Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review in Progress

Soon after the release of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios follows up with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, an even more absurd concept that only the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series and RGG can pull off. It’s more ‘unnecessary’ Yakuza that keeps on proving its worth, as many will greatly appreciate this spin-off entry that delivers yet another fun action game that highlights the series’ greatest strengths, and at times, its most notable weaknesses.

Goro Majima is again placed into the spotlight, as he finds himself washed up on one of Hawaii’s many islands. Struck with amnesia, Majima is helped and accompanied by a local kid named Noah Rich as he embarks on a pirate adventure that consists of ships, outfits, cannons, swords, the whole package that delivers up the illusion that a small percentage of the modern pirate world is still living like it’s the 1600s, during the golden era of piracy in the western seas. There are treasures abound and bounties to hunt as Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza is part Yakuza action-adventure, and part arcade ship combat. 

As for the Yakuza side of the game, this spin-off brings back the action combat fans love, as Goro’s equipped with a new set of fighting stances a player can switch on the fly during combat. His Mad Dog style has a unique approach, as a proper attack string can trigger your lifting enemies off the ground so as to juggle them in the air. We then have the Sea Dog style, which has a series of tools that make it a perfect choice of taking out multiple enemies at once. Sooner or later, you are given tools to summon crazy creatures and allies to do significant damage, literally acting like a summon spell in some JRPG. 

But don’t expect RGG experimenting on the feel if their real-time combat as it’s just like the combat found in previous titles before mainline titles went the JRPG turned-based route. I still find the targeting to be a bit awkward and certain defenses feel a bit off making you fumble a bit when being pressured by multiple enemies. A common problem I experienced in almost all Yakuza games, showing that they are just sticking to what people expect.

What’s impressive is how RGG can handle both turn-based and action-oriented combat, as thanks to what I saw in Infinite Wealth, the talented folks at the Japanese studio have shown that they are experts in either concept, as both are enjoyable in their own right, so it’s good to see they can just go one way or another depending on their angle.

This time around, we are given the action side, a coin flip of assets created for Infinite Wealth, as Goro will be revisiting the same Hawaii map found in the last mainline title. Pirates in Hawaii is set months after the events of Infinite Wealth, so there are changes made to the game’s Honolulu map, but most of the characters introduced in Infinite Wealth are present in this game. Those who played the last turn-based RPG will appreciate certain nods to the events that happened in the last game, and mentions of a certain bunch of yakuza roaming around as a group.

A Yohoho - Yakuza action

In terms of gameplay, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is simply Infinite Wealth if it weren’t a turn-based RPG, as many of the new systems added for that game are present in this one. The social media system where you’ll say ‘Aloha’ to NPCs in the app to become friends returns, as does the Street Surfer, which makes walking the least effective way to go around. This is Infinite Wealth for those not keen on the RPG direction the mainline series has taken.

So far, how the game is presented is simply RGG doing what they do best, as Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is populated with the usual wacky side stories, mini-games, and other activities to really distract the player and keep them off the beaten path. It’s a tried and true formula done many times in the series, and it still works to this day, but the real meat for Pirate Yakuza lies in the depth of the ship combat, ship customization, and crew system. I was enticed to seek out buried treasure to fuel future ship upgrades, as well as open opportunities to recruit stronger crew members to make your crew more effective during ship battles and boarding sequences.

Controlling your ship is basic, with combat showing an absurd side as Goro’s ship is equipped with not just left and right cannons, but dual machine guns to handle enemies right in front of you. Yes, the game doesn’t shy away from the fact that this is set in 2024 as they mix the past and present as much as they can, with characters just going with it, as if the pirate thing is a normal part of life in Hawaii. 

There is a quick and fun cooking mini-game to craft consumables based on the ingredients you crafted or grew, and an animal farm where you can tend to the various animals you find during your playthrough. It’s all weird, but it ultimately makes sense for a Yakuza game.

As for the story - I’m about halfway through the main path and it’s definitely on the lighter side as there’s no big mystery to uncover and added revelations. Pirate Yakuza takes its time to set the tone and setting, slowly introducing the player to the key systems of its characters, then injecting side activities and other distractions in the main path to entice players to not trigger the next chapter in the game, which is something I notice in most Yakuza games. It’s only at the halfway point where a Yakuza game’s story picks up, and it’s no different here, but the payoff is weaker as I’m still not seeing how this will add more value to the grand scheme of Like a Dragon’s ongoing story, seeing as how this, again, takes place months after the conclusion of Kasuga and Kiryu’s latest escapade.

Keep it coming with these spinoffs

In comparing Pirate Yakuza to Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, I can already say I prefer this recent spin-off entry, simply because it’s not Kamarucho all over again - this game reuses the Infinite Wealth setting that still feels fresh and exciting for many, and is packed with an absurd pirate theme that reminds us that the Yakuza series can go anywhere it wants and still find ways to entertain. Gaiden felt like another Yakuza Kiryu game, while Pirate Yakuza feels like a fun adventure with RGG’s take on pirate gameplay concepts like ship combat and the ability to round up crew members to build up a more effective pirate crew on and off your trusty ship.

My thoughts are based on the 10 hours I’ve played so far, and while I don’t expect it to have a similar runtime as Infinite Wealth, I’ll be happy to find it land somewhere similar to Gaiden on my rankings, as this is still a title to keep fans at bay, an appetizer before the true follow-up to Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth.

---