Like a Dragon Ishin Fighting Styles Overview – Strengths and Weaknesses

Here’s a fun fact: Yakuza 0 was the most prominent game in the series to utilize multiple fighting styles for its characters, but it wasn’t actually the first. The first was the original version of Like a Dragon Ishin. If you’ve been missing shifting fighting styles in Yakuza games, then good news, the remake of Ishin has brought them back. Here’s what you need to know about fighting styles in Like a Dragon Ishin.

Like a Dragon Ishin Fighting Styles Overview – Strengths and Weaknesses

Much like in Yakuza 0 and Kiwami, your player character in Like a Dragon Ishin, Sakamoto Ryoma, has access to four different fighting styles, which you can swap between on the fly. These different styles have their own unique movesets, and are each ideal for a different kind of combat scenario.

Related: Which Yakuza Game to Play First

The four fighting styles in Like a Dragon Ishin are as follows:

• Brawler Style
• Swordsman Style
• Gunman Style
• Wild Dancer Style

Brawler Style

Just because we’re in feudal Japan, that doesn’t mean you have to use a katana 24/7. Ryoma’s Brawler Style is most similar to the regular hand-to-hand fighting style Kiryu uses in the regular Yakuza games. Not only can you crush foes with powerful punches and kicks, but you can grab items off the ground and swing them around. This is also the only style in which you can use weapons stored in your inventory. The only downside is that it’s much harder for you to block weapon attacks yourself in this style.

Swordsman Style

A sword is a symbol of a samurai, and Ryoma can use one to great effect in his Swordsman Style. Since it involves the use of a katana, it is a naturally strong style, cutting down foes with swift, precise slashes. It’s absolutely brutal in a one-on-one fight, and with skill, you can use your blade to block and parry attacks. However, its use is severely diminished when you’re faced with large crowds of enemies.

Gunman Style

It was a lot easier to get a gun in Bakumatsu-era Japan than modern-day Japan, which is why Ryoma can whip one out in Gunman Style. In this style, Ryoma can fire off bullets rapidly, as well as switch to special ammo types with various effects. This is a great style for taking on armed foes, as you can shoot the weapons right out of their hands. Of course, since it’s all about pistols, it’s not recommended for melee-ranged brawls.

Wild Dancer Style

Can’t decide between guns and swords? Why not both? In Wild Dancer Style, wield a gun in one hand and a katana in the other as you carve a bloody dance through the battlefield. This style’s fast and wide-reaching attacks make it the best for taking on crowds of thugs, though the individual hits of its combos are weaker than those of the other styles. It also doesn’t have any defensive options; this is a style for absolute offense.

Every fighting style has its own upgrade tree, so the way you use all of them is ultimately up to you. Train yourself up to become a diverse combatant who can meet any and all situations with gusto!

For more info on Like a Dragon Ishin, check out the news on the Elite General Trooper Card bundle, as well as returning actor Riki Takeuchi. Visit our Facebook page as well for more news and guides.