Getting to grips with all of Ishin’s many upgrade systems is no mean feat. Where weapons and combat may feel like avenues worth attention, Virtue is not one to forget. Whether you’re running out of healing items in long, challenging battles or simply sick of struggling to catch your breath between Fushimi and Ragukai, Like A Dragon Ishin Virtue upgrades can make progressing through Ishin miles easier.
This includes getting through the Like A Dragon Ishin substories and meeting all the Like A Dragon Ishin characters. If you’re looking for tips on how to earn virtue fast, as well as how to maximise your spending, our Like a Dragon: Ishin Virtue guide has got you covered.
Like A Dragon Ishin Virtue explained
Virtue is a currency you can earn in Ishin by fulfilling various conditions like praying at shrines and completing diligence records and substories. Once earned, Virtue can be used to upgrade various aspects of your in-game experience.
While some statistical Virtue upgrades like sprint endurance and inventory size can help you progress in the mainline missions, additional Virtue purchases like a chicken coop or a kitchen upgrade can help you make your way through Like a Dragon: Ishin’s Another Life subplot with ease.
How to get Virtue in Like a Dragon: Ishin
When you first arrive in Kyo at the start of the second Chapter of the game, after you fight the dojo members, you will encounter a Shinto Priest being threatened by some scary figures near the main market in Fushimi. By stepping up and defending the poor priest, he’ll take you to the Shrine nearby and explain the Virtue system to you. He will then reward you with 50 Virtue and a book called The Diligence Records, a start menu option that functions as a list of conditions you can fulfil to earn more Virtue.
As you progress in Ishin and unlock more areas of the map, you will encounter the kind Priest once more, this time at his own Shrine in Rakunai near the Ginryu Dojo. Using 500 Virtue, you can unlock The Priest Shop, opening a new avenue for you to spend your virtue. Unlike exchanging Virtue for upgrades, though, this shop sells inventory items such as speciality foods and crafting supplies.
How to earn Virtue fast in Like a Dragon: Ishin
Earning Virtue in Like a Dragon: Ishin can be done in a number of ways, many of which happen naturally by playing through the main story. But, if you want to maximise profits, the best place to look is Diligence Records. This list of objectives, accessible from the start menu, includes a series of criteria you can complete to earn large chunks of Virtue.
For example, praying at 20 Shrines will give you 1000 Virtue and chopping 500 blocks of wood for the wood-chopping NPC nets you 4,000 Virtue. Focusing on easily-repeatable tasks is a great way to farm hefty amounts of currency early on. You can also coordinate to complete some of the Diligence Records in tandem, like buying ingredients, cooking meals and eating the rewards. For example, vendors will already reward you with Virtue for initial purchases.
By buying produce, you can also increase your Bond with them, maximising that will offer more Virtue. Going to the Villa and cooking ten meals will give you 2000 Virtue for the Cookbook Curious Diligence Record and may also garner a heartfelt cutscene with Haruka worth 2000 further Virtue. If you go on to eat 30 of those recipe items, you will also earn the Gobbler reward of 1500 Virtue. While it sounds complicated, finding records that work well together can maximise the number of rewards you can get from simple activities.
Earning Virtue across the various suburbs will also increase your reputation. This means you will find yourself less likely to encounter random fights and more likely to interact positively with the locals. There’s also the collectable item Spirit Sake which, when drunk, earns you an additional 500 Virtue.
The best Like a Dragon: Ishin Virtue Upgrades
Spending Virtue in Like a Dragon: Ishin is fairly simple. Open the map and find yourself a shrine such as the one in Fushimi or the smaller shrine in your Another Life Villa and select ‘Exchange Virtue’. Here you will find lists of upgrade options under various headings.
Early in the game, the Function or Virtue submenus are what I recommend sticking to, specifically the Virtue Cultivation upgrades. As you progress and earn more Virtue passively, this is the upgrade that pays off. Adding small percentage chunks to each payment can make a bigger difference as you finish substories and purchase items, as each interaction will accrue more rewards.
Here’s a list of the best Like A Dragon Ishin Virtue upgrades to pay for early:
- Virtue Cultivation Level 1 – 1500 Virtue
- Enhanced Sprint Level 1 – 500 Virtue
- Inventory Capacity Level 1 – 700 Virtue
- Typical Kitchen Upgrade – 300 Virtue
- Field Expansion 1 – 500 Virtue
Virtue is an integral part of Like a Dragon: Ishin, and using it wisely can make even the most tedious tasks more fun. By maximising the amount of Virtue that can be earned at once while also paying close attention to the Diligence Records, you’ll be upgrading everything from the Priest Shop to your Another Life home in no time.
For more on the game in addition to Like a Dragon Ishin Virtue, be sure to check out our Like A Dragon Ishin chapters list to give you all the details on how long it takes to make it through Ishin’s story. Our Like a Dragon: Ishin Another Life guide also will give you more on Ishin’s hidden farming simulator game.