Virtue is a valuable commodity in Like a Dragon: Ishin, and it’s something you need to earn in order to really make the most of some additional endeavors. Fortunately, it also is incredibly easy to accrue in-game. Once Ryoma Sakamoto finds himself in Kyo, basically everything he does starts earning him these “brownie points.” You can then spend those points to help with endeavors like farming, decorating your second home, and engaging in activities around Kyo. So if you’re just getting started, here’s what you need to know.
How to Earn Virtue in Like a Dragon: Ishin
Once you get to Kyo and start walking around town for the first time, you’ll automatically run into a Shinto Priest as part of a scripted encounter and tutorial. He’ll introduce you to the Virtue system, which you can access from both shrines and temples in Like a Dragon: Ishin. After this initial conversation, you’ll get 50 Virtue for your time and learn more about how to take advantage of it in the future. You’ll also see how the temple icons look on the map (they are in blue and look like temples). Also, once you unlock your second home in Chapter 4, you’ll be able to access a shrine on the property.
As for finding a way to earn Virtue in Like a Dragon: Ishin, basically every supplemental action you perform gets you small amounts of it. Did you take part in a fight in town and beat up bad guys? Virtue! Did you stop to eat a meal at a restaurant? How virtuous! Did you participate in Substories? There’s some virtue for you! What about some shopping? Well, aren’t you a virtuoso? Did you visit your second home to farm, cook, or trade? You’ll get Virtue for that as well. It’s constantly accruing. Which is good, because some of the most valuable and helpful unlocks cost thousands of Virtue.
Which Like a Dragon: Ishin Virtue Unlocks Should You Prioritize?
I’d say a big part of this comes down to what you want to do in Like a Dragon: Ishin. The unlock categories are Second Home, Farm, Fishing, Functions, Virtue, and Other. Each one tends to be tied to certain activities.
I think Virtue Cultivation is one of the most valuable options. At the very least, I’d suggest getting the level one unlock. It’s 1,500 Virtue, which is a lot. However, it increases the amount of Virtue you get for additional tasks, which can help a lot.
If you’re having trouble with fighting and getting by, I’d also recommend picking up some of the Inventory Capacity increases These start at 700 Virtue for the first one. It’s self explanatory, really. You can hold more. Spots where you can adjust your inventory, like shrines and rooms, are pretty plentiful though, so I’d understand wanting to save up.
Also, if you want to farm, save up a lot of Virtue for it! You’ll need it to increase the size of your farm, its level, and the range of crops you can grow. It’s probably the area that could take away most of your Virtue, so be ready to take part in a lot of optional timesinks if you want to focus on agrarian activities. Getting the ability to grow taro alone will cost you 3,000 Virtue!
Like a Dragon: Ishin is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
