For years, fans had given up hope that The Great Ace Attorney games would make their way to western shores. This was mainly due to the series’ heavily declined sales since the Nintendo DS era and Capcom’s fear that a game set in 19th century Japan and England wouldn’t appeal to players outside of the franchise’s core audience. Six years later, and the landscape for gaming is different. Games like Ghost of Tsushima prove that even western developers are eager to explore Japan’s history in video game form. With this in mind, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is the perfect reason why it’s time for Sega to localize Yakuza Ishin and Yakuza Kenzan.
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What Are Yakuza Ishin and Yakuza Kenzan?
Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan! (or Yakuza Arrives!) is a 2008 PlayStation 3 game released exclusively in Japan. The game is a period drama adaptation of the story of Miyamoto Musashi, a swordsman turned bodyguard during Japan’s Edo period. The game creates a narrative surrounding this historical figure while incorporating elements and characters from the Yakuza series, including having Musashi himself go by an alias called “Kiryu Kazumanosuke.”
Musashi himself is also portrayed by and modeled after Kazuma Kiryu actor Takuya Kuroda, much like his mainline Yakuza series counterpart. Other characters such as Goro Majima make an appearance in the form of fictionalized historical counterparts like Majima Gorohachi. On the other hand, Ishin is somewhat of a retelling of the first Yakuza game through the lens of a historical Japanese setting.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! (or Yakuza Restoration!) is a similar historical-inspired spin-off, this time launching on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in late 2013, even releasing as a launch title for the PS4 in Japan. This game is set after the Meiji Restoration and follows Kiryu performing as Edo samurai Sakamoto Ryoma, who is out for revenge on the man who killed his mentor, travelling to various parts of Japan under the false alias of Saito Hajime. Like Kenzan, this title also incorporates existing characters from the Yakuza franchise and features locations not seen in any of the games following it.
While not mainline entries, Yakuza Kenzan and Ishin demonstrate some of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s most creative work yet. Melding gorgeous recreations of historic Japanese locations and the usual cinematic flair that the series is known for, is all in service to referencing some of the most beloved works of samurai film of all time.
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Why It’s Now Or Never For Ishin And Kenzan
Unlike the Ace Attorney series, which was seemingly on a decline in sales and popularity by the time The Great Ace Attorney released, the Yakuza series only continues to grow in reverence and ambition as the years go on. Yakuza 0’s major success in 2017 propelled the series forward, and reached a peak in 2020 with Yakuza: Like a Dragon launching as a next-gen timed exclusive for Xbox Series X/S.
The Great Ace Attorney gave its series new life, despite its new setting and cast. Plus, the video game landscape for games set in historical Japan is entirely different to how it was in 2008 and 2013, with some of the most successful games in recent years being Ghost of Tsushima and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
In the years since Yakuza Ishin and Yakuza Kenzan’s release, producer Daisuke Sato (now no longer with RGG Studio) has commented multiple times on the possibility of remasters of the games entering development and receiving a western localization.
He claimed that the developer is interested, but he fears that a lack of knowledge on Japanese history could limit the games’ popularity. As proven in recent years, this isn’t a cause for concern anymore. Fans all around the world are eager to learn more about Japanese history through video games, with Ghost of Tsushima in particular receiving major media attention in Japan due to its accuracy in representing the country’s history.
Sales data has indicated that The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles has been a success for Capcom, even if it didn’t catch the mainstream attention that the series was once capable of. Ghost of Tsushima has become one of the highest selling new IP in PlayStation’s history. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has become one of the biggest sale success in developer FromSoftware’s history, selling over five million copies just over a year after its release.
There is a market for samurai games set in historical Japan, and this, coupled with the boom in popularity the Yakuza series has seen in recent years, means it has to be only a matter of time until Sega is ready to localiza Yakuza Kenzan and Ishin.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4.
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