Above the Berlin Samurai Museum's gift shop and flanked by ornate helmets of fearsome warriors of a bygone era, I played a few hours of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's remake of historical Yakuza spin-off Like A Dragon: Ishin this week. The original was a Japanese-only release back in 2014 on the PlayStation 3, but what a fever dream it was to be dropped into Chapter 3 of the story and let loose on an Edo period Kyoto as none other than Ryoma Sakamoto (multiverse Kiryu). I almost cried, I raced chickens, I caught a big eel, and I've come away with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
From what I've played of the game's earliest portions, it's Yakuza through and through, to both its benefit and detriment. I don't expect it to convert those who dislike the series, but if you're a fan or a newcomer, it's looking like it'll both be a celebration of its cast, and a remake that feels like an old-school spin on the excellent Yakuza 0. In other words, the perfect introduction point to this mad, but beautiful action series.