Yakuza Spin-Off Game Like a Dragon: Ishin Announced by RGG Studio

Prior to its own showcase in the coming day, developer RGG Studio has revealed that it’s bringing one of the last remaining Yakuza games that was previously unreleased in the West to modern platforms. First launched back in 2014, Yakuza: Ishin! was a spin-off entry that took place in the 1800s and featured many of the same faces from the core installments. And while Western audiences have hoped that the game would be ported for quite some time, RGG Studio is now finally making good on those requests. 

Formally revealed in today’s PlayStation State of Play presentation, Like a Dragon: Ishin was announced to be coming to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms in February 2023. Rather than simply being a port of the original game, Like a Dragon: Ishin is going to be a full remake that drastically improves the visuals and gameplay from the initial release on PS3.

“Like a Dragon: Ishin is an action-adventure historical thriller set uniquely in 1860s Kyo, a fictionalized version of Kyoto. While other games tell earlier stories in Japanese history, Ishin lets you experience the story of how the iconic samurai era vanished. Our hero, Sakamoto Ryoma, is a true historical figure largely credited with overthrowing the shogunate and taking Japan into a radical reformation,” says Sega’s official description of the game via Playstation Blog. “Like a Dragon: Ishin brings in familiar faces to tell this epic historical tale. Fans will recognize our protagonist as 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. Goro Majima and other Yakuza celebrities join Ryoma as friends and foes in this fictional world that trades the flashy streets of Tokyo for the chaotic bustle of 1860s Kyo. These new character dynamics are as thrilling as they are unexpected, with a series of mind-blowing twists and turns in a story only RGG studio can tell.”

What do you think about Like a Dragon: Ishin finally releasing on modern platforms? Are you someone who has waited to play this game for yourself? Let me know your own reaction to this news either down in the comments or message me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.