The Like a Dragon franchise is no stranger to weird offshoots. After all one of its weirder entries, the zombie-themed Yakuza: Dead Souls, was a thing back during the Xbox 360 generation. Even so, it was surprising to see that not only would Majima get a game of his own, but it would be one centered around modern day piracy with a taste of the insanity that permeates the beloved antihero. For as out there as it can seem to those looking for yet another “serious” entry in the series, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is no frills, positively insane and an absolute blast to play in just about every way.
Taking place right after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has you controlling an amnesiac Goro Majima who has shipwrecked near the island of Rich, where he quickly befriends the locals and runs afoul the would-be pirates that are a constant thorn in everyone’s back. Before long, our one-eyed protagonist has a ship and crew to call his own, and with his past memories hazy at best, he decides to go to Nele Island, the center of all the chaos in the previous game in order to see if anyone there manages to shake up his mind and get him back up to speed.
What ends up happening is pretty much the opposite, as he is thrust into the modern day pirate lifestyle, plundering treasure from long lost captains and getting into increasingly crazier ship battles along the way. As the game name suggests, it all happens within the shores of Hawaii, where Ichiban’s last quest took place in, and like basically all other games in the the long-running saga, Majima gets tangled into helping people out in a number of side quests, as well as partaking in many minigames, some of which are pulled straight out of Infinite Wealth.
Unlike the last game, though, the action this time is a look back at Like a Dragon’s past; that is, there are no real-time battles to speak of. You get a few different fighting grooves and get to fight enemies directly, much like Kiryu’s own, but with the taste of Goro’s manic personality; a throwback to the excellent Yakuza 0, one of the best playing of those titles.
His initial groove, the Mad Dog, is ripped straight out of that one, and the other one is tied to him being a captain, with gun and saber in tow, much akin to that of Ishin!’s Sakamoto, that is, fast and deadly. In sum, fights are hectic but quick to get through, leaving plenty of space for you to duke it out with your opponents in the open sea.
That aspect of the game is where Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii truly shines: Sega is at home here, delivering a simple but still enjoyable arcade experience that can be very addicting to those who dig the upgrade cycle of continuously improving your ship and team members, one that’s intrinsically tied to all the running around you’ll be doing on land during the game. Majima’s crew is an odd one at best and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Other parts of this one also shine incredibly bright. The cannonball minigame is one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever seen in a Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio game so far, where you’re tasked with blowing up barrel after barrel, comboing your way towards a high score whenever you visit the pirate haven of Madlantis. There you’ll also be able to play other more established series distractions such as Black Jack and Poker, all of which are good ways to earn some quick bucks, especially when you get good at cheating your way through them.
Back in Honolulu, you’ll be able to get into much of what made Infinite Wealth so fun, like taking classes in the institute, recruiting new friends through an app, dating (of course!), and delivering junk food at high speed through Crazy Eats. Some might be disappointed with the repetition of activities so close between games, but Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii smartly ties them to the crew recruitment mechanic in a way that makes them feel more important now in the grand scheme of things than they ever were in last year’s game.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a shorter experience that previous releases, and like Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Has Erased His Name, it’s a self-contained side story that has links to the rest of the series but can be enjoyed on their own if you do so wish. Then again, if you know what’s been going on in Like a Dragon/Yakuza, you’ll have an even better time, even more so if you are as big of a fan of Majima as the one writing to you here is.
Having the former Mad Dog of a Shimano as a pirate captain would seem ridiculous before, but thanks to this game, it’s now as natural of an evolution to his character as Kazuma turning into a secret agent. RGG Studio is an absurdly talented team that have increasingly more and more out there ideas that are absolutely gold. It’s hard to predict where the series is going next and I can’t wait to be surprised yet again with whatever’s coming in from them in the future.
