Like a Dragon: Ishin!

 PlayStation 5
Like a Dragon: Ishin! Image
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 77 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 81 Ratings

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  • Summary: 1860s Kyo is plagued by widespread inequality, and one samurai will change the course of history in his search for justice. Take up the sword of Sakamoto Ryoma and venture to Kyoto to find your father’s killer, clear yourself of a framed murder, and restore your honor. In doing so, you will1860s Kyo is plagued by widespread inequality, and one samurai will change the course of history in his search for justice. Take up the sword of Sakamoto Ryoma and venture to Kyoto to find your father’s killer, clear yourself of a framed murder, and restore your honor. In doing so, you will bring an end to the samurai era and forever change the future of Japan. Draw your blade, load your revolver, and join the revolution in this heated historical adventure that only the creators of Yakuza: Like a Dragon could produce. … Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 77
  3. Negative: 0 out of 77
  1. VG247
    Feb 17, 2023
    100
    Like a Dragon: Ishin in my eyes earns the lofty score I’m giving it. The game is the most fun I’ve had with a single player game in years, and getting a review code for it the same day as Hi-Fi Rush left me spoiled, incredibly tired, and astoundingly happy. It’s worth your time and your money.
  2. Twinfinite
    Feb 17, 2023
    90
    It’s an exemplary Ryu Ga Gotoku title. Fans of the older Yakuza games and Judgement will feel right at home amidst its familiar gameplay mechanics and story beats, and the polish applied to these facets will ensure they’re well rewarded for the time they invest in the game. It’s a welcome return to the series’ past, and a good sign of how well the series will hold up moving forward.
  3. GamersRD
    Feb 28, 2023
    85
    Like a Dragon: Ishin! It is a very Yakuza-like game but in a Feudal Japan setting. It's great to see familiar faces in another setting and interpreting a story based on true events. It maintains the playable bases of the series as well as its mechanics that will keep us busy for a long time.
  4. Checkpoint Gaming
    Feb 17, 2023
    80
    Like A Dragon: Ishin! has a bit of ironing out to do before it becomes the amazing game it deserves to be. Players may notice it is the least polished game in the series in some time, and be tested by a slow start to the narrative and rolling out of mechanics to engage in chaotic fun. It’s worth sticking it out though. It’s one of the better stories to come from the franchise, with gripping inner and political conflict, where steel collides and wounds (both physical and emotional) cut deep. Kyoto too is home to some of the better instances of minigames and sub-stories, getting good mileage out of its feudal Japan setting. Living out your samurai life is palpable and thoroughly enjoyable as you cut down anyone who stands in your way in engaging combat. Like A Dragon: Ishin! may not be an all-timer for the series, but it’s definitely the title with the best vibes.
  5. COGconnected
    Feb 21, 2023
    80
    Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a lost classic that has finally made its way to a global market. Fans of the franchise will be ecstatic to experience an Edo-period drama that features icons of the Yakuza series. Even though it is set in the 1860s, the foundation of the series is evident with each step. It’s a familiar experience that feels similar to its PS3 counterparts rather than the modern releases. The world lacks the hustle and bustle of Kamurocho and the mini-games are not as diverse. However, the card-based combat system and four fighting styles make battles a thrill. While the game may not do enough to alter the perception of those who don’t enjoy titles from the franchise, fans of the series are in for a treat with this samurai-focused epic.
  6. Everyeye.it
    Feb 17, 2023
    78
    Like a Dragon Ishin is a must-attend event for longtime fans of Kiryu Kazuma and other yakuza legends. It is in fact an adventure full of fanservice, both in the purely playful (with the Trooper Cards) and narrative fields, restored in Unreal Engine 4 to be even more pleasant from a visual point of view. At the same time, however, various aspects of the combat system and the very structure of the game world clearly indicate the true age of production, which has its roots in an era prior to the advent of the Dragon Engine, with everything that follows. Furthermore, as pleasant as it is to explore the mid-19th century Kyo, the events narrated have some imperfections, both in terms of effectiveness and rhythm, and fail to reach the same emotional peaks of the saga's cornerstones, such as the never forgotten Yakuza Zero.
  7. GameOver.gr
    Apr 8, 2023
    60
    The recreation of the fall of the Bakumatsu Era at the tip of your sword is as exciting and entertaining as expected, but it seems that apart from a fresh coat of (glitchy) paint, Sega didn’t do even the basic refurbishment to bring properly this game to 2023. Unlike the wonderful job they did with the Kiwami remakes, here it feels more like Sega used the game as a training exercise for its studio to learn the Unreal Engine and simply didn’t bother to invest in anything else.

See all 80 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 36
  3. Negative: 7 out of 36
  1. locm
    Feb 26, 2023
    10
    another RGG Studios gem, imo this is the best game in the series outstanding world gameplay and music
  2. Inuyasha1
    Mar 4, 2023
    10
    크... 용과같이 유신 극의 검들이 다 간지나지만
    특히 붉은 화염 칼날인 호네바미와 바람의 검 사미다레가 제일 간지나는듯    크... 용과같이 유신 극의 검들이 다 간지나지만
    특히 붉은 화염 칼날인 호네바미와 바람의 검 사미다레가 제일 간지나는듯
  4. yikjr-yujr-ttur
    Feb 26, 2023
    10
    Yet another RGG Studios gem, an easy reccomendation. best game ever in my personal opinion
  5. Zanfers
    Feb 23, 2023
    9
    A fun and colorful game in the franchise, it is definitely a worth buy for RGG fans.

    The story is cool, though I avoid it most of the time in    A fun and colorful game in the franchise, it is definitely a worth buy for RGG fans.

    The story is cool, though I avoid it most of the time in favor of substories, that are countless.

    The minigames are some of the coolest ones in the series, and there is always something to do in Kyo.

    Also the combat for me personally is the most satisfying one in the entire series so far. Styles are and feel different, fights are very fluent.

    My only issue with the game so far is the complete lack of Dualsense support, no adaptive triggers, which would have been awesome for a hack n slash fighting game. It has both guns and swords which both have great adaptive trigger support in several other games.    … Expand
  6. DongNiko
    Mar 18, 2023
    8
    Great yakuza spin-off, but same flaw as every RGG games: too much boring side content...
  7. Nmaa18
    Sep 11, 2023
    7
    I loved yakuza like a dragon, so i decided to buy this game. I am disappointed, even though I can see that the game has potential, and i findI loved yakuza like a dragon, so i decided to buy this game. I am disappointed, even though I can see that the game has potential, and i find its setting interesting (end of the Edo period).

    What could have been improved: for a ps5, 2023 game, the graphics did not blow me away. They were fine. The music did not stand out to me like trek to yomi, blades of the shogun, total war shogun 2, or ghost of tsushima. The animations for the wells and pot looting were cutscenes (hence: slow), and Ryoma always does the same noise while consuming food. Ryoma also did not display a lot of emotions or ambitions or opinions. All of these I can ignore.

    The bad: a lot of lines are not voiced. this is problematic for three reasons. 1.) They come unexpectedly, and this results in the game being unsettlingly quiet at times 2.) There is a lot of dialogue, so it was important to voice it fully in order to maintain the immersion. 3.) You only had one language to voice anyway. Secondly, something which baffled me: the camera automatically centres when u look up or down (um - why? we can disable auto camera for horizontal movement but not vertical? what???) and it is jittery when the character is in tight spaces. Thirdly, the parrying was very hard and the pistol did very little damage. I also did not like how it was always 5v1 or something. Feels so unfair. The combat in Ghost of Tsuhima was great: It was refined, fun, felt precise, and most of all fair.

    Conclusion: After a few hours into the game, I knew this game was not for me. I enjoyed briefly dipping my toes into a Japan that is shifting from the sword to the gun, from feudalism to republicanism. The story itself was mildly interesting. why is a kid randomly dying right when important people walk through town? and why couldnt she have waited a few seconds or hidden somewhere? Something sad happens early on but you dont really have the time to care about them. Ryomo is pretty stoic and reserved. The first "villain" seems like a generic anime bad guy. The list of narrative woes goes on. The gameplay was also not my cup of tea. It is with much regret that I must say I cannot recommend this game to anyone, unless they are a massive fan of yakuza games or the vagabond manga or samurai champloo anime, but even then... there are simply games more deserving of my time out there. it seems like a repetitive and unrewarding game. Its only redeeming qualities are perhaps the story and mini games later on, but i do not even have the will to reach those points. 70/100    … Expand
  8. Mogmog000
    Feb 24, 2023
    0
    The action is monotonous and unexhilarating.
    There are few fast travel points, and moving around is tedious.
    Actors who were in the original    The action is monotonous and unexhilarating.
    There are few fast travel points, and moving around is tedious.
    Actors who were in the original film are no longer present.    … Expand

See all 36 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2023
32
#32 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2023