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Like a Dragon: Ishin! similar games & best alternatives

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 • 2023

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Quick resume

Don the clothes and weaponry of the elite to become the samurai of legend, Sakamoto Ryoma. Draw your blade and join the revolution in this heated historical adventure.

Global score

81/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up

Similar games

    Pros

    • Engaging story and characters
    • Diverse combat styles
    • Rich side content and minigames
    • Historical japanese setting
    • Large amount of content and replayability

    Cons

    • Grind-heavy progression
    • Some combat styles weak or unbalanced
    • Technical issues like stuttering and 30fps cutscenes
    • Single-use dlc criticized
    • Dated graphics and animations compared to newer titles

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Fellowship, Intimacy, Story.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players can freely choose among four distinct combat styles and engage in a wide variety of side activities and minigames, allowing personal freedom in gameplay approach."

    • Competence
      3

      "Combat involves skillful use of multiple fighting styles and upgrading abilities; however, some combat styles are considered weak and grind is required for progression."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is primarily on single-player story and side content with no mention of ranked or multiplayer competition."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Players report long playtimes, habitual engagement with side quests, minigames, and farming, indicating strong desire to keep playing."

    • Cooperation
      -4

      "Game is single-player focused with individual objectives; no cooperative multiplayer or teamwork elements mentioned."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players engage in farming, cooking, crafting, and customizing weapons, showing creative engagement beyond combat."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions are mostly narrative and personal; no evidence of exerting control or superiority over other players."

    • Escapism
      5

      "Players use the game to immerse in a historical Japanese setting with rich story and side content, escaping real-life stress."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players express intrinsic interest and enjoyment, with no indication of obligation or external pressure to play."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Multiple combat styles and diverse side activities encourage trying new mechanics and gameplay approaches."

    • Exploration
      4

      "Open world with many substories, minigames, and side content encourages discovering new areas and secrets."

    • Expression
      3

      "Players can customize weapons, engage in farming and cooking, and develop bonds with NPCs, allowing personal expression."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Game is set in a fictionalized version of 1860s Japan with historical characters portrayed by Yakuza series characters, blending fiction and history."

    • Fellowship
      1

      "Some social interaction through bonding with NPCs, but overall gameplay is solitary without multiplayer community focus."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players learn and develop combat skills, upgrade equipment, and progress through story and side content."

    • Health
      -5

      "Game is a sedentary single-player experience with no physical activity or health-related features."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires active engagement and focus; not designed for background or short-session play."

    • Intimacy
      1

      "Some emotional bonding with NPCs through side quests, but limited to scripted interactions without deep relationship building."

    • Leadership
      -4

      "No evidence of leading others; gameplay is individual without group management or authority roles."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong emphasis on acquiring weapons, upgrades, and unlocking abilities; progression is a key gameplay element."

    • Relaxation
      3

      "Game offers a balance of challenge and flow with engaging story and minigames, though some find grind stressful."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Visuals, music, and combat animations provide sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."

    • Status
      -4

      "Focus is on personal experience and story; no social recognition or leaderboard systems."

    • Story
      5

      "Highly praised narrative immersion with engaging historical fiction and character-driven plot."

    • Strategy
      2

      "Combat and equipment upgrades require some planning and tactical thinking, though not highly complex."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Combat and boss fights provide moments of tension and excitement, but overall gameplay is balanced."

    • Value
      3

      "Players find the game worth the price especially on sale, citing large content and replay value."

    • Violence
      4

      "Combat involves melee and ranged violence with swords, guns, and brawling against enemies."

    • Survival
      2

      "Combat difficulty and resource management provide some survival challenge, especially on higher difficulties."

    Where to buy

    Last update: 29/04/2026