The Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series has seen more than a few interesting spin offs and takes across the years. You never really know what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have planned next for their much-loved series. Even so, few would have had what followed on from last year’s main instalment Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on their bingo card. As Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii sees Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega’s series taking to the high seas for some pirate themed thrill and spills.
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The game follows the now pretty solid template Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have set out, where they release a new Like a Dragon title early each year, and most impressive is that they have never compromised on the quality or even scale of the games, given this tight 12-month turnaround window.
Pirate Yakuza is Mostly Pirate Yakuza
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a mouthful of a title, but it also does a lot to explain the premise. Just think ‘pirate Yakuza game’, and you are up to speed and ready to play.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes place after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Pirate Yakuza focuses on series mainstay and fan favourite Goro Majima, who, after being stranded on an island and losing his memory, ends up being a pirate along with his own crew on the hunt for hidden treasure.
Its Own Thing
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is wild. The plot, the characters, the scenarios – everything is off the wall more more often than not. Yet, it all comes together and fits wonderfully, which is part of the game’s brilliance.
Oddly, for a Like a Dragon game, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii does not focus on telling an epic tale that has hundreds of threads that will come together by the end. Instead, it’s more interested in Majima’s moment-to-moment story, especially the bonds you foster and the various interactions with the people you meet on your journey.
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That’s not to say there isn’t an epic tale here – it just doesn’t kick in until well into the game which is a bit different for a Like a Dragon title.
Dragon Gaiden-like
Gameplay goes for the Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name format of real-time brawling, rather than the turn-based systems of the past two mainline entries. This will be a refreshing return to the past ways for die-hard fans, while also letting newcomers see what the older entries were like.
You have two main fighting styles to switch between here. Mad Dog-style sees Majima using a moveset more in tone with what we have seen from him in the past games. The new Sea Dog-style lets him use his pirate sword in battle and fight more like a pirate than a Japanese street soldier.
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Both are fun in their own right with Mad Dog being more focused on aerial combos, as well as a few of his more well-known tricks; like making doppelgangers. Sea Dog is more weapon focused as you combo sword, pistol and hook attacks, with devastating throws and also summoning sea spirts.
The combat system is fun and enjoyable plus there is a healthy upgrade system at play too. It’s just not as deep or option packed as other similar brawler offerings; such as Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
Naval Razing
Land battling is just half of the game’s combat thrills. You’ll also take your skills to the open sea, sailing your ship around, picking fights, and plundering. There’s a nice depth to the sea side of things, as you upgrade your ship, and recruit new, and more skilled, crew.
While at sea you can also treasure hunt, dropping your anchor at a number of islands and using clues to lead the way. Beware you’ll also get into a fair share of battles with other ships in quick, frantic and snappy fights. Ship combat is unadulterated and simple fun. While it’s less complex than other similar titles, this immediacy suits Pirate Yakuza.
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This side of things could have been overly tedious, which is an issue that all seafaring games face. Pirate Yakuza tries hard to shake this, but even with all the upgrades and the like, it ends up feeling more automatically driven than dull.
The game’s semi-open map contains a lot of content. There are several different areas to explore, plus the whole of Hawaii from Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. These are all linked by a handy fast travel system using lighthouses.
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Plus, there is Madlantis – the title’s take on the Castle from The Man Who Erased His Name. Here you can play lots of pirate-themed activities, as well as enter the pirate colosseum to battle it out to be crowned King of the Pirates.
This is all on top of the standard Like a Dragon formula – tonnes of side quests, missions, collectables and just things to get side tracked with; including a very Animal Crossing style island sub-game too.
Signature Presentation
Visually the game looks and sounds just like Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, so top tier out the box. Plus, unlike Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, the game shipped at release with English. For the best experience, I would recommend using the original Japanese audio, but the option at launch is good to have.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii could have so easily been a gimmick and still sold well. But, efforts were made to please fans while onboarding new shipmates, and the game sits proudly amongst its LaD series peers. The game’s over-the-top tale, setting and idea combine to make a solid pirate title and a great Like a Dragon entry at the same time.
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Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio also shows they can craft titles, where fun can be the main idea over dark and crime themes, they have shown they are so good at making.
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