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Since feudal Japan suddenly became bankable, SEGA decided it was time to give its Yakuza Ishin a chance, released in 2014 on PS3 and PS4. At the time, only Japan was entitled to this spin-off of the Yakuza series, which had not yet reached its international notoriety today. But things change, evolve, and in 2022, it’s the right time to relaunch this franchise through a remaster planned on all current media. Returning to a restored version, Yakuza Ishin then becomes Like a Dragon Ishin and has been redesigned to adapt to all markets, especially Western ones. The story is set in 1860s Kyo, a fictionalized version of Kyoto, and chronicles the decline of the iconic samurai era. We will therefore embody a certain Sakamoto Ryoma, a true historical figure who was widely recognized for having overthrown the shogunate and led Japan into a radical reform.
Obviously, to stay in the Yakuza spirit, the developers had the good idea to call on familiar faces, like good old Kazuma Kiryu who thus becomes Sakamoto Ryoma. He is not alone as Goro Majima and other key Yakuza characters embody other characters in this fictional world that trades the flashy streets of Tokyo for the chaotic bustle of 1860s Kyo. Like a Dragon Ishin is the Yakuza Studio’s first title to be developed on Unreal Engine 4, allowing the game to gain finesse in graphics, thanks to new textures and other graphic details. The release of Like a Dragon Ishin is set for the month of February 2023.
