. Most casual players finish the story with mid-tier gear and that's fine. But if you want to tackle the Amon fight or the harder difficulty settings, the blacksmith will become your best friend and your worst enemy.
The seal system is another layer of complexity. You can slot "seals" into your weapons to add elemental damage or health regen. The catch? It’s RNG-heavy. You can spend your life savings trying to get a specific seal to stick, only for it to fail. It’s frustrating, but it makes that final, perfect blade feel like a genuine achievement.
The Controversy of the Remake
It’s worth noting that the 2023 version of Like a Dragon Ishin is a remake of a 2014 Japanese exclusive. Some fans of the original were annoyed by the engine shift to Unreal Engine 4. They felt the lighting lost that "inky," atmospheric look of the original Dragon Engine.
Personally? I think the trade-off was worth it for the global release. The character models are incredibly detailed. You can see the sweat on Ryoma’s brow during the high-tension cutscenes. The voice acting is, as always, top-tier. Takaya Kuroda (Kiryu’s VA) brings a different kind of weariness to Ryoma. He’s not the invincible dragon yet; he’s a man who’s deeply confused by the changing world around him.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ending
Without spoiling it, the ending of Like a Dragon Ishin is often criticized for being "too complicated." It’s not. It’s just very Japanese in its focus on Giri (duty) and Ninjo (human emotion). The final showdown isn't just a fight between two guys; it's a clash of two different visions for the future of Japan.
If you think the villain is just "evil," you weren't paying attention. Every major player in the Shinsengumi and the Loyalist factions thinks they are the hero. That’s the tragedy of the Bakumatsu. Everyone wanted a better Japan; they just couldn't agree on how to get there.
Actionable Insights for Your Playthrough
If you're just starting out or find yourself stuck, stop playing it like a standard brawler. This is an RPG first.
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- Prioritize the "Another Life" farming early. It seems like a distraction, but selling high-quality vegetables and cooked meals is the most consistent way to make money without gambling.
- Don't ignore the Brawler style entirely. While it lacks damage, the "Tiger Drop" equivalent (Komaki Knockout) is still a beast for counter-attacking bosses who have high block rates.
- Invest in the "Gunman" tree. Even if you prefer swords, having the "Golden Gun" with a rapid-fire seal makes the random encounters in the street much less tedious when you're just trying to get from point A to point B.
- Visit the Shinto Priest. Spend your Virtue (earned from basically everything) on inventory space and sprinting stamina first. You’ll thank me when you’re not out of breath after running half a block.
- Talk to everyone. The substories often reward you with Trooper Cards that are significantly more powerful than the ones you pull from the gacha system.
Like a Dragon Ishin is a rare bird. It's a game that asks you to care about the intricacies of 19th-century Japanese politics while also letting you dress up a dog in a little hat. It’s messy, it’s brilliant, and it’s the most "human" samurai game you’ll ever play. Just don't expect the history to be 100% accurate, and keep an eye on your wallet at the chicken races.
If you've finished the main story, your next move should be diving into the Battle Dungeons to unlock the higher-tier weapon crafting recipes. That’s where the real depth of the combat system finally reveals itself, far beyond the scripted encounters of the campaign. Focus on completing the "Sanada Stronghold" missions; they offer the best materials for end-game gear and will test whether you've actually mastered the styles or just been mashing buttons.