Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios has consistently put out two to four games a year since 2012. Somehow, the quality of their games has never dipped. The last Like A Dragon spin-off had us playing super spy with Kiryu, and they decided to top that concept by letting the players take control of the Yakuza’s craziest resident, Goro Majima.
Not only does it star Majima, but he has amnesia and takes up pirating. Does Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii need to walk the plank, or is it a pile of treasure waiting for you to find it? Let’s set sail and see if The Mad Dog of Shimano can lead us to gold.
Pirate Yakuza is a Spin-Off, But The Story Is Important
The story takes place six months after Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Goro Majima washes ashore, inches from death, with no memory of who he is. That is when a young boy, Noah, helps Majima recover from death’s door. Noah shares his dream of leaving the Island, and Majima promises to help his dream.
This leads to you becoming a pirate and captaining your own ship. The crew’s main goal is to find the lost treasure of the Esperanza, which has an elixir that cures any sickness. Majima wants this elixir for Noah, who tends to have coughing fits.
With Noah’s cough gone, Noah could live his dream of traveling the world. The action-packed pirate’s life ensues with twists and turns that put Majima in the center of a battle to find the treasure. Don’t worry; a few old faces will return to help you out. One of them being your big bro, Taiga Saejima.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Side Missions Are As Goofy As Eve
If you are wondering about the side missions, of course, they’re there. They are just as wacky, exciting, and sad as always.
A lot of the side quests feature characters you helped in side missions during Infinite Wealth. It feels like you are stopping by to see how an old friend is doing. As a lifelong Like a Dragon fan, I completed all the side missions. I can report that a good 95% of them are enjoyable. Dragon Kart and Sicko Snap has returned and are still just as fun. The golden gem of the game centers around one of your crew mates named Masaru. You discover he is lonely, so Majima gathers a group of women for a party.
This leads to a live-action sequence that plays out like The Bachelor. Masaru ends up striking out, which leads to more live-action sequences of exactly how he struck out with each girl. I have never laughed so hard at a sequence in a game.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Combat is Some of the Best in the Series
The two recent spin-offs really show that RGG has mastered the beat em’ up style of the series.
The Man Who Erased His Name and Pirate Yakuza are neck and neck for the best combat in the series. Majima has two styles: the Mad Dog style and the Sea Dog style. Mad Dog style is the classic fighting style Majima is known for, while Sea Dog is his new pirate combat style. Sea Dog will have you dual-wielding cutlass swords, using a grappling hook, and firing an old-timey pistol.
You can find four dark instruments that let you summon a dark animal god. Nothing felt as good as summoning a giant parrot to blow a giant tornado to sweep away your foes. The more skills you obtain from your skill tree, the more dangerous you become. You can quickly put down groups of enemies, and it always feels satisfying. Earning points from pirate activities and money are the way you unlock upgrades. For a shorter experience, the skill tree has a lot of abilities.
The ship combat is better than AAAA games. The game doesn’t play it straight. You can have a machine gun that fires coconuts and laser canons to decimate your foes. When the boss ship is weakened, you hop on the enemy’s ship with your crew to take out the other pirates. This and visiting the islands for treasures give off a Dynasty Warrior feel. Some islands even make you fight up to 99 pirates in a single battle.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Reuses Assets, But the Quality Doesn’t Suffer
Pirate Yakuza may reuse assets, but the quality is still that high standard. RGG still knows how to balance seriousness and wacky moments, but this game’s story leans more into the humorous territory, which isn’t surprising because the main character is Majima.
We get to see a side of Majima you don’t often see, which is interesting. Side quests made me feel more invested because these are characters you have helped, such as Ichiban in Infinite Wealth. The combat is the best it has ever been in the series, and the high-octane action never ceases. The presentation is great, with awesome music and a great voice acting performance. Don’t sleep on the English dub. I’ve seen the jokes, but Matthew Mercer embodies Goro Majima. Don’t believe me? Look up the karaoke mini-game clips online.
If I had to nitpick anything, I would have two things. RGG needs to find a way to blend the combat into cutscenes better. That awkward 3-10 second pause after the last enemy drops can pull you out of the experience, and it happens a lot. My second nitpick was crafting at Julie’s Gearworks. It would not let me craft multiple upgrades at once. I had to go through the prompt thirty times if I needed thirty quality components. It took quite a bit.
Like A Dragon Continues to Be One of Gaming’s Most Interesting Franchises
All that aside, we get a brilliant adventure with a childlike sense of wonder. Majima enjoys himself just as much as your child crewmate, Noah. Seeing a heroic side of Majima and how he defends his friends was a nice change of pace for the character. Finding out the mystery of the treasure and facing AEW star Samoa Joe was thrilling.
The after-credits scene reveals the original reason Majima headed to Nele Island, and even more pieces fall into place once Majima regains his memories. RGG are masters of the craft. Even their spin-offs overflow with quality. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is one of the best action games you will see this year. This game is a treasure and shows you that the greatest treasure is the friends we make along the way.
Quit being a lousy land-lubber and put on your captain hat. It is time for you to set sail in Hawaii.
Score: 9/10
Pros:
- Fun fast-paced combat.
- Great story and Side Missions.
- Matthew Mercer gives a great performance.
Cons:
- Crafting is tedious.
- Odd pauses when transitioning out of battles during cutscenes.
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