Like a Dragon Ishin: Tips and Tricks Like a Dragon Ishin guide, tips
On this page of the guide you will find a set of starting tips for the game Like a Dragon Ishin. We have prepared hints on exploring the world, fighting battles, developing characters, relying on different fighting styles, restoring health or training under the guidance of martial arts masters.
Last update: 21 February 2023
On this page of our guide, you can find a selection of tips for Like a Dragon: Ishin. These are various tips and tricks which will allow you to delve deeper into the mechanics and features of the game. Supplied tips involve, among others, exploration and finding loot, winning battles with the use of various fighting styles, learning new skills from trainers, regenerating health, or preparing for boss encounters.
- Search jugs with the O mark
- Explore newly unlocked districts
- Develop all 4 fighting styles
- Save your game before harder fights
- Complete Diligent Records
- Learn to parry, block and dodge
- Learn new skills and abilities through trainers
- Regenerate lost health points on an ongoing basis
Search jugs with the O mark
During exploration, you can often find jugs with an O painted on them. These are containers with random loot - in each jug, you can find e.g. medicine, a plate to sell, or a crafting item.
A big advantage of the jugs is that they replenish regularly. If a jug has a lid on, you can search it once again. It is good to remember the locations of easily accessible jugs (e.g. those next to frequently visited locations in the game) and return to them regularly.
Explore newly unlocked districts
In Like a Dragon: Ishin the districts of Kyo are free for you to explore. Don't rely too much on the map, as not all things are marked and some of them you need to find by yourself. The most important of them are:
- Substories - you may encounter characters asking for help and through them, initiate side missions.
- Masters of martial arts - you can find their houses and meet up with them to learn new skills.
It is best to explore each newly unlocked location two times - during the day and at night. This will lead to discovering and unlocking many optional activities and quests.
Develop all 4 fighting styles
In the first chapter, Ryoma receives access to 4 different fighting styles - Brawler, Swordsman, Gunman, and Wild Dancer. They differ from each other, as some focus on melee combat without using weapons, while others focus on ranged combat using firearms.
You shouldn't stick to only one fighting style, even if it is fun for you. All fighting styles should be trained and developed. The main reasons for this are:
- Bosses may be resistant to certain attacks - you may suddenly find that a given opponent is great at stopping attacks of your favorite style.
- Certain useful skills from each tree - some of the skills are related to a specific fighting style, but there are also universal ones, thanks to which, for example, you can extend your health bar or learn a move common to all styles.
Save your game before harder fights
During your adventure, messages may appear asking you to confirm going on a journey or entering a new location. You should treat them as warnings about potentially difficult fights - you may face, for example, a confrontation with boss/bosses or a series of fights that cannot be interrupted until you have played them all.
Save your game before confirming your choice . Also check if your hero has a full health bar and whether you have healing items in your inventory. This will allow you to stand your ground during a battle that can potentially be very difficult and tiring.
Complete Diligent Records
Soon after Chapter 2 starts , you'll unlock the Virtue reputation system and challenges from the Diligent Records menu . We recommend that you take a closer look at the requirements of the challenges and keep them in mind. Challenges are divided into different categories and may involve, for example, opening loot containers, playing mini-games, ordering meals in restaurants, establishing relationships with NPCs, or eliminating opponents in random confrontations.
Completed Challenges are rewarded with Virtue Points and you can spend them in shrines for various bonuses (e.g. larger inventory or a longer sprint duration).
Learn to parry, block and dodge
Parrying, blocking, and dodging are the main techniques to avoid taking damage . They vary depending on the selected fighting style, and it may also be that a given style, for example, does not allow for traditional parrying. Examine the list of moves available in the current style to find out about their availability. More advanced moves (e.g. Quickstep) can also be unlocked by developing skill trees.
Timing is important for defensive actions and you need to master it if you want to use parries. You can count on successful parrying only if you activate it at the perfect moment, i.e. just before the enemy's attack reaches you.
Learn new skills and abilities through trainers
There are masters of various martial arts in the world - treat them as ability trainers. Taking lessons taught by a given master may allow you not only to learn more of a given fighting style but also to learn completely new moves .
New moves you learn must be purchased on the skill tree - you need to develop the tree until you reach the particular slot and spend an Orb to unlock it. Try to do this for attacks that seem especially useful (e.g. strong counterattack or better dodge).
Regenerate lost health points on an ongoing basis
In Like a Dragon: Ishin, the health bar is automatically renewed only in certain situations, e.g. after returning to the main character's hideout. Most of the time you have to take care of replenishing lost health points yourself . You can do this in 2 main ways:
- Consuming items that regenerate health - you can find them in the game world as loot or buy them. When it comes to buying, it is best to visit Pharmacies (marked on your map). Try to always have a few healing items in your inventory so that you can regenerate your health e.g. during a boss fight.
- Visiting a restaurant - this is the best way to regain health in between fights. You can buy different meals and in the process progress in challenges related to visiting restaurants and bonding with the owners of certain diners.