Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's upcoming Like a Dragon: Ishin marks the first time audiences outside of Japan will get the chance to play this spin-off title. In a departure from the rest of the Yakuza series, Like a Dragon: Ishin transports players back a century in Japan's history to the late Edo Period, a time filled with political turmoil and country-wide upheaval. While some players will recognize familiar faces among the game's cast they won't be taking control of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, but rather swordsman Sakamoto Ryoma as he navigates the inner workings of the Shinsengumi police force.
Originally released exclusively in Japan for the PS3 and PS4 in 2014, Like a Dragon: Ishin aims to retain the feel of modern games in the series while offering players new combat styles to better suit the time period of the game. As a ronin—a masterless samurai—Ryoma is able to fight using a sword, a gun, a combination of the two, and his fists to battle foes and work his way up the ladder of the Shinsengumi. Like a Dragon: Ishin's over-the-top combat may not be totally historically accurate, but highlights the fictionalized version of real historical events the game is based on.
Understanding Like a Dragon: Ishin's Place on the Timeline
Like a Dragon: Ishin takes place during the infamous Bakumatsu period of Japan's history, set between 1853-1867 as part of the late Edo period. During this time, Japan was ruled by the feudal Tokugawa shogunate which was known for its isolationist foreign policy and militaristic control of the country through daimyo warlords and the samurai. In opposition to the shogunate was a faction of imperial loyalists called the Ishin Shishi, who sought to overthrow the military dictatorship and restore Japan's rightful emperor to the throne.
The shogunate employed the elite Shinsegumi police force as a means to quell the growing opposition of the Ishin Shishi, leading to the events of Like a Dragon: Ishin. In the game, Sakamoto Ryoma is affiliated with the faction being from the Ishin Shishi-controlled region of Tosa on the southern coast of Japan's Shikoku island. When his adoptive father is assassinated, he goes undercover as a member of the Shinsegumi using the name Saito Hajime in order to find out the truth of his father's death.
Set in the streets of a fictionalized version of the city of Kyoto, Kyo, Ryoma will have to navigate the harsh political climate that sees the Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi clash as he investigates who among the police could have killed his father. Tension between the Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi culminated in the 1864 Ikedaya incident, a riot in Kyoto that saw battle between the two factions erupt resulting in heavy causalities. It's clear there are a lot of historical details Like a Dragon: Ishin has to pull from in its story of murder and political intrigue during this time of great change in Japan's history.
Ultimately, the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown by pro-imperial forces, resulting in the restoration of Emperor Meiji to the throne in 1868 and the movement of the capitol from Kyoto to the city of Edo, renamed Tokyo. With the earliest game in the series that Like a Dragon: Ishin players are likely familiar with being Yakuza 0 set in the 1980s, the mid-1800s is quite the change of pace for this entry. As a spin-off game, it doesn't affect the canon of the mainline Yakuza and Like a Dragon games, but it does offer players a unique look at an important Japanese historical period through the lens of familiar characters from the Yakuza franchise.
Like a Dragon: Ishin releases February 21, 2023 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.