Fans of the Yakuza series had a surprise waiting in the latest State of Play showcase of Sony. Sega showed off a remake of Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin, the Yakuza spin-off game that originally launched in 2014 only in Japan. Now titled Like a Dragon: Ishin for global audiences, the remake is being built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 4, a first for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.
For those unfamiliar with the title, Ishin keeps the familiar faces of the franchise but takes its gameplay and storytelling formula to the 1860s. Here, the game becomes a historical thriller following Sakamoto Ryoma, a real figure in Japanese history, to let players experience the fall of the samurai era.
Coming in with action combat like the older titles in the series, Ishin features four combat styles, letting players go through enemies using a blade, a revolver, a blade and a revolver as a combo, or simply fists. Of course, Heat actions deliver the iconic and over-the-top action sequences too, from summoning a tiger to shoving pickled plums down enemy throats.
Like a Dragon: Ishin is launching globally in February 2023, and it is coming to PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. There may be more Yakuza news on the horizon too. The developer has announced it is hosting a livestream with a "special surprise" tomorrow, September 14, at 3 AM PT.
