Evaluation information
Platform reviewed: PS5
Obtainable on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Sequence X|S, Xbox One, PC
Launch date: February 21, 2025
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a recreation that I’m shocked even exists. Within the AAA gaming house, it’s so uncommon to see a franchise simply let unfastened with a genuinely absurd premise. But with action-adventure recreation Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio pulls it off with such unabashed confidence that you just actually simply need to respect it.
And nonetheless upon reflection, it’s a premise that manages to make excellent sense for protagonist Goro Majima. For essentially the most unhinged of the collection’ legendary yakuza – a man who’s beforehand had success operating a cabaret membership and a building firm – taking on the mantle of a pirate captain and crusing the excessive seas in quest of misplaced treasure is one thing he’d in all probability do in a heartbeat. With or with out the amnesia he’s struck with at first of this recreation.
It’s an idea that elevates Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii from any previous spinoff to a very memorable journey and one which completely stands out confidently in opposition to the backdrop of the long-running collection. It’s nonetheless a Like a Dragon title by and thru – with an abundance of minigames, aspect quests, and an enormous open hub to discover – however the backdrop of piracy and treasure looking makes Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii one among a form.
Setting the stage
Six months on from the occasions of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, we discover Majima washed up on the seaside of a distant island off the coast of Hawaii. Close to demise and with little in the best way of reminiscences to his title, he’s mercifully saved by a baby named Luke, who lives on the island along with his dad and older sister.
Over the course of the primary chapter, Majima repays Luke’s kindness by serving to the island cope with a quite main pirate drawback. And we’re speaking pirates within the strictest sense: galleons outfitted with highly effective cannons and menacing sails, staffed by salty treasure-hungry sea canines. It seems the entire thing is sort of the racket within the waters surrounding Hawaii (within the Like a Dragon universe a minimum of).
After a stint doing errands on the island, it’s not too lengthy earlier than Majima will get a pirate ship – the Goromaru – and a ragtag crew of his personal. And so correctly begins an journey that efficiently weds a Treasure Island-esque narrative with Like a Dragon’s political and faction-based intrigue. Whereas it’s not as large on throwing you wild curveballs because the mainline collection, it’s a story that’s nonetheless entertaining and thrilling from begin to end, with a fully phenomenal finale as well.
White whale, holy grail
Gameplay and exploration in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is cut up into two distinct segments, these being land and sea. While you’re ashore, it’s maybe unsurprisingly like most different Like a Dragon titles; Majima will get to totally discover town of Honolulu (coming back from Infinite Wealth) and have interaction in every kind of minigames, aspect tales, and fight.
As in prior entries, clueless goons are greater than eager to make a beeline for Majima ought to they spot him out and about, which is the place his two distinct fight kinds come into play. I’ve lined them extensively in my previews beforehand, however what you might want to know is that the Mad Canine and Sea Canine kinds supply extremely distinctive methods to have interaction your foes.
Mad Canine is nearer to the Majima you count on. Wielding his iconic knife, he employs fast assaults, a robust hole nearer, throws, and extra. It’s superb for whittling down a single goal or a small squad of baddies. Sea Canine is the extra fascinating of the 2, as Majima dons his pirate garb, wields two cutlasses, and has entry to a flintlock pistol and a hook. It’s a lot better suited to the larger-scale fights you’ll have throughout story missions and deck battles.
Greatest bit
It’s onerous to single out anybody facet of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii as its very best bit, however the sheer number of content material on supply is undoubtedly a swashbuckler’s dream. Even higher, you possibly can take all of it at your personal tempo. Need to tick off some substories or chill with some minigames? Or do you need to take issues up a notch by sinking some lily-livered sailors within the Pirates’ Coliseum? Exterior of main story beats, it’s all obtainable to you at any time.
Total, Majima feels exceptionally highly effective right here, to the purpose the place the Regular issue setting was actually fairly a breeze. Throw in some hilariously robust Warmth Actions, Mad Canine’s Doppelganger mode, and Sea Canine’s Darkish Devices (each obtainable through the chargeable Insanity Gauge) and we have now what’s actually among the many most overpowered transfer units in collection historical past.
However by Davy Jones is Majima such a pleasure to play as. Whether or not it’s blasting away total scores of lads with a charged flintlock shot or wreaking havoc with an enormous ethereal chimpanzee (no, actually), fight hardly ever looks like a drag. Enemies aren’t essentially pushovers although, with some varieties wielding spears or shields to counter particular talents.
Nonetheless, as highly effective as Majima feels, you’ll nonetheless have to play good. That’s particularly so while you chase after Honolulu’s bounty targets – a chunk of aspect content material that gives loads of money with which you should utilize to put money into upgrades for Majima and his ship.
These spear guys can poke you out of the air, for instance, whereas shielded foes will must be robbed of their safety with the hook earlier than vital injury will be dealt. And that’s earlier than we’ve even gotten to kickboxers, gunners, tigers, bears, and enemies that drop a grenade on defeat. Imagine it or not, they’re truly worse than the tigers and bears.
Waterworld
Majima’s as a lot a terror out at sea, if no more so. Captaining the Goromaru is the opposite half of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and it’s not like something we’ve seen from the collection but. Nicely, maybe apart from the automobile fight of Fist of the North Star: Misplaced Paradise, however that’s clearly much more of a by-product than this recreation is.
There’s a ton to do out on the excessive seas, with exploring the huge waters surrounding Hawaii and different notable locales forming a great chunk of the playthrough. You’ll be able to have interaction in ship battles, discover uncharted islands for misplaced treasure, and even undertake an enormous aspect story that has Majima and crew taking down the Satan Flags – a infamous pirate armada.
One factor to notice is that content material with the Goromaru is noticeably tougher than the rest within the recreation. Enemy ships can pack a punch, particularly these of upper ranks. So, you’ll have to do some groundwork with a view to make your ship as highly effective as doable. That’ll come within the type of scouting new crew members you’ll find dotted round Honolulu, in addition to upgrading the ship’s sturdiness and firepower.
Your shipmates can even stage up after they’re staffed on the ship, and sure members can present distinctive First Mate or Squad Chief buffs in the event that they’ve been assigned to these positions. Such buffs embody growing injury you deal to an enemy ship’s stern, or growing the variety of instances you possibly can shoot out a smokescreen to obscure enemy imaginative and prescient whilst you resuscitate downed crewmates or put out hazards like fires or poison mist.
You’ll additionally be capable of take your crew into the Madlantis Pirates’ Coliseum, a considerable little bit of aspect content material the place you’ll have interaction in ship battles of escalating issue. Defeating the enemy ship will then transition you to a deck battle, the place your total crew faces off in opposition to the enemy’s on their very own ship. It’s a real thrill to see so many characters conflict in opposition to one another in fight like this, and whereas it could actually get fairly messy and nonsensical, it’s nonetheless nice chaotic enjoyable.
Manning the Goromaru is part of the sport that I discovered to be essentially the most engrossing. Ticking off content material and taking part in minigames to unlock new crew members all the time feels fulfilling, and undoubtedly incentivizes you to check out actions like Dragon Kart, Loopy Supply, and the same old smattering of aspect actions to unlock much more goodies.
There are a couple of cussed barnacles to cope with out on the ocean, although. Engagements with enemy ships can get fairly prolonged in a while within the recreation, which does add to general sea journey time. And whereas the Goromaru can increase and make use of air currents to sail swiftly, the straightforward act of touring from A to B can nonetheless take a great chunk of time. Particularly while you’re continuously operating into different fleets.
The ocean can be the one place within the recreation the place you’ll expertise notable efficiency drops (a minimum of I did on the PS5 evaluate model I examined), particularly when inclement climate akin to rain storms become involved. It’s nothing horrible or unplayable, however undoubtedly price noting if you happen to’re taking part in on console.
Ought to I play Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii?
Play it if…
Do not play it if…
Accessibility
The accessibility choices in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii are one thing of a treasure trove, too, with loads on supply to accommodate players of all stripes.
Some highlights embody choices for computerized fast time occasions, stick management swapping, decreasing the movement of waves out at sea, thorough subtitle choices (together with backgrounds and character names), and three distinct shade imaginative and prescient help settings (deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia). Full button configuration can be supported.
How I reviewed Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
My full playthrough of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii took 25 hours to complete on PS5, taking part in on an LG CX OLED TV with the DualSense Wireless Controller.
Whereas I completed the principle story, the Goro Pirates aspect story, and tackled the vast majority of obtainable aspect content material, this was in no way a completionist run. In the event you’re going for 100% – that’s totally finishing all aspect content material together with the exhaustive problem listing – count on to sink in anyplace between 30-40 hours.
First reviewed February 2025