Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
It’s a strange week when the announcement of Counter-Strike 2 is the highlight. We had a lot of interesting news from GDC, and peeks at upcoming games like Redfall and a TMNT game adaptation of The Last Ronin.
But I’ve been in a mood to talk about games themselves. So indulge me while I talk about a title that got eclipsed when Resident Evil 4 Remake dropped into my lap: Like A Dragon: Ishin! I returned to playing the game after RE4R and have a few thoughts about it.
Ishin takes place in Bakumatsu-era Japan, and follows a fictionalized telling of real ronin Ryoma Sakamoto. He, like every other character in the story, is “played” by a character from the mainline Like a Dragon (formerly known as Yakuza) series — in Ryoma’s case, he’s played by longtime series hero Kazuma Kiryu. As per usual in this series, you have a serious main story about revenge and societal justice, offset by wacky side activities and funny NPCs. There’s even a whole in-game life-sim side quest where Ryoma buys a house and starts a farm for no particular reason.
I didn’t get enough time with the game before starting RE4R to pass judgement. I’m still working on finishing, but I have enjoyed my time with it. I would easily recommend it to fans of the series.
Event
GamesBeat Summit 2023
Join the GamesBeat community in Los Angeles this May 22-23. You’ll hear from the brightest minds within the gaming industry to share their updates on the latest developments.
Ishin! has the same silly, charming fun as the rest of the series. It’s just a bit strange to me that we time-traveled centuries into the past and one of the first things the game does is give Kiryu a gun. The whole blacksmithing subquest was needless busywork, but I still enjoyed the game and give it a thumbs-up.
In addition to more of Ishin!, I’ll also be working on a third run-through of Resident Evil 4 Remake — let’s see if I can make it on Professional mode. I’ll also check out Tchia, if only because I feel like I must see what the new day-one launch on PlayStation Plus is like. It feels like we’ve already had several good releases this year, and I look forward to the Star Wars/Zelda one-two punch that’s coming in just a few weeks.
What to play this week
What’s new:
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
- Tchia
- Have a Nice Death
- Storyteller
New on subscription services:
- Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition (Xbox Game Pass)
- Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Ghostwire Tokyo (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Life Is Strange: True Colors (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Immortals Fenyx Rising (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Life is Strange 2 (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Street Fighter V Champion Edition (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Untitled Goose Game (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Rage 2 (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Neo: The World Ends with You (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Haven (PS Plus Extra + Premium)
- Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS Plus Premium)
- Ape Academy 2 (PS Plus Premium)
- Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PS Plus Premium)
- Book of Demons (Prime Gaming)
- Peaky Blinders: Mastermind (Prime Gaming)
- Chess Ultra (GeForce Now)
- Amberial Dreams (GeForce Now)
- Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga (GeForce Now)
- No One Survived (GeForce Now)
- Clue: Hasbro’s Mystery Game+ (Apple Arcade)
GamesBeat’s creed when covering the game industry is “where passion meets business.” What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you — not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.
