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  • Bonds
  • Minigames
  • Chapter 3: Mibu Wolves
  • Boss Battle: Nagakura
  • Boss Battle: Man In White

With the Mibu Wolves chapter of Like A Dragon: Ishin, the world opens up considerably. Now the Rakugai, Rakunai, Mukurogai, and Gion areas are open for exploration. This means, of course, that you will have plenty of opportunities to make new friends and play a wide assortment of mini-games. But it isn't all jovial galavanting, there is also some serious business to attend to!

Related: Like A Dragon: Ishin - Combat Tips

This is yet another chapter that includes multiple boss fights. You will be crossing blades with not one, but two, Tennen Rishin users. This guide will help lead you through these encounters, while also pointing you in the direction of some of the more useful things to see and do.

Bonds

With so much of the map opening up, it probably does not come as a surprise that there is an absurd amount of bonds that open up. This isn't going to be a comprehensive list, but we are going to give you a quick overview of the many bonds that open up to you. For starters, though Rakugai is a pretty small area, you can befriend the Arms Dealer, Chicken Race Receptionist, and Sumire from the Uji Tea Parlor there.

Once you get into Rakunai (which is just a little north of Rakugai), travel down the main street and you will find that multiple vendors act as bonds. This includes the Don Quijote Employee, Hanamura Udon Employee, Rakunai Pawnbroker, and Shippoku Restaurant Owner. In order to improve your bond with each, just patronize their businesses.

The Shippoku Restaurant is absurdly expensive. So, maybe come back to that one a little later in the game when you have filled your pockets.

In the northmost corner of Rakunai, north of West Shijo Street, you will find the Shinto Temple. Not only is your Shinto Priest friend located here, but you can also create a new bond with..., who is one of the shrine maidens.

Now, once you get within spitting distance of the bridge on East Shijo Street, travel north. You can befriend the Maijo, who will act as your dance instructor (you just need to rescue her from some thugs first). Just a little west of Maijo's dance studio, you will encounter the apothecary. Now, travel south, and you will encounter the sword enthusiast hanging out near the bridge to Mukurogai. The Shogi Parlor is nearby. You can create a bond with its owner as well.

Don't be nervous about the Shogi Attendant bond. While you do need to play Shogi to grow this bond, you don't need to win.

Finally, you can befriend Kitchen Aoba Chef in GIon, and in Mukurogai you will be able to befriend a beggar (they are hanging out in the center of the slums) and the Mahjong Parlor Attendant.

If you want to travel into Mukurogai through the Rakunai gate, you simply need to give the guard any alcoholic beverage.

Minigames

Chicken Racing

This is another gambling game for you degenerates out there. You encounter the Chicken Race Track in Rakugai. Basically, the emphasis is placed firmly on hedging your bets, paying attention to the odds, and being aware of each chicken's current health. Use all this information to make the best bets possible.

Traditional Japanese Dance

Maijo is located in the Northeast corner of Rakunai. Once you help her take care of some goons, you will be able to start playing the Japanese Dance mini-game. This is another rhythm game, though it plays quite a bit differently from Karaoke

Shogi

The Shogi Parlor is located just south of West Shojo Street (that's the main street that runs through Rakunai). For those unfamiliar, Shogi shares a lot of similarities with chess, though the pieces do have their own unique movement patterns.

Rakunai Casino

Here you can play Poker, Koi-Koi, Oicho-kabu, Cho-Han, and Cee-lo. The casino is located below East Shijo Street.

Scarecrow Chateau

The Scarecrow Chateau is located just north of the bridge to Mukurogai. Once you have been welcomed into the ranks of the Shinsengumi it will be unlockable. It acts as a series of training challenges.

The scarecrows have durability; so, the more difficult challenges will be far easier to overcome once you have leveled up the associated styles and are capable of doing more damage.

Mahjong

The Mahjong Parlor is located in Mukurogai. So, if you're looking to swap tiles, this is the place to do it.

Cannonball Training

This is really two mini-games in one. You will cut cannonballs into two as they are fired at you from a distance. This seems like a replacement for the series staple batting cage mini-game. You can also play the gun variant, which is a completely different game that revolves around you shooting targets.

Chapter 3: Mibu Wolves

After the opening cutscenes have finished, head to the northmost gate. The way to Rakugai will now have open. There will be plenty of brigands once you pass through the threshold, so get ready to rumble.

Follow the marker to the northwest. You'll probably want to stop by the blacksmith along the way. Once you have entered into Rakunai, the Shinsengumi's headquarters will be to the west. Once you pass through the western gate, you will enter into a new area. Travel to the north, and you will find the Shinsengumi's headquarters.

Head to the southeast center of Rakugai. You will see a cutscene and be able to receive training for your gunman style.

If you have the cash on hand, we strongly recommend you visit the Arms Dealer on the west side of Mukurogai and purchase the Light of Heaven katana. It will cost you nearly 9 ryo, but with an attack stat of 560, it is easily going to outclass any sword you craft at the blacksmiths.

Boss Battle: Nagakura

Nagakura has pretty straightforward attacks, and he hits hard (don't they all). He lunges forward quite a bit. His standard combo will break your sword guard with the third hit, so you will want to upgrade your Swordsman style so that you can re-guard. It will make this fight substantially easier.

Due to Nagakura's slashing attacks being so telegraphed, we did find the Brawler style to be pretty useful. We typically fought him in the Swordsman stance, then, once we built up a little Heat, switched to the Brawler style so that we could parry and land a free Heat Action, then we would switch back to the more defensively sound Swordsman stance.

Nagakura is also pretty aggressive. So, if you get some distance, he will often over-commit to his lunging attack combo, which makes it easy to circle him and attack his back.

You will watch some cutscenes and get a new room to call your own. Now, leave the compound, and head to Tsubakiro. You will need to go to Gion, which is to the east. Enter the Ryotei. After having a brief conversation with Hijikata, you will face off against another Tennen Rishin user.

Boss Battle: Man In White

You are best staying conservative in this fight. He can be a little evasive, so try to only throw out more than two strikes at a time. The man in white likes to use a wide, horizontal slash that can catch you if you are trying to strafe around him, and a lunging attack that helps him close the distance. Cautious, defensive play will help you avoid being caught off guard by these attacks.

As was the case with Nagakura, this swordsman can break your guard, so, once again, you are better off having your re-guard ability unlocked in the Swordsman path. Once you have taken about three-quarters of his life, he will start using a powerful vertical strike that has monstrous range. However, it can be easily sidestepped.

When he leaves himself wide open, he is using a counter-attack. Striking him with your sword will cause you to take a large amount of damage, so don't take the bait. Once you landed the final blow, all that will be left to do is watch the cutscenes.

Next: Like A Dragon: Ishin - Komaki Dojo Guide