Sega announcesLike a Dragon: Ishin, a remake of a 2014 spin-offYakuzagame, is currently in development. On the eve of developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s special broadcast, a project few could have predicted has been announced. Like theYakuza Kiwamiremakes before it,Like a Dragon: Ishinwill localize a game previously unavailable in the west. But, also like theYakuza Kiwamigames,Like a Dragon: Ishinis so much more than the game the remake is based on.
In 2014, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio launchedRyū ga Gotoku Ishin!, which translates toLike a Dragon Ishin!, since theYakuzafranchise has always been known asLike a Dragonin Japan. This was the last game before the release ofYakuza 0andYakuza Kiwami, however, which triggered a surge of popularity in the west and resulted in remakes and re-releases of the entireYakuzafranchise in the years since. Now Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is localizingLike a Dragon: Ishin, too, but is also doing something special with the project.
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Like a Dragon: Ishinis a remake and localization ofRyū ga Gotoku Ishin!in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a planned release window of February 2023. It’s also going to beRyu Ga Gotoku Studio’s first game built on Unreal Engine 4. This is a major shift for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, which built its previous games on the internally-developed Dragon Engine. That could lead to significant visual improvements and faster development time down the road, especially if it takes the step up to Unreal Engine 5.
Like a Dragon: Ishinisn’t a prequel or sequel to the main seriesYakuzagames, for those who aren’t familiar. It’s a spin-off game set in the 1860s. Imagine it as an alternative universe whereYakuzaprotagonist Kazuma Kiryuand several other familiarYakuzacharacters were born in a different era. Don’t let the name confuse anyone either. While it’s namedLike a Dragon, similar toYakuza: Like a Dragon, its gameplay will be action-oriented like the other games in theYakuzafranchise.
The name ofLike a Dragon: Ishindoes convey what could be an important message, however. It likely means that theYakuzafranchise will be rebranded to theLike a Dragonfranchise in the west going forward. As previously noted, the Japanese title for the series has always beenLike a Dragon.Yakuzawas, assumedly, used in the west for marketing reasons.Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s successperhaps showed Sega that a conversion to the new name would be fine given how successful the series has been.
As exciting, and portentous, asLike a Dragon: Ishin’s announcement is, it’s likely just the start of what could be a very exciting week for fans of theYakuzafranchise. Tomorrow, September 14, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is sharing a special broadcast that’s expected to feature the announcement of its next main-series game in theYakuzaseries. Expect much moreLike a Dragonnews very soon.
Like a Dragon: Ishinreleases February 2023 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
