What warrants a remake? A completely redesigned graphical foundation some would say is a perfectly legitimate reason to re-release a title. I guess that’s where we are as well, regarding this constant flow of older games resurfacing with a nicer surface. With Like a Dragon: Ishin, which is also of course reworked visually, here is another reason I would say is highly relevant for a remake. The original, which was released in 2014, was only released in Japan, and unless you are well-versed in the Japanese language and imported it, this title is one that has only now been made available to more people. I guess a growing western interest in the Like a Dragon/Yakuza games, and its spin-offs, means that the rest of the world is now getting a chance to catch up.
So, in other words, it’s time to get acquainted with an 1860s Japan and don the role of Samurai. Because unlike the other modern parts of the series, we move here to the last years of the Edo period. A chaotic time to say the least in many ways.
The main character named Sakamoto Ryōma, returns home after spending a year away honing his skills with his sword. Back home, things happen at breakneck speed and after a series of events, Ryōma flees his home village. He ends up in the then Japanese capital of Kyo (later known as Kyoto) and what follows is a fairly classic story based on the concept of revenge. It’s not a head-scratching experience at first, in fact the first few chapters of the game are quite tentative. But just like with many stories, it grows on one and the intrigue thickens. As the hours pass I begin to see through the obvious cracks and find several good things. During several, hour-long, moments of play, I also find that I’m having quite a bit of fun. Here there is a drive in what we experience, and once you have started investing hours in it, of course you want to see where everything leads. There are many names and faces to keep track of, but at the center is a character on the run, forced to live under an alias and trying to exact revenge on what forced him from his home village. Ryōma is in constant search to find the truth, so we get a revenge story with a bit of detective work thrown in.
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We’re going to look at those cracks I mentioned earlier. Because while this remake significantly improves things from the nearly ten-year-old original, everything still feels pretty dated. There is a ghostly stiffness over the characters and their animations make the characters feel like wax dolls, often jerking forward. Even the surroundings feel like flat scenery more than living places. When you think of, for example, Ghost of Tsushima, which, despite being in a different time period, still has to be the closest comparison (apart from the rest of the games in the series then, of course), it feels even more like the visuals don’t quite reach what we expect today anyway. Especially when we are offered so much else in the gaming world that sets the bar high. Small details such as trees and vegetation not moving, empty alleys with a total lack of detail and a kind of stiffness do not give a direct technical visual impression. When night falls in Kyo, however, the surroundings change slightly thanks to the light that gives it a cozier atmosphere. And even if the comparison with the modern titles in the series, where mainly neon lights and color bring the streets to life, may feel unfair, it’s still the one I constantly do when I run around. Because you run, you do that a lot and many areas and details feel almost a little neglected. Like putting gunpowder in a few places but forgetting the rest. When I turn onto the main street in Kyo, the feeling still manages to creep in, and some vivid details appear from time to time. But the overall impression is simply far from where I would like.
To round off my displeasure, however, it should be added that the cutscenes are neat, with pleasing camerawork and the lifeless characters suddenly seem to take on new life in these sequences. There are also places that shimmer a little extra, and when I compare to the original, it’s clear that it’s still a pretty decent change, in places. But still a good bit towards what we expect in 2023 visually.
The focus on action and combat is smooth and decently rewarding in all respects. Tactics and the importance of defending and changing the style of play feel well balanced. There are four different options here. Either you fight with your fists, with your katana, with firearms or with both gun and sword in a style called Wild Dance. Fighting with the sword alone feels the best so that’s what I do for the most part. Most often, you are in battle against a group of four or five enemies, or more difficult challenges one on one against more famous characters. Combos and skills are unlocked as you go, and most of what you could ask for in an action role-playing game is here in the form of items and improving your equipment, or getting new ones.
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It’s also full of both side missions and mini-games, many presented in a comical way with action-packed music and slightly crazy presentation. Helping to serve food is done at a hectic pace where you have to remember the right button combinations. There are a bunch of dice games and even western poker to relax with. If you are someone who likes to take his time and do a lot besides the main story, there are many hours to be found here. Side quests, known as Substories, appear in abundance as you make your way through the streets and alleys. I like that encounters with characters who want to give you side quests feel natural, often you’ll turn a corner and a short sequence will play where you find out about the character’s problem. It makes for a much more dynamic presentation when it feels like it’s happening randomly this way, and although the general stiffness is unfortunately present here too, at least encounters with different characters are fun.
On the streets, of course, you come across small gangs of bandits and other loose people who are happy to get into a fight. There’s a bit of unintentional comedy in the presentation of shooting or chopping down waves of scum, with blood spurting but then everyone’s fine, says how sorry they were for messing up, and runs off with their tails between their legs. But I guess they want to avoid the streets being filled with piles of dead bodies. For those who expect, and want, a lot of action, you will at least not be disappointed by the number of battles on offer.
It is in the interaction with the multitude of characters that appear that this still succeeds quite well. All have distinct personalities and are loosely based on real historical figures. In addition, they share the appearance and have the same voice actor as other characters in the game series, with the main character mimicking Kazuma Kiryu who is the protagonist of the modern Yakuza games. A lot of names fly by, and for those who want to delve deeper into Japanese history, you can even get more information during conversations about what places and events refer to and read a little more about them.
The story unfolds in chapters and a few hours in when all the introductions are completed, it feels much more fun than during the rather long and somewhat boring introduction. It’s not really that much that changes in terms of gameplay, but of course a lot is about getting a handle on everything the quest has to offer, and that it also feels like the design of the missions is getting better and better. Embarking on the many battles once you’ve unlocked some skills also feels more fun. As I said, there is a lot of blood spilled when swords cut through bodies, especially when special abilities start to be used and switching between the four fighting styles is done smoothly with the digital joystick. You can both dodge and parry and, with a little practice, achieve long-lasting combinations in the battles, but unfortunately, just like other movements, these feel a bit sluggish and neither as smooth nor stylish as you could wish.
Despite my consistent criticism, there are many parts that feel perfectly fine, even close to good. It’s full of content, and fans of the series should definitely check out this installment as well. Because if you have immersed yourself in the Like a Dragon series, this is probably indispensable to add to the game library. For its own part, it would have liked to have felt less dated and stiff, and then it would have already picked up an extra point there. But now there are too many small details to get hung up on. For example, that the screen should fade to black and load, albeit only for a short second, when you change areas or enter buildings, can feel like trivial things to complain about. But at the same time, there are things that for me justify how I feel about the experience as a whole where very small negative details simply disrupt the rhythm. An older title that is to be transported to the present must of course be able to meet the standard we have today, and here there is a little too much that could have been worked on more. There is a lot of running back and forth in a rather dreary location, tough battles and the rhythm is broken by long out-of-place sequences of dialogue that end up being quite tiresome. But above all, a little more life and movement was needed than just characters who feel as if they are frozen where they stand. On the plus account, however, there is a story that you like to follow to the end and this is really packed with content in the form of side missions and other things to do.
I would have liked a lot of what appears a bit into the story to have been presented earlier, while of course you can argue that it is a good thing that the adventure actually grows as the hours go by. As a whole, however, it is too unpolished and here, above all, a sharper edge is missing, which of course in the end is a rather bad thing for a samurai and his faithful sword.
