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Like A Dragon: Ishin, a full-fat remake of 2014's Japan-only Yakuza period piece, is finally coming to the West in part because Ghost of Tsushima showed the development team that this type of game can do well globally.
Speaking with Fanbyte, Masayoshi Yokoyama, studio chief and executive producer at developer RGG Studio, explained that Ghost of Tsushima was a driving factor in expanding the scope of the remake, which is due on PS4 and PS5 in February 2023.
"We saw how well Ghost of Tsushima did, and how it was about this very Japanese setting made by Americans, so that gave us confidence Ishin could do well in America too," Yokoyama said. He added that the timing and scope of Ishin's release was also aided by Yakuza: Like A Dragon, which further established and expanded the game's following in the West.
Ghost of Tsushima was a landmark success for Sucker Punch and the PlayStation Studios umbrella. In July, the open-world, samurai-turned-shinobi adventure celebrated its second anniversary and 10 million copies sold. A Ghost of Tsushima film adaptation is also in the works, complete with a Japanese cast.
Yakuza fans have much more than the Ishin remake to look forward to. Like A Dragon 8, which is somehow the real name of the next mainline Yakuza game – presumably because RGG wants to hammer home the Like A Dragon branding and storyline – is coming in 2024.
Meanwhile, yet another improbably titled spin-off, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, is due to launch in 2023.
Fans of Japanese period pieces are suddenly spoiled for choice: Assassin's Creed Codename Red is taking the series to Japan, and Ninja Gaiden developer Team Ninja is betting big on Rise of the Ronin after seven years of work.
