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Like Dragon: Isshin! As I stepped into the portal of virtual time, my senses were immediately overwhelmed by the cacophony around me. The city of Kyoto dazzles with the energy of its people and is filled with so much historical heritage, it compelled me to explore every inch of its landscape. But to fully appreciate it, I knew I had to avoid the convenience of fast travel wherever I could. Yes, it may seem like a quick fix to travel over the land, but trust me, taking the scenic route on foot is where the real treasures are to be found.
If you want to truly experience the thrill of traveling in Ishin, you should ditch your beloved palanquin (an old man-powered transportation vehicle) and get dirty on the streets of Kyoto. The people here are like something out of a zany cartoon, and every corner you turn leads you to a new room. One minute you might find yourself chasing a cheater who just jacks your clothes, you’re left to chase him around bare-naked, the next you might be cracking a case of recipe theft, or getting caught up in some intense housewife drama. And this is just scratching the surface; This is a game where you go from wild street dancing to star-crossed lovers to solve problems, all in a day.
And don’t even get me started on my “cucumber” lady, just flip the script and ask for “bigger” vegetables, or she’ll yell at herself. The craziness never lets up, but what’s even crazier is how visceral it all feels, in some ways even closer to my heart than the original series.
People in Ishin! They put their hearts on their sleeves. When you see kids with no toys competing next to other kids, or lovers sitting by the river crying their eyes out over heartbreak, you can see them before you even meet them. It’s like every NPC has a story to tell, begging me to come and be wrapped up in their drama. The way their quests also pop up automatically, sometimes out of nowhere as you walk into them, helps create an immersive and realistic world that demands you squeeze and hook every last drop.
Through my experiences in Ishin, I got a taste of what life was like for families back then.
NPCs in Yakuza games are always involved, I’ll give them that. But I especially love Ishii! Because by comparing each citizen’s life to the larger background and political situation of Kyoto, it helps you see them not as random people, but as part of something bigger and more important.
Time for a little history lesson. During the time when the oppressive Tokugawa Shogunate ruled the land, daily life was plain misery. Classrooms, social responsibilities, general package. I once stumbled upon a lonely housewife on my walk who wished someone would listen to her endless stories, and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t a very interesting offer (especially when I was reading her information as she answered her questions to prove you).
But little by little, through my many experiences and discoveries in Ishin, I got a real taste of what life was like for families in those days—with husbands sent to faraway lands at the shogun’s whim, or people dying tragically; I pondered her loneliness as she felt so burdened and heavy.
The real Sakamoto Ryoma (played here in a fictionalized version of Yakuza Kiryu) is also a sad comedy as he prematurely kicks the bucket, leaving his wife alone, grieving, and struggling with alcoholism. So when you talk about her in-game, it’s like you’re talking about what your wife is going to be next (maybe you can do something a little dark about Grandma Blabbermouth, but hey, his mind wanders where it likes).
Then the famous artist and his son could not play in the same league with the old man, so the son took his own life. I found myself serving as an artist to comfort the grieving father, but at the same time, I became interested in why it was a matter of life and death for his son to succeed in art. So while I was playing I googled the lives of merchants and artists in old Japan and soon realized how bad things were because
Artists were considered a very low and ineffective class – basically the punching bags of the day, despised, discriminated against and seen as mere parasites. Similarly, Ryoma (as a low-ranking samurai/goshi) is despised by high-ranking and arrogant samurai. Suicide may seem extreme, but I understand how years of oppression and denial of people’s self-worth can lead to this sad conclusion. The historical context gives the side story some real weight – not just a random or unrelated story, but a window into the conflicted society that Ryoma was a part of.
Ryoma’s identity as both a samurai and a proud citizen of Japan, combined with his noble mission to reform his country and the people he meets—except for the yakuza orphanage arc—provides unparalleled gravitas. 3) Because he is driven by a moral code and dreams, not just random instances of kindness. As Ryoma’s identity and goals sink into each step of my journey, I am forced to pursue his ideals with all the people I meet, like my true family; Something I can’t say is that the Yakuza are so random and mostly forgettable-passengers.
Like Dragon: Isshin! It strengthens these feelings. As I engage with the various residents—from teaching children, to appreciating classical art, to helping others cope with the hardships of living in Kyoto—I want to not just pass along their stories, but truly listen to their pleas, and make a real, tangible difference.
In other Yakuza games, I often rushed through the story, fast-forwarded and moved on to the next chapter (the main story was that crazy), I couldn’t bring myself to do the same with Isshin. Hey you.
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