How to increase your Virtue in Like a Dragon: Ishin

The guide to leading a virtuous life in Ishin

Cash has always been a crucial piece of the Like a Dragon series, but it’s not the only currency in Like a Dragon: Ishin. If you want to get ahead in life, pick up some handy benefits, and expand your peaceful farming life, you’ll need to farm up some Virtue in Ishin too.

Many upgrades in Ishin are gated by Virtue costs, and some of the higher-end upgrades require a fair bit of currency. The good news is, Virtue will roll in steadily so long as you’re playing the game, and if you’re playing right now, you might have more than you think.

What is Virtue?

Virtue is introduced early on in the story, after speaking with the Shinto priest. Essentially, Virtue is a currency earned by performing “good deeds” around Kyo. Sometimes this means finishing a substory or quest. In other cases, it might just mean beating up some guys harassing an innocent passerby. Either way, doing “good” in this game will net you Virtue.

All this Virtue accumulates as a separate currency from your actual cash, and can be spent at shrines to purchase various upgrades. Many of the tiered upgrades, like increasing the size of Ryoma’s farm or putting in a more potent scarecrow, will cost increasingly more Virtue for each level.

How to farm Virtue

The easiest method for tallying up Virtue quick is through the Diligence Records. Think of this as a challenge log for Like a Dragon: Ishin that rewards Virtue for completing different challenges. They range from finishing hard tasks to just talking to enough people, enough times. It’s really very easy to tally these up, and you’ve probably got a few sitting closer to completion than you’d think right now.

Other ways to get Virtue are by doing activites that will both cross off Diligence Record achievements and net you Virtue in the act. For example, eating at a restaurant will get you Virtue, and get you closer to that achievement. Taking out street encounters, collecting items from pots, or even praying at shrines can all contribute towards this too.

Certain Virtue upgrades will let you increase Virtue gains. And heck, even rolling the prize wheel or picking shiny things up off the ground will net you some Virtue-granting items. The beautiful thing about Virtue is that it’s always ticking up in Like a Dragon: Ishin.

What should I spend my Virtue on?

There are a few Virtue unlocks that, after playing through Ishin for my review, feel absolutely crucial. I’ll list them here, as well as what tab they fall under:

• Second Home: Dog House Setup
• Second Home: Cat Bed Setup
• Second Home: Chicken Coop Setup
• Farm: Scarecrow Level 1
• Farm: Any of the Green Thumb options you might need for dishes
• Fishing: River Classic Expertise and Sea Classic Expertise
• Function: At least one level of Enhanced Sprinting
• Function: At least one level of Inventory Capacity

Those I largely see as quality-of-life upgrades, worth getting just to make your general playthrough easier. For everything else, spend Virtue where you’d like and don’t worry about getting more. There are always more good deeds for Sakamota Ryoma to accrue Virtue from in Like a Dragon: Ishin.