Like a Dragon: Ishin introduces Trooper Cards and Squad mechanics

Ahead of the game’s release, SEGA and RGG Studio highlighted the new Trooper Cards and Squad mechanics in Like a Dragon: Ishin.

While Ishin is a faithful recreation of the original, it does introduce lots of new features and mechanics to make things feel fresh. Among these are the new Trooper Cards which grant Ryoma special abilities, and they can be assembled in Squads which can affect how Ryoma fights.

Early into the game, Ryoma unlocks the ability to make allies among the Shinsengumi. These allies can aid him in battle in the form of cards. Each Trooper Card has a unique ability; some give him buffs while others are devastating attacks against enemies. Many of these cards feature characters that should be familiar to many series fans.

Ryoma can assemble a squad of up to four troopers, one of which will be assigned the role of Corporal. The chosen squad formation must be linked to one of the four combat styles, with the Corporal having the biggest effect.

In the game, Troopers are divided into Offensive, Defensive, Medical, and Assist Troopers. Their abilities are specialized according to their type, and players can mix and match these Troopers to their preferred combat style.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the Trooper Card abilities:

Ishioda Denji– Essence of the Dimensional Blade
- Compresses heat into a blade and then unleashes it in a spinning area-of-effect (AoE) attack that damages nearby enemies.

Ryudo Rikiya – Essence of Explosive Impact
- This fierce technique explodes Heat around Ryoma, burning nearby foes while knocking them down. It’s a good way to create space when surrounded by many enemies.
Toranosuke – Essence of the Sovereign Tiger
- A powerful move that sets a ferocious tiger pouncing on the enemy, which damages them with its sharp fangs and flings them far away.

Like a Dragon: Ishin will release on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on February 22, 2023.

For more info on the game, including these new Trooper Cards, check out our hands-on with the game here: