The Yakuza franchise is bigger than it's ever been, with the latest titles seeing success across multiple consoles, a spin-off in the form of Judgment has now become its own successful sub-series and a live-action adaptation is in the works. Despite this, it is still surprising – though exciting – to see the previously Japanese exclusive ‘Yakuza Ishin remade for current-gen systems with a worldwide release.
Announced at the recent PlayStation State of Play (and elaborated upon further via the PlayStation Blog), SEGA unveiled ‘Like a Dragon: Ishin’ – a from-the-ground-up remake of the PlayStation 3/4 title – saying:
“Hello everyone! Today is a very special day. Not just for RGG Studio, the masterminds behind Yakuza: Like a Dragon, but for all our fans worldwide who have been eagerly awaiting the most legendary lost chapter from the creators of the Like a Dragon Series. We’ve read your Twitter comments, seen your fan content, and are beyond excited to announce that the action-packed samurai title of legend, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, will launch globally in February 2023.”
Like a Dragon: Ishin is an action-adventure historical thriller set in a fictionalised version of 1860s Kyoto. Despite this, the game will feature familiar faces, with many of the most recognisable yakuza characters such as Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima playing roles in Like a Dragon: Ishin’s cast.
Unlike the past few games developed by RGG studio, Like a Dragon: Ishin utilises Unreal Engine 4: “bringing astounding graphical quality to the Like a Dragon franchise. Developing on Unreal Engine 4 has unlocked new textures and other graphical details that make Ishin’s gripping story one of the most cinematic tales in RGG history.”
Like a Dragon: Ishin is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The full details surrounding Like a Dragon: Ishin can be found HERE.
KitGuru says: Are you excited for Like a Dragon: Ishin? What was your first Yakuza game? Would you like to see any other spin-offs remade? Let us know down below.