Like a Dragonis a franchise that doesn’t suffer from an identity crisis, it fully embraces and revels in it. Before reverting to its original name, it was known in the western world asYakuza,which is the name many of its older fans still refer to out of habit. Beginning as a beat ‘em up in modern day Japan, it has done the opposite ofFinal Fantasyby going from action to turn based inYakuza:Like a Dragonand traveled back in time to the Edo period inLike a Dragon: Ishin!Despite some of these drastic changes, there’s still enough consistency and common elements throughout each entry where the games maintain their distinct feel and sense of connectivity. As a result, when fans saw Goro Majima’s mug on the promotional art ofLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii,no one knew exactly what this would entail, but had confidence it would fit in perfectly in theLike a Dragonuniverse.
TGS 2024: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Takes Series’ Silliness to Full-Sail
After spending some hands-on time with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii at TGS 2024, it’s clear this is going to be a bonkers experience.
Tabala Rasa
Following the events ofLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, fan favorite supporting character Goro Majima wakes up on Rich Island. With no possessions aside from his trusty blade nor any memories of who he is or what he’s done, his chances of survival seem grim. He’s soon befriended by a ten-year-old boy by the name of Noah Rich, who coincidentally has a pet tiger cub named Goro. After helping out Noah’s family with some problems involving a local pirate infestation, Majima ends up commandeering a pirate ship and a crew of his own. Following aPirates of Penzancestyle musical number, Majima and the Goro Pirates set sail on their maiden voyage to find legendary treasure, all while battling rival pirates.
One of the problems with games taking longer to play to completion and many franchises being around for so long is no one has gotten to play every game they’ve been interested in.Yakuza/Like a Dragonhas been around for about twenty years and has almost as many games if you count all the remakes and the spinoffs. The uninitiated may be interested in the franchise or this game in particular, but not sure where to start. In a perfect world, start withYakuza 0and play them all in order, but that’s a huge time commitment. If someone wants to get into the series,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiidoes actually serve as a good entry point. It’s the first game where Goro Majima is the sole playable character, and while there are references to past games, the amnesia plot also works as a practical device that allows players to not know a lot of the history ofLike a Dragonand not feel like they’re missing out.
Once Majima procures a ship and renames it the Goromaru, he’s ready to leave Rich Island. Each area is divided into its own map, with the majority of the time being spent in Honolulu and Madlantis, and traveling between maps is done via the Goromaru. Once Majima gets the ship, the world opens up and he can explore however the player desires. It’s possible to just concentrate on the main story objectives, but doing so would be ill-advised as there’s such a vast bounty of optional content that enhances the overall experience. Majima can walk across Honolulu, but an inexpensive fast travel system involving taxis is a great quality-of-life convenience for getting around. He doesn’t gain experience points or gain levels in a traditional way, but he has other ways of becoming more powerful. He can equip a ring on each finger, and these will increase his attack and defense power, with some offering additional bonuses. The “invest in yourself” growth system returns, which allows Majima to spend money and reputation points to unlock new abilities and increase stats.
Like a Dragongames are known not just for their stories, but for the amount of side content they manage to cram into each of them. There are numerous side stories Majima can get involved in, which usually take him in rather unexpected situations, such as a lesson in corporate pirate training or completing a series of match-making quests for one of his crew members, which results in one of the more bizarre climaxes in the series. As from getting involved as a problem solver for random citizens, there’s no shortage of minigames. Dragon Kart provides go-kart racing, there’s a batting game that involves exploding barrels and cannons, and a bicycle delivery minigame to just scratch the surface of the available activities. This is also on top of tending to the Goro Zoo, hunting bounties on criminals too dangerous for the police and furthering Majima’s education by taking a series of exams on various topics. Not all side activities are created equally. The battles at the Pirate Colosseum were personally a lot more fun than the nearby golf driving range, but there’s enough fun to be had across the numerous activities where the player is likely to get many additional hours of entertainment from these activities. And this doesn’t include all the ROMs of classic Sega games.
Majima has a knack for constantly getting into fights, and no matter what island he’s on, he can’t travel very far with some people wanting to fight him. He has two fighting styles; the more traditional Mad Dog style, where he uses his fists and blade, and the Sea Dog style, in which he fights like a pirate with his dual cutlasses, pistol and hook. Style can be switched instantly in the middle of a fight, as they both have their specific advantages. The special power of the Mad Dog style is the ability to summon shadow warrior Majimas, whereas the Sea Dog style will eventually use musical instruments to summon dark gods to battle. The beat ‘em up fighting style is a more refined version of what was seen inYakuzagames before they went turn-based, with Majima zipping across the screen doling out punishment to anyone who opposed him. The battles end up feeling satisfying thanks to the responsive controls, and the variety of moves Majima has at his disposal keeps the battles entertaining.
Sailing Under Goro’s Banner, Blasting Ships And Getting Hammered
The Goromaru serves as the primary base of operations. The ship is where Majima can prepare food, change costumes, interact with crew members, host parties and feasts and sing Karaoke. Maintenance is an important part of any ship, and in order to become a legendary pirate crew, upgrading this ship is essential. As Majima’s crew grows, he’ll be able to add more armaments and improve the hull so it can withstand more punishment from rival pirates. Traditional cannonballs are suitable for most situations, but Goromaru doesn’t carry a traditional pirate crew. Outfitted with machine guns and cannons that can be swapped out for laser cannons and flamethrowers, this is a ship that was designed to rule the high seas. The Goromaru is not the fastest vessel around, however, so taking advantage of tailwinds and the ship’s boost function are essential to getting around the sea in anything resembling a timely manner.
Member Yakuza 0?
One of the greatest Yakuza stories was told in a prequel.
Sea battles occur rather frequently, whether it be against crews flying the Devil Flags or lesser-known pirates, the ocean is a dangerous place outside the immediate vicinity of the lighthouses. When the Goromaru encounters a rival crew, there are a few options in which to dispatch them. Machine guns work for a frontal assault, but angling the ship so the port or starboard cannons are facing the enemy’s ship is when it can really rain down destruction and send the ship to Davey Jones’s locker. Mounted weapons are the most practical approach for naval battles, but sometimes the captain wants a more personal touch, at which time the player can switch the camera to the deck and Majima and use his trusty RPG to blow the ship into smithereens.
Some battles don’t end with the destruction of the ship. The ship might not be putting up a fight, but the crew hasn’t surrendered. This is a call to board the enemy ship. The exact number will vary depending on the crew’s current reputation and rank, but Majima will be able to bring a few crew members on board with him. This leads into an all-out pirate melee, where dozens of pirates are swashbuckling on the deck of the ruined ship. Depending on who is in the boarding crew, some of these melees can look ridiculous. The whole ship battle system isn’t exceedingly complex, they’re about on the level of ship battles found inAssassin’s Creed OdysseyorYs X: Nordics, but they’re a fun diversion and do help sell the whole pirate motif.
Scourge Of The Seven Seas
Whenever playing a spin-off title such asLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, expectations should be managed. The overall premise of Goro Majima becoming a pirate captain is a bit contrived, and while the story is written well enough to remain engaging during the entire campaign, it doesn’t reach the highs that have been seen in previous games in the franchise. Whether this is good is entirely subjective, but the playtime is shorter than the mainlineLike a Dragongames. There’s about 40-45 hours worth of content, which includes getting all trophies and achievements, along with many other optional activities that don’t count toward that, such as completing all bounties or recruiting all crew members. If someone were to just focus on completing the story and ignoring all side content, it may be closer to 12-15 hours.
Even though the time spent withLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiwas shorter than previous games, it was still a worthwhile voyage. As with previous games, this franchise has the rare gift of blending serious crime drama akin toThe Sopranoswith mixing in the absurdity and silliness ofFamily Guycutaway gags and somehow making it feel natural.Pirate Yakuzadoesn’t deliver as grand of an experience as the mainline entries, but for a spin-off game, it does more than just tide the player over until the next main entry is released. While shorter than its predecessor, the story may be intentionally absurd, but even with the sillier premise, it does get into more serious territory by addressing family dynamics with the Rich family.
Majima’s anmesia allows the character to reinvent himself, which does lead to interesting observations from those who knew him as the Mad Dog of Shimano. The theme has been in earlier games as friends becoming the family you choose was also prevalent in this entry. Overall, it’s a not a serious game, but keeps just enough drama that it doesn’t completely become a farce. Most importantly, while spending the forty or so hours playing it for the review, except for a few minigames that just weren’t my thing, the whole experience was incredibly enjoyable.
As with previous games, this franchise has the rare gift of blending serious crime drama akin toThe Sopranoswith mixing in the absurdity and silliness ofFamily Guycutaway gags and somehow making it feel natural.
While this does work as a decent entry point to the franchise, there are many familiar elements for returning fans, aside from revisiting the same location inInfinite Wealth.Many of the substories and minigames will have an air of familiarity to them, and the music that has been used in previous entries during these scenarios returns as well. Graphically, everything looks as one would expect aLike a Dragongame to look like, and the Goro Pirates are constantly taking up space in my head long after the game is turned off. The voice acting is fine in any language, though it sounds the most natural in Japanese. PreviousYakuzagames have been great in spite of janky control mechanics, but the play control feels much tighter inPirate Yakuza.
Closing Comments:
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii succeeds in making the return trip to Hawaii worthwhile. While smaller than the mainline games,Pirate Yakuzais still loaded with content to provide hours of entertainment beyond the main story campaign. The premise of Goro Majima becoming a swashbuckling captain of a pirate ship after suffering amnesia is a bit contrived, but it does create the environment for a highly-entertaining side story. The story doesn’t reach the highs of the bestYakuza/Like a Dragongames, but provides the opportunity for a popular supporting character to take on a starring role. It may not have everything one would get from one of the mainlineLike a Dragonentries, but one would be hard-pressed to get more enjoyable content from a spin-off.Pirate Yakuzais a welcome addition to the series. While it may be a shorter story than one would hope for, it isn’t lacking in quality.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 5
A new legend begins as you step into the steel toe boots of Goro Majima, a man who has lost his memory and reinvents himself as a pirate on the open sea.Embark on an over-the-top, modern-day pirate adventure with an ex-yakuza, now pirate captain and his crew as they engage in exhilarating combat on land and sea in the hunt for lost memories and a legendary treasure.PIRATE YAKUZA ADVENTURE AHOY!Goro Majima, a notorious ex-yakuza suddenly finds himself shipwrecked on a remote island in the Pacific. Unable to remember even his own name, he sets sail in search of clues to his lost memories, accompanied by a boy named Noah who saved his life. Before long, they’re caught up in a conflict between cutthroat criminals, modern-day pirates, and other scoundrels over a legendary treasure.GET YOUR SHIP TOGETHERAssemble a one-of-a-kind crew while upgrading your ship as you explore the open sea and forge your legend in the cannon fire of foes, unexpected friendships, and immense riches made along the way.When an enemy pirate ship catches you in their sights, an exhilarating real-time cannon battle breaks out. Quickly maneuver into position while avoiding fire, then deliver devastating damage to board the enemy ship and take down the captain in all-out crew vs. crew brawls. Conquer the seas, discover hidden islands and acquire loads of loot like a true yakuza pirate!KICK ARRRSS WITH CREATIVE COMBATDynamically switch between the “Mad Dog” and “Sea Dog” fighting styles to mix-up attacks and deliver explosive combos, juggles, and aerial takedowns that reward your creativity with over-the-top action.With “Mad Dog” style, utilize speed, agility, and flair to deliver precise yet powerful blows that stun your enemies into submission. Or make enemies walk the plank with the “Sea Dog” style that has you dual-wielding short swords and deploying tricky pirate tools to kick some serious booty.
