Despite Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s signature absurdity, it’s safe to say many were floored by the reveal of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. We’ve grown used to the developer’s ability to pump out quality titles on a near-annual release schedule over the last decade, but most of these have felt like relatively safe ventures within the framework of the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii feels different in the inherent silliness of its core ideas.
Still, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s track record has been very solid recently. Quality title after quality title, each mainline and spin-off entry distinct from the last that has evolved Like a Dragon into a multi-faceted and complex series. There’s no doubt that Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii is ridiculously outlandish – a loose follow up to 2024’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth that struggles to find its footing in some ways, but sticks the landing where it counts.
Set six months after the tumultuous events of Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii follows the storied Goro Majima. An ex-Tojo Clan yakuza who’s had his fair share of limelight in the series, even occupying the protagonist role alongside Kazuma Kiryu in Yakuza 0. Majima is mysteriously stranded on Rich Island with no memories of his prior life, unsure of his reasons behind leaving Japan for Hawaii. He’s saved by a young boy named Noah Rich and becomes embroiled in a hunt for the lost treasure of the Esperanza.
To compete with local pirates, other ex-yakuza, and the remnants of the Palekana religious organisation, Majima and Noah assemble their own pirate crew in a race for the treasure which is said to contain countless riches and an elixir of eternal life. This is a swashbuckling tale through and through that embraces the sheer silliness of its whole concept.
It’s a far cry from the labyrinthine and sometimes overly convoluted plots of recent Like a Dragon games. That simplicity is refreshing – it leaves room to focus more on characters and the world that this adventure takes place in, opting to hone in on intimate character moments as opposed to untangling the webs of conspiracy that Like a Dragon is so eager to jump into.
Some of this character work does feel like a missed opportunity, though. While amnesia is an exhausted trope for all kinds of narrative, it can lead to big payoffs when executed properly. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is one such story where the opportunities are there, ripe for the picking to play on nostalgia and the storied history of these characters. Instead, it’s more interested in building relationships with characters we probably won’t see ever again.
I enjoy Noah and other newcomers in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, but I wonder what a more Majima-focused narrative would’ve looked like. Forcing him to grapple with the fallout of his actions in recent titles while rediscovering the connections he has with those he holds close would’ve been captivating in the same way Like a Dragon Gaiden is. There’s brief moments of it here – particularly with the role Majima played in the Tojo Clan’s momentous dissolution in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, but it only left me yearning for more.
I was left feeling mostly middled by it all when the credits rolled, but then the post-credits scene hit. Without spoiling it here, it felt like a real full-circle moment, justifying Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s absolutely ludicrous premise in a nature that reinforces the identity of this franchise. It was a truly lovely moment of realisation for me when the dots started to connect, and I suspect that any other long time fan will feel the same way.
It’s no secret now that these side games and spin-offs are where Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio gets to flex their expertise in action combat. The turn-based escapades of Ichiban and his group of social outcasts are more than welcome, but it’s always nice to see RGG return to their roots. Like their other recent action titles, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii doesn’t reach the heights of Yakuza 0 or Yakuza 5, but brings enough to the table to make for a satisfying experience.
Being able to step into the shoes of Majima again is undoubtedly the biggest draw here. He feels different to his playable debut in Yakuza 0, inherently ravenous and wild in a way that’s all too fitting for his iconic Mad Dog Style. On the other end of the spectrum is the Sea Dog Style, which sees Majima brandishing cutlasses and a flintlock pistol in true swashbuckling fashion.
Both of these styles have access to aerial combos and juggles which feels like a long overdue first for this franchise. It’s a fun new addition that’s two-fold in its functionality. Not only is a great way to extend combos and make the most of openings, but it also lets you separate yourself from crowds of enemies when things get overwhelming. There’s also a healthy amount of unlockable skills, Heat Actions, and contextual moves to play around with in combat.
The other part of the gameplay puzzle which is wildly different from anything Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has done before is in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s ship exploration and combat. In true pirate fashion, Majima and his crew have their own ship aptly named the Goromaru. The Goromaru can be used to sail the seas surrounding Hawaii as you plunder treasure from nearby islands and engage in naval combat with nefarious pirates.
The whole thing is really quite comprehensive. The Goromaru itself can be upgraded, from its machine guns and cannons to durability and speed boosts, every aspect of the ship’s traversal and combat capabilities can be improved in some way. The crew that you have manning the artillery and boarding enemy ships can also be customised as you unlock new crew members through the story or recruit willing pirates in Hawaii or Madlantis.
Speaking of which, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is unsurprisingly jam-packed with stuff to do. Hawaii itself is largely unchanged from last year’s Infinite Wealth, albeit with some new minigames, substories, and activities exclusive to Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Madlantis, though, is a truly new location to explore.
It’s a haven for pirates and criminals alike. Grungy, lawless, ruthless, and unkept, all of which make it the perfect setting for this kind of story. It even brings with it its very own pirate colosseum, where you can engage other pirate crews in naval combat as you climb the rankings and make away with their riches. This is all to say it’s pretty comprehensive stuff, and it all just functions really well.
The naval combat is surprisingly robust and moreish. Upgrading the Goromaru has an addictive progression loop to it and even has a unique cannons with elemental affinities to experiment with. This whole aspect of the game could’ve easily been an afterthought, but it’s clear that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio knew it would be a pillar of the experience and decided to go all in.
The only aspect of it that I didn’t gel with is the aforementioned treasure hunts. The first few are a good time, but they quickly become visually and mechanically repetitive. Recycling the same environments and objectives with the only real difference coming in the form of artificial difficulty rooted in how strong your crew is. Their short length means they’re relatively inoffensive, but they do stand out amidst all the other worthwhile side content.
If you’ve played Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s other games since their upgrade to the Dragon Engine, it’ll come as no surprise that Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is another showcase of what the engine is capable of. Much like Infinite Wealth, Hawaii is a tropical paradise bursting at the seams with bright blues and greens that still give off the holiday vibe that Ichiban’s last adventure was going for.
The seas themselves are also wonderfully realised, with shifting weather that has the tides alternating between soft lapping waves and thunderous storms. Madlantis has a visual contrast to every other environment in the game that makes it stand out, employing Ryu Ga Gotoku’s expertise in creating slimy criminal underbellies and combining it with the kind of rusted-on grunge that comes with the pirate fantasy.
It also performs fantastically, which follows Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s track record but is more impressive when you consider how much is going on. Some of the ship battles and island treasure hunt skirmishes are positively filled with enemies. All of this combined with a flurry of particle effects from intricate Heat Actions and environmental takedowns means Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii can be very visually busy, but it never skips a beat.
As always with these games, there’s so many systems, mechanics, and ideas that I haven’t touched on here. Much like The Man Who Erased His Name, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is utterly packed with worthwhile content and offers a fun adventure to experience in the shoes of Goro Majima. It might seem like it doesn’t really fit into the continuity of the broader narrative, but it leaves a real impact by the time everything is said and done.
