Another day, another moment of me screaming "Yakuza Ishin localization, W H E N?". Yakuza Ishin is a spinoff of the mainline Yakuza series, where the "main characters" of Yakuza kind of "play" characters in 1850s Japan. It's really fanservice for those who love the mainline series since it uses faces from characters that appeared in different mainline games, including dead ones. In a way it kind of makes it feel like the Yakuza series is like a TV series or bunch of movies with recurring actors, and those actors were used in Ishin to play similar characters with similar engrossing plot under different names. So you have old and gone characters interacting with newer ones. Anyway, the actual name of the series is "Ryu Ga Gotoku" which means "Like a Dragon".
Fun historical fact: Isshin takes place during the 1850s/60s, known as the Meiji Revolution, or the Meiji Restoration. It was a period when a pro-Western Emperor took the throne, so Japan began to adopt "Western" ideas, including its military doctrines, technology, and certain social practices. A part of that Westernization involved the downsizing, and eventual outlawing, of the samurai caste, a move that was violently opposed by many samurai who saw it as a decline of Japan's morality. That being said, it's always been a misconception that Japan didn't have firearms until America and Europe came along. In reality, guns were first brought over to the Japanese archipelago by the Chinese as early as the 1200s, but didn't see popular use until Portuguese missionaries started trading their firearms after getting shipwrecked on a small island off the coast of Kyushu in 1543. After that, they became a popular import, with Oda Nobunaga famously pioneering firearm tactics that helped him conquer most of Japan.
You are the best, I already read about the Meiji Revolution before, but the weapon import is something that I did not know beforehand, I think I’m going to read more on it thank you Also 2 years late lol
Still waiting on Ishin to be localised, Sega knows how much people want it. This is easily one of the best final boss themes in the series, each phase has similar motif’s to themes from other Yakuza games, mainly the final boss themes from Yakuza 2, 3 and 4.
Literally the very first Yakuza game had it already with Shimano's boss theme "Pray Me" having a unique if rather simple loop of his song start playing once half his health is gone during both boss fights against him. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_WQqqicFq50.html The Kiwami remake did a similar thing with his new boss theme "Pray Me -Revive-". ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-__mXfdMlod4.html
Friendly reminder that this game has a butt slapping fight in an onsen xD Also, the most badass music in existence. And the hardest dance mini game in any game ever, omg.
It's pretty easy to pronounce. Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin. Literal translation would be Like A Dragon: Restoration. Restoration because of when this game is set: 1800's Japan, Bakumatsu Era, just before the Meiji Restoration(IRL history, by the way). You follow the adventures of one Sakamoto Ryoma, legendary figure in Japanese history and one of the pioneers of fighting for equality(that part doesn't happen immediately though). Now about the theme itself, yes it's definitely an extraordinary one. Ever heard Unwavering Belief from Lost Judgment? It's very similar.
the "ryu ga gotoku"(yakuza in the west) series is pure testosterone compresed into a game, from the first to the spin offs, even the PSP game "black panther" is fucking gold, in fact go and listen to the ost of black panther, that one is such an often forgoten gem, well...also because it never got localized.
Hey again, Jesse. I'm very glad you enjoyed this one as well, and thank you for doing it! This game is a side game/spinoff of the Yakuza series and it never came to the West, so this is unplayable over here. However, the music. THE MUSIC. God bless Japan lmao
Yeah, as others said, this game is basically a Japanese historical drama where characters from across the series are used to represent various historical figures. It sucks so much that its Japanese PS4 exclusive still. The restraint but embrace of traditional Japanese instruments to its score really gives it its own unique flavor.
Not the Yakuza tune I was expecting but that was amazing! I've never heard this song before. Also, I hear some Street Fighter 5 music in the background, have you listened to much of SFV's soundtrack? Specifically Ring of Pride.
I went with one less popular on purpose lol, Yakuza has a lot of great tunes but this one goes under the radar because of the game not being localized so I figured I'd spread it a bit
But to be serious, music is extremely important to me and it's a big factor in why I play so many Japanese games. You will get a lot more many genres and instruments in a blender than you will see in Western games. Genshin Impact also has a huge mesh of things and it's a Chinese game. And as a metalhead raised by classical musicians who loves how crazy diverse the metal world has become, yeah. Game music with influences and genres and instruments all in a blender to spit out something tasty - it pleases me.
This game is set between 1850 and 1870, which is perfect cause revolvers had already existed for like 20 years by then so they could throw them in here without having to think too hard.
