Today's release: "Ryu ga Gotoku" set in the final days of the Tokugawa shogunate returns after 9 years!　With upgraded graphics, a new cast, and more, "Ryu ga Gotoku: Restoration! Pole" Review

An original story based on Japan at the end of the Edo period

The story takes place in Japan at the end of the Edo period. Amidst the decline of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the influence of powerful nations, Ryoma Sakamoto returns to the Tosa domain after a year's absence from his training in swordsmanship in Edo. At the request of his foster father, Toyo Yoshida, Ryoma joins the Tosa Kinno Party, formed by his brother, Hanpeita Takeichi, and decides to help in their determination to overthrow the status system that has taken root in Tosa. However, just as Ryoma and the other three were meeting to discuss the uprising, Toyo Yoshida was assassinated by a masked man who suddenly appeared on the scene.

Ryoma, who is suspected of Yoshida's assassination, breaks off with Takeichi as he flees from his pursuers and decides to leave the Tosa domain in order to find the assassin.

Ryoma then drifted to the city of Kyoto, where he discovered that his avenger was a master of "Shizen Rishin-ryu" and that there was a swordsman in the "Shinsengumi" who used this style of swordsmanship. Under the alias of Hajime Saito, Ryoma infiltrates the Shinsengumi and discovers who killed his foster father.

Since the story is based on the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, real people and organizations appear in the film. The story is filled with the standard elements of works based on the end of the Edo period, such as Sakamoto Ryoma's campaign for the Emperor's exclusion of foreigners and the Shinsengumi, a group entrusted with maintaining security in Kyoto, making it easy for history buffs to get into the story.

On the other hand, as can be seen from Ryoma Sakamoto's face, most of the important characters in the series are modeled after characters from the "Yakuza" series. The voice actors also remain the same as the original models. For example, Ryoma Sakamoto is modeled after Kazuma Kiryu, the main character in the first "Yakuza" series, and is voiced by Takaya Kuroda, while Izo Okada is modeled after Kazuma Kiryu's close friend Akira Nishikiyama, and is voiced by Kazuhiro Nakatani.

The setting in which Ryoma Sakamoto and Hajime Saito are the same person is symbolic, but the combination of elements in "Yakuza" makes the storyline unpredictable, with a mixture of historical fact and originality, even though the story is about the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. For example, Koshitaro Ito appears early in the story as a Shinsengumi general staff member, but in the historical account he later leaves the Shinsengumi with his followers and is eventually killed by Shinsengumi fighters.

However, the model for Koshitaro Ito in this film is Daisaku Hisase, who appeared in "Yakuza0: The Place of Oath. In the same work, Koshitaro is a picture-perfect fighter and does not appear to use his head as a strategist. Because of this gap, Koshitaro Ito in "Yakuza Restoration! Koshitaro Ito in "Yakuza Restoration! Will he trace history, or will he move in a way that is unique to this work? Because of both possibilities, it was impressive to enjoy the story from two perspectives: history and "Yakuza.

Another new element of this work is the use of Daisaku Hisase, as well as Taiki Awano and Keiji Shibusawa, who appeared in "Yakuza 0," as models

The town of Kyoto, where both stores and ruffians gather, has been enhanced with the Unreal Engine.

The main setting of the film is the capital city of Kyoto. As the emperor's capital, it is a bustling downtown area where various people and stores gather day and night. This work has been reconstructed using the "Unreal Engine" game engine, and the textures of the people and buildings, as well as the atmosphere and atmosphere of the city, have been improved compared to the original "Yakuza Restoration! The game is more immersive than the original version, "Yakuza Restoration! The differences are especially apparent when viewing the same location at different times of the day, dusk, or late at night.

Walking around town, you may get tangled up with enemies and end up in a battle.

Although the graphics are realistic, the content of Kyo is arranged in a "Yakuza" style. While there are stores such as grocery stores and pawn shops, Don Quijote is a regular part of the town. The store offers a wide selection of goods, from recovery medicines essential for regenerating HP to boxed lunches and materials such as scrap iron used to make weapons, and I often visited the store while playing.

Don Kihote

As you interact with the townspeople and use the stores, you accumulate "virtues," which eventually improve your reputation among the residents. There are also characters with whom you can further deepen your "bond," and trading with them and exchanging requests will provide you with various benefits, such as additional goods, discounts, and help during battle. This kind of connection with people is quite enjoyable, not only because you can feel the life of the town, but also because it has a humanistic aspect that is often seen in period dramas.

There are also a variety of mini-games. There are various types, such as helping out at an udon shop, karaoke, drinking contests, and gambling.

Substories include a variety of genres, from gags to serious stories.

Although not really related to the main storyline, the work is littered with sub-stories involving the main character and the town's inhabitants. The total number of sub-stories is 72, according to the confirmation in the work, and the volume of sub-stories alone is quite large.

The contents of the subplots vary widely, ranging from serious to gags, such as the "ee-jana-ya" movement that took place at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868), which is related to historical facts, to a chase with an injured elderly lady and a chase with a thief who stole clothes.

Particularly impressive was the sub-story "Two Lies in Five. The goal is to find the culprit who ate the manju without permission, and the event tests logical thinking by exposing inconsistencies in the testimonies of the people involved to get to the bottom of the matter. Since I am personally not good at this type of event, I listened to the story and chose the culprit based on my intuition. Then, the victim said that whoever the protagonist chose next would be taken away as the culprit, and as I assumed that he would tell me the correct answer, I was wrong.

In another case, a writer named Natsumi was struggling with the setting of the main character of a story, and when I suggested what was clearly a story from among three themes, he gave me an incorrect answer and I thought I had to start over, but the story went on as it was. There are a few sub-stories here and there that diverge in content, such as the manju stealing and the proposal to the writer, so you might want to think a little more seriously when actually playing the game.

Switch between four different styles of battle. Prepare carefully for boss battles.

Battles in this title are fighting action. The basic combo is a combination of a weak attack using the □ button and a strong attack using the △ button, and the method of attack changes depending on the battle style selected. There are three battle styles: "Fighting Style," "Itto Style," "Short Gun Style," and "Ranbu Style," which can be changed in real time during battle.

The "Fighting Style" is literally a style centered on martial arts. It does not have the reach of a sword or gun, but it is capable of swift attacks, and when defending against an enemy's attack, the fighter can use "ukewashi," or parry, as well as other objects around him as weapons. The ability to fight quickly is appealing, but since most of the enemies in this work are armed with swords or guns, you are at a considerable disadvantage in terms of reach. To gain an advantage with bare hands, strategies such as spacing with opponents and utilizing the environment are essential. It is a style for those who are good at action.

The "Itto no kata" style is characterized by fighting with a single sword. It is easy to use, with simple techniques such as vertical swings, slashes, thrusts, and rotational slashes, and can be used in everything from one-on-one to group fights. The "May Break," which can be used to break an opponent's guard by pressing the ○ button, is powerful, and is especially effective against opponents who try to block your attacks with swords or spears.

However, the attack's judges are so well designed that even the slightest misjudgment of timing will result in the attacker striking out. This is especially true when the main character is facing away from the camera, so it is a good idea to get a little closer before attacking while using the Itto no Kata.

The Short Gun Style is a long-range attack using a gun. It has a much longer reach than the sword and can attack the enemy unilaterally just by shooting from a distance. Although it is difficult to defeat a boss, at least against zakos, the combo of downing the opponent with a strong attack in the form of a short gun and then continuing to shoot until you can defeat him with a follow-up attack using a weak attack can be used. For this reason, I personally found this short gun type to be the most powerful.

However, since it is a gun, you have to keep a good distance from your opponent, and it cannot be used satisfactorily in small rooms, alleys, and other narrow places. The key to the short-gun kata is to be able to use it in different situations.

The "Ranbu no Kata" is a powerful combo style that combines a sword and a gun. The "□" button is used for shooting, and the "○" button for slashing. The "Ranbu no Kata" can be used from close range to long range, so it is strong enough to be used in a casual manner. In particular, the slash with the ○ button is suitable for group battles, as many attacks are made while rotating. Most zako fights are against multiple enemies at once, so if in doubt, it may be a good idea to use the Ranbu no Kata. However, it also has a weakness in that it cannot defend itself because both hands are full, so it is recommended to compensate for this by using evasion.

Experience is gained by using a particular style, and when it reaches a certain level, the rank rises. At the same time, you can learn new skills and increase your strength by using "soul balls," which can be acquired at the same time. The experience value and soul spheres are different for each style, so if you want to develop them evenly, you should use the styles themselves in a well-balanced manner. In addition, the "dojo," a facility where new skills can be unlocked, allows for a greater variety of fighting styles, and should be utilized by all means.

Strengthening and training the protagonist is especially essential in "Yakuza Restoration! Polar" is especially essential in "Yakuza Restoration! This is because the boss battles in this title are extremely difficult. In the beginning of the story, the protagonist has to fight against Nagakura Shinpachi as a test for joining the Shinsengumi, and in this boss battle, which can be called the beginning of the story, the author used up all the recovery medicine he had and lost the game once more. The opponent uses a sword for precise defense and does not flinch easily from our attacks. Therefore, if you pushed too hard, you would receive a painful counterattack, and if you were not aware of the difference between attack and defense, you could not inflict enough damage on your opponent. In order to win in a match against a strong opponent, it is important to strengthen his status and learn his skills well.

Shinpachi Nagakura. In this work, he is modeled after Taiga Saeshima, who first appeared in "Yakuza 4: The Legend Continues.

Yakuza Restoration! The game features an unpredictable storyline that intertwines historical facts with original elements, the city of Kyoto is built while incorporating modern elements, and the player can switch between four different fighting styles to enjoy the action. Although the characters are modeled after those in the "Yakuza" series, the content itself is based on the end of the Edo period, so knowledge of past works is not necessary. In this sense, we recommend this work not only to fans of the series, but also to those who are not familiar with "Yakuza.

(Text by Yoshiyoshi Natsunouchi)

Yakuza Restoration!Pole " (Text: Natsuyoshi Natsuyoshi)

Compatibility: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, PC (Steam)

Release date: February 22, 2023

Price:

Standard Edition: 6,990 yen (7,689 yen including tax)

Digital Deluxe Edition] 7,990 yen (8,789 yen including tax) *Digital version only

Genre: Action Adventure

Players: 1 player

Publisher/Distributor: SEGA Corporation

CERO: D classification (17 years and older)

(C)SEGA