14 DAY TRIAL // The spin-off game in the Like a Dragon series, formerly known in English localization as Yakuza, Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! is getting a full remake, SEGA announced this week. Launched about 8 years ago on PlayStation 3/4, the game was never released outside Japan due to the low demand.
Unlike the other Yakuza games, Like a Dragon: Ishin is set in 1860’s Kyo, a fictionalized version of Kyoto. As a genre, this is an action-adventure historical thriller that tells the story of how the iconic samurai era vanished.
The protagonist, Sakamoto Ryoma, is a true historical figure largely credited with overthrowing shogunate and taking Japan into a radical reformation. Fans of the Yakuza series will recognize the game’s main hero, Kazuma Kiryu from earlier entries in the franchise. In Ishin, Kiryu is cast as Sakamoto Ryoma and brings the rest of his crew along too.
Other popular characters from Yakuza series will appear in Ishin too, including Goro Majima. Not to mention that the story will feature mind-blowing twists and turns just like we’ve used to from the RGG studio.
And the best news is this is full remaster, not just a simple re-release featuring western localization. According to RGG, Like a Dragon: Ishin is its first title to be built on Unreal Engine 4. Thanks to the new engine, new textures and other graphical details have been implemented to make the game’s story one of the most cinematic tales in the studio’s history.
As far as the release goes, SEGA announced that Like a Dragon: Ishin will be launched on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 21, 2023. The game will be available in two editions: Standard and Deluxe.
In related news, SEGA confirmed Yakuza: Like a Dragon 8 will arrive in 2024. A short 1-minute teaser trailer has been released in case you’re hungry for more details.
