Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin (released in Japan in February 2014) is a spin-off game set at the end of the Edo period of Japanese history (known as the Bakumatsu period), a period when the Tokugawa Shogunate came to an end and imperial rule was restored (Meiji Restoration).
Sakamoto Ryoma is living undercover, with a false identity, as "Saito Hajime" in Kyoto. One year earlier, on the eve of the coup d'état of Tosa, Ryoma's foster father, the man who raised him, was murdered before his eyes. The only lead he had to discover who the killer was is that he used the Tennen Rishin style of fighting. This is a style used by the Shinsengumi, so Ryoma infiltrates their ranks, becoming captain of the 3rd Shinsengumi unit, in attempt to find the killer.
Big thanks to Kevin Debrabandere for creating a PDF for the entire Ishin guide. You can download the PDF version of the guide here. Please be advised that the PDF is outdated now, but still contains information for the whole game.
[1]
Go here and an old man calls out to Ryoma, saying he looks tough and asks him if he'll protect the palanquin, saying a young girl from a high class family is in there and is being targeted by a certain man (called Hayakaze). He asks Ryoma again if he'll escort the palanquin safely through Rakugai for him. Choose the TOP OPTION to accept.
[2]
Escort the palanquin here. If it loses all its health (indicated by the orange gauge), you lose. After you get the palanquin here, the old man thanks Ryoma, but then Hayakaze appears - the man who is trying to get hold of the girl. He asks her why she's trying to get away from him - after all, he loves her so much! He then fights Ryoma.
After the fight, the old man thanks Ryoma again and gives him a Crimson Jewel. You are also rewarded with 350 Dharma.
[1]
Go here and Ryoma sees a man surrounded by a group of men trying to extort money from him. Choose the TOP OPTION to save him. As Ryoma is about to take them on, Ogita shows up. Ogita tells them they've got some balls to go up against the first and third captains of the Shinsengumi! After the guys realise who these 2 are, they say they are no match for them, even with their greater numbers, and they should get out of there!
Leave the area and then return to this location and speak to the man. He tells you those guys from earlier are causing trouble over in Mukurogai and asks Ryoma to come by and help out.
[2]
Go here and speak to the man again. He then leads Ryoma to another area and the guys from earlier gang up on him.
After the fight, the guy Ryoma saved earlier imitates Ogita's voice and calls out to them from around the corner. The guys make a run for it. Ryoma tries to go and thank "Ogita" for his help, but the guy is gone.
Ryoma returns to the Shinsengumi HQ and Ogita speaks to him, complaining to Ryoma he heard he went out to Mukurogai to take out those guys without him. Ryoma is confused - Ogita was there, after all!
You are rewarded with 350 Dharma.
[1]
Go here and Sumibozu calls out to Ryoma. Ryoma notices he has more names tattooed on his body. Sumibozu tells him after his fight with Ryoma, he went around the country fighting with tough guys and has returned much tougher than he was before. He asks Ryoma if he'll fight with him again. Speak to him and choose the TOP OPTION to fight him.
After Ryoma beats him, he comments that Sumibozu has definitely become a lot tougher since last time. Sumibozu says he's going to head out and do more training, then return and challenge Ryoma once more. If he is beaten again, he says he'll shut down his services (no longer fighting people for money).
You are rewarded with 350 Dharma.
[1]
Go here and Ryoma sees a foreigner (called "Tom") in samurai clothes speaking to a couple of samurai. He asks them if he can be a student to them, so he can learn to be a samurai. They say a foreigner can't be a samurai and that he should just go back to his own country. One of the samurai draws his sword and the other says he should run for it - but Tom says he won't, because a samurai doesn't run away. As he's about to attack Tom, Ryoma steps in to stop them. After the samurai leave, Ryoma tells Tom to not do that again. Tom asks Ryoma if he'll take him in as his student to be a samurai, since the other guys wouldn't. Ryoma asks why he wants to be a samurai so badly. Tom says they are allies of justice, saying when he saw one fighting for good he wanted to become one himself. Ryoma tells him becoming a samurai won't be easy, but Tom says he'll do anything to be one. Ryoma says he'll give him lessons. Choose the TOP OPTION to give him a lesson at the dojo.
After fighting Tom, Ryoma asks him if there's a part of him which thinks he can never become a samurai because he's not Japanese. Tom says there is, but he's not going to give up, saying it's possible for a foreigner to be a samurai too! He tells Ryoma he'll practice his swordsmanship and show up at this dojo again at some point. Ryoma mentions this dojo can only be used at noon.
[2]
Leave the area, then return and speak to Tom. Choose the TOP OPTION to give him a lesson at the dojo.
After fighting Tom, Ryoma mentions he's a lot more skilled than before. He says he'll go out and do more practice, then return once again.
Leave the area, then return back here again. Ryoma sees some kids around Tom. They say a foreigner can never be a samurai. After they get bored of making fun of Tom for trying to be a samurai, they leave. Talk to tom and choose the TOP OPTION to give him a lesson at the dojo.
After fighting Tom, Ryoma comments on how tough Tom has become. But Tom talks about the doubt he has, that Ryoma mentioned from the start - he says as good as he is getting with a sword, he has doubts about whether this really is the right path for him. He apologises to Ryoma and says he thinks he'll quit coming to this dojo. He says he'll quit the sword for the time being while he has a long hard think about things - like if he wants to aim to become a samurai. He asks Ryoma if he'll continue teaching him in the event he decides to continue trying to be a samurai.
[3]
Go here and Ryoma sees a samurai shouting at some children, threatening them, but then Tom shows up to stop him. Tom says he doesn't want to become a trash samurai like this guy! The samurai calls 8 more of his guys over. Tom tells the kids to get out of here, then tells the samurai he isn't going to run away - he wants to be a samurai who saves the weak from guys like them. Ryoma steps in and fights all 9 samurai alongside Tom.
After the fight, the kids show up again and thank Tom for saving them. They then apologise for the mean things they said to him, about him wanting to be a samurai. Tom tells them that their words did hurt, but thanks to them he feels he has discovered what it truly means to be a samurai. Ryoma comments that standing up against the strong to protect the weak makes him more of a true samurai than most of the "samurai" around in Japan these days! Tom says he's going to head back to his home country, to teach more people about the way of the samurai. Tom thanks Ryoma for everything, then leaves.
You are rewarded with 400 Dharma.
After completing this substory, you will find Tom standing outside the Shinsengumi HQ. Speak to him to get a Super Rare Support Soldier Card.
