Welcome back to beautiful Hawaii: land of golden beaches, crystal-clear waters, and The Mad Dog of Shimano roving the seas as a swashbuckling pirate. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is exactly as it sounds, with Goro Majima returning as a fully fledged protagonist for the first time since 2015's Yakuza 0. Unlike that game--which saw Kiryu share the spotlight--the focus this time around is squarely on everyone's favorite eyepatched goofball: the perfect leading man for one of the series' more bizarre entries. No one commits to the bit quite like Majima, which is partly why Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii avoids the risk of diminishing returns, despite being the third Like a Dragon game in the past 15 months. This high-seas adventure doesn't stack up against the series' best, but the pirate theme does just enough to differentiate a jaunty return to the Hawaii.
Set six months after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii opens with Majima waking up on a beach somewhere in the Pacific. He has no memory of how he got there, his name, or his storied past as a crime boss/cabaret manager/construction-company owner. All he knows is that a young boy named Noah saved his life, and for whatever reason, Hawaii and the surrounding islands are now full of cutlass-wielding pirates who look like they've been pulled out of Tortuga during the 1600s. What follows is the hunt for a long-lost legendary treasure that sees Majima reinvent himself as the pirate captain of his own ship, complete with an ever-expanding crew of new and familiar characters. Stuffing the coffers with booty might be the end goal, but this is also a tale about the friends we made along the way.
Like Infinite Wealth before it, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii focuses on a strong sense of friendship and camaraderie. It's frequently eccentric, but its outlandish nature is also mixed with an earnestness and sentimentality that reflects its endearing protagonist. Since Yakuza 0, Majima's Mad Dog persona has felt like a mask he puts on to cope with the trauma he endured early in life. He's always been a caring character, but the way he often shows this is through violence because he doesn't want to be hurt again. Amnesia is an overused trope, yet it's rare to see it affecting an established character we've known for 20 years, allowing for a personality reset of sorts. With no memories of his past, Majima subconsciously lets his guard down and shaves off the rougher edges that define the protective shield he puts up. He still throws himself into deadly situations with utmost glee, hinting that the Mad Dog persona and his masochistic side may have always been a part of him. But his interactions with the crew, and especially Noah, feel like Majima revealing his true self.
For longtime fans of this series, this makes Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii a particularly alluring proposition. It's disappointing, then, that the story neglects to explore the depths of Majima's personality. There's some strong character development from the supporting cast and individual moments that stand out, but the overarching narrative is too detached from Majima's life in Japan and feels like it's treading water until a thrilling final chapter. Momentum picks up from here as it finally ups the stakes and introduces the kind of emotional drama the series is known for. Until this point, however, it's simply a serviceable pirate adventure, taking a more lighthearted approach that sees the absurdity of its substories bleed into the main plotline. Spending time with Majima is always a treat, but deciding not to give him the hard-hitting, emotional arc the character deserves feels like a missed opportunity.
The variety of substories is still excellent, mind you, with topics ranging from the plight of an unpopular street performer to another pirate captain facing an unhappy crew due to the ship's uneven work/life balance. Some are completely wacky, others tug at the heartstrings, and a few familiar faces from Infinite Wealth continue their tales; these smaller human interactions remain at the series' heart. Each substory in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is also localized in the same Honolulu map from Infinite Wealth. Even after spending over 100 hours in the city early last year, it's still a treat to explore, whether you're passing palm trees on Aloha Beach or buying a new outfit at one of the many stores inside the vibrant Anaconda Shopping Centre.
This high-seas adventure doesn't stack up against the series' best, but the pirate theme does just enough to differentiate a jaunty return to the Hawaii
There aren't any new minigames to play, but rather new tracks for both Dragon Kart and Crazy Eats, plus new tests to challenge your knowledge at the Ounabara Vocational School. This is somewhat disheartening but not unexpected, considering the quick development turnaround. I also appreciate the number of classic Sega games you can play. This aspect of the series is often taken for granted, but where else can you play the likes of Alex Kidd in Miracle World on a virtual Master System, then go to an arcade and boot up an obscure lightgun game like The Ocean Hunter? The latter even fits the theme.
Substories feel more connected with the main story, too, as most conclude with a new crew member joining your ship. In total, you can have up to 30 active crew, with 10 handling the guns and cannons and the other 20 forming your boarding party. Ship management has some depth to it, tasking you with deciding your crew's best roles; maintaining their morale with parties, feasts, and gifts; purchasing ship upgrades; and outfitting your vessel with various armaments. The actual ship battles aren't quite as complex, though, with each skirmish adopting a similar pattern as you maneuver beside enemy vessels to unleash a cavalcade of cannon fire before turning around and doing the same thing again. This being Like a Dragon, the weapons at your disposal eventually get much wackier than regular cannon fire, allowing you to equip laser cannons, shark-launching machine guns, and other ludicrous displays of power. These weapons don't alter the formula--despite how it sounds--but they ensure that battles tend to end more quickly and with extra spectacle.
This doesn't mean naval combat is bad; it's just shallow. Drifting 180 degrees around an enemy ship while shredding it with flammable bullets is inherently satisfying, as is firing a sustained laser beam off the starboard like you're piloting the USS Enterprise. The issue is a monotony that sets in towards the game's final third. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii doesn't overstay its welcome, so this isn't as egregious as it could've been in a much longer game, but it's still disappointing that preparing your ship for battle is more involved than the battles themselves.
When you're not sinking ships from behind the wheel of your own, Majima's not afraid of going toe-to-toe with all of the goons, assholes, and enemy pirates hankering for a scrap. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii reverts back to the classic beat-'em-up style of combat the series was known for before Yakuza: Like a Dragon took it in a turn-based direction. Unlike past protagonists (and Majima himself in 0), pirate Majima is much quicker on his feet, resulting in a frenetic and exhilarating pace that's no less impactful when smacking enemies around. While the Mad Dog style is quintessential Majima, mixing his signature Demonfire Dagger with various hand-to-hand strikes, the Sea Dog style puts a cutlass in each hand to match the pirate motif. With a flintlock pistol at your disposal for ranged shots, and a grappling hook that lets you propel yourself toward enemies--along with a plethora of creatively over-the-top Heat moves--combat feels familiar yet distinct if you've played the series beyond the more recent RPG-style entries.
While you'll spend a lot of time slicing and dicing enemies on the streets of Honolulu, there are also plenty of opportunities for melee action out on the open sea. From battling entire crews on the decks of their own ships to exploring various islands in search of valuable treasure, there's a solid mix of naval combat and melee fisticuffs that's further emphasized by the game's two most comprehensive side activities. One sees you taking down a notorious pirate gang, while the other challenges you to win a series of ship battles inside an outrageous coliseum. The latter is situated in a new locale called Madlantis--a former ship graveyard that's been transformed into a neon-lit den for pirates and other criminals--complete with a casino, bar, and the aforementioned coliseum. Think Purgatory, only somehow seedier. Both activities are intertwined with the main story to give them some narrative heft while also being examples of the game's commitment to giving you a ton to do, even if it's scaled down compared to the series' mainline entries.
Unfortunately, technical issues are the most surprising new addition. I've played every game in the series and can't recall encountering so much as a single glitch, yet Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii crashed so many times that I lost count. Aside from forcing me to replay lengthy sections over again, this also introduced another issue where, upon re-loading a save, the game was just a black screen with sound and UI elements. Using Steam to verify the integrity of the game files fixed this until it eventually occurred again, but ideally both of these issues will be rectified by launch.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a solid spin-off, putting fan-favorite Goro Majima front and center with a suitably eccentric diversion into buccaneering piracy. The story doesn't pick up until an excellent final chapter, and it's disappointing that the narrative doesn't delve into Majima's complex personality, but this is still a thoroughly entertaining adventure on the high seas. It's quite unlike anything else in the long-running series, and even if it falters more often than usual, it's still essential for anyone who's previously called Kamurocho home.
