Like a Dragon: Ishinis a wildly different game than whatYakuzafans are used to. It takes place in 1800s Japan when samurai were still plentiful. It is loosely based on a historical figure, Sakamoto Ryoma, who is made to look like Kazuma Kiryu from the mainline games.
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Ryoma is struggling to find the killer of his father, Toyo, while also trying to keep his brother, Takechi, at bay.Like a Dragon: Ishinis doing well in reviews right now on Metacritic and is around the 80s. There are some great scores out there, but the game is far from perfect. There are blemishes, and it’s time to go through them all while highlighting the best features too.
8Best: Dramatically Goofy
Yakuza has always been a series that gets drama, action, and comedy right in its cutscenes. The same is thankfully true for this spinoff which shouldn’t be surprising. One early example has Ryoma facing off against Kichinosuke, who looks like RyujifromYakuza 2, in a bathhouse.
The best part is that they are both nude and are only obscured by thin clouds of mist. Players even get to fight in this state. It’s goofy, and it shouldn’t work, but it does and it is highly entertaining.
7Worst: No Dub
This series cannot decide whether it wants a dub or not. The first game did, and then it wouldn’t be until the spinoff,Judgment, that the English audio would return.Yakuza: Like a Dragonhas a dub as well. The first game’s dub was rough, but every dub after that was great.
It’s a shameLike a Dragon: Ishindoesn’t have a dub. The Japanese audio is fantastic as always, but some players just preferdubs over subson a fundamental level be it in a video game or an anime.
6Best: The Substories
Another waytheYakuzagameshas remained wacky is through its side quests. They are called substories inLike a Dragon: Ishinand they can be randomly encountered as one explores the various cities. The first wave of them can be triggered in Kyo after the first chapter.
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One is called “Ee Ja Nai Ka” which has Ryoma start dancing like a fool instead of helping deal with some muggers. This game also deserves credit for its wild mini-games like a baseball one that has Ryoma cut cannonballs in half or one where he will dance with fans.
5Worst: Rough Textures
Graphically, this game looks rough in some parts. Most of the effort in the remaster seems to have gone to the cutscenes. Everyone looks great in them, especially the characters. Characters outside of cutscenes are in much poorer detail.
One of the most distracting things in the game is the texture pop-ins, which are constant like on clothing. These graphical glitches don’t make the game any less fun to play, but it certainly doesn’t help the overall package.
4Best: Simple, But Fun Action
The combat hasn’t changed much, which is not surprising given that this game is technically older. That said, it is still fun to pummel or cut enemies to pieces metaphorically. Players get to choose between four combat styles like one that emphasizes fists.
While players could equip guns and swords in other games, there is a bigger emphasis on them inLike a Dragon: Ishin. It isa samurai gamethrough and through which is how players should go through the campaign.
3Worst: Feels Dated
To piggyback off of the graphics, the overall package feels lackluster. It is dated in so many ways that were fixed in newer entries. How is there not a lock-on button inan action gamein 2023? This game isn’t that old where that mechanic should have been in it in the first place.
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Players can’t skip cutscenes or fast-forward through them which is also odd. Other small things like quest markers can make completing quests more of a hassle. As a remaster, more things should have been done to modernizeLike a Dragon: Ishin.
2Best: A Cool Weapon System
The weapon system in this game is reminiscent ofDark Cloud 2. That game had a branching skill tree that showed how weapons could be upgraded based on materials. That’s howLike a Dragon: Ishinworks as well. Players can upgrade swords, guns, and even accessories in a plethora of ways.
It’s not the most dynamic upgrade system on the planet, but it can be fun to experiment with. The only downside is the massive grind for materials or money to buy said materials from vendors.
1Best: The Theater
This game includes a theater mode wherein players can relive their favorite moments from the story on repeat. A good example is to make a callback to that early fight between Ryoma and Kichinosuke in the bathhouse. Is there a limit to how many times one can get enjoyment out of that bout?
There are so many badass examples after that as well. This is another feature that most entries intheYakuzaserieshas, but it still deserves praise inLike a Dragon: Ishin. Most games should get theater modes like this.
Like a Dragon: Ishinwas released on August 06, 2025 and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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