Like a Dragon: Ishinis already proving to be a popular addition to the longstanding and yet still-growingYakuzafranchise, which is now shifting to theLike a Dragonnaming across its many upcoming releases. This level of success is perhaps predictable given the massive amounts of anticipation the game faced from fans, with the title originally releasing in 2014, but only for Japanese audiences.
With Western audiences now being able to experienceLike a Dragon: Ishin, a brand-new demographic of fans are coming to terms with the Samurai-set narrative of the title and its familiar yet unique core gameplay mechanics. As many veteran fans of the wider IP may expect,Ishin’score combat plays directly off of a variety of combat styles that the player has to master and utilize, with there being four distinct and unique styles in total.
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Like a Dragon: Ishin - Brawler Style
The first combat style that players will become familiar with inIshinis the Brawler style, which is as style that shares the most in common with the combat styles of most otherclassicLike a Dragontitles.Ishin’sBrawler style is primarily used for unarmed combat, offering a more traditional beat-em-up experience with faster attacks and combos. The Brawler style is one of the only combat styles that allows the player to grab enemies, and it features its own range of Heat Actions.
The utility behind the Brawler style is twofold, as the style can also be used to equip Special Weapons with limited uses, which can range from the seriously overpowered to the comically wacky. Although this combat style does not offer the same level of unique flare ofswordplay and firearms that the setting ofIshinfosters, it is nonetheless an important early-game style for players to explore and master.
Like a Dragon: Ishin - Swordsman Style
The Swordsman style is arguably the most synonymous fighting style with the core motifs ofLike a Dragon: Ishin’s portrayal of Samurai-era Japan. As the name suggests, the Swordsman style is the primary combat avenue for armed melee combat withinIshin, with the player being able to equip, craft, and upgrade a wide range of katanas and other swords for use within the Swordsman style.
This particular style can be devastating when combined with the correct amount of skill-tree upgrades and ability unlocks, and is equally strong at dealing with multiple enemies or single powerful bosses. In the Swordsman style, the player can easily break an enemies defense and deal huge amounts of targeted damage through charged attack combos and Swordsman-specific Heat Actions.
Like a Dragon: Ishin - Gunman Style
The Gunman style is a unique element to the widerLike a Dragonfranchise, allowing players to utilize a range of small firearms in combat. Firearms are only available to use elsewhere in the franchise as pick-ups or Special Weapons, or within thenon-canon spin-off titleYakuza:Dead Souls, which flings the series' beloved characters into a modern-day zombie apocalypse.
As expected, the Gunman style sees the player armed only with their equipped pistol, being a perfect style for more defensive and ranged combat that allows damage to be dealt from a safe distance. The main variety within the Gunman style concerns the special ammo types that the player can obtain and equip, with things like Flame Rounds and Poison Rounds offering a fascinating range of approaches that the player can choose to take, depending on how a combat situation needs to be tackled.
Like a Dragon: Ishin - Wild Dancer Style
The final and most complex style thatmakes upIshin’s four combat stylesis the Wild Dancer style. A high-octane and varied fighting style, Wild Dancer interestingly merges both sword combat and gun combat simultaneously under a single style.
Rhythmic attack combos give the style its name, allowing the player to weave through crowds of enemies while dealing close-quarter damage and flurries of pistol shots in quick succession. In this way, Wild Dancer is arguably the best style for combating large groups, with the style additionally priding itself on evasion and agility to dodge unpredictable attacks. While theLaDfranchise has long featured multiple fighting styles, it is refreshing to see the truly unique nature in whichIshin’s styles break away from the norms of the IP.
Like a Dragon: Ishinis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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