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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Developer(s)Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Yasuaki Uehara
Producer(s)
  • Ryosuke Horii
  • Hiroyuki Sakamoto
Designer(s)Takanori Naganuma
Programmer(s)Yutaka Ito
Artist(s)
  • Yuu Honya
  • Nobuaki Mitake
Writer(s)
Composer(s)Saori Yoshida
SeriesLike a Dragon
Platform(s)
ReleaseFebruary 21, 2025
Genre(s)Action-adventure, beat 'em up, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii[a] is a 2025 action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. Taking place after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii focuses on series mainstay Goro Majima, who, after being stranded on an island and losing his memories, now leads his own pirate crew to discover a hidden treasure.[1]

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 21, 2025.[2] The game received generally positive reviews from critics.

Gameplay

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In Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, players control Goro Majima as they explore four different locales: Rich Island, a remote island in close proximity to Hawaii; Madlantis, a secret island frequented by criminals and pirates; Nele Island, the base of the Palekana religious group; and Honolulu, the main setting of Infinite Wealth.[1]

Similar to older Like a Dragon titles, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii utilizes a beat 'em up combat system. Majima has access to two fighting styles: Mad Dog, which is Majima's signature speed-focused style; and Sea Dog, which allows Majima to wield dual cutlasses and pistols, as well as other pirate tools. A new addition to the combat system is the ability to jump and perform mid-air combos.[1]

Outside of regular combat, players can also assemble a pirate crew and upgrade their own ship, the Goromaru, which they can use to explore the open sea and engage in combat with other pirate ships. Ship combat takes place in real-time, and players can also board enemy ships to battle their crew and defeat their captain.[1]

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii features the return of several minigames from previous Like a Dragon titles, such as Karaoke, Crazy Delivery, and Dragon Kart. In addition, a new side activity, Masaru's Love Journey, focuses on Majima recruiting "Minato girls" to hang out with one of the game's characters, Masaru Fujita.[3][4]

As with other Like a Dragon titles, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii features unlockable emulations of older Sega games, such as the Master System and SG-1000 games Poseidon Wars 3-D, Space Harrier 3-D, and Star Jacker, and arcade game The Ocean Hunter.[4]

Synopsis

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Premise

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes place six months after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024), and features ex-Tojo Clan yakuza Goro Majima (Hidenari Ugaki/Matthew Mercer) as the sole playable character. Through unknown circumstances, Majima has been stranded on Rich Island, with no memories of his past life. Having been saved by a boy named Noah Rich (First Summer Uika/Maya Aoki Tuttle), Majima finds himself embroiled in a new conflict, involving both local Hawaiian pirates and ex-yakuza members from Japan. He becomes the captain of a new pirate crew, and sets out in search of a hidden treasure, as well as to recover his memories.[1]

In addition to Noah, Majima is joined by a new cast of characters, including: Jason Rich (Kenji Matsuda/Jeremy Brandt), Noah's father and a former treasure hunter who owns a bar on Rich Island; Masaru Fujita (Ryuji "Robert" Akiyama/Brent Mukai), a skilled chef who joins Majima's crew; Teruhiko Shigaki (Munetaka Aoki/Daisuke Tsuji), a former Tojo Clan patriarch who volunteered to clean up the pollution on Nele Island; Rodriguez (Ayumi Tanida/Josh Keaton), a disciple of the Palekana religious group; Mortimer (Shunsuke Daito/Matthew Waterson), a charismatic pirate who leads the Mortimer Armada;[1] Moana Rich (Reina Ueda/Jennifer Sun Bell), Jason's middle daughter who helps him run the bar; Naomi Rich (Yoko Hikasa/Monique Burias Shi), Jason's oldest daughter who went to Honolulu to study at college; Queen Michele (Romi Park/Debra Wilson), the ruler of Madlantis; Raymond Law (Miou Tanaka/Nuufolau Joel "Samoa Joe" Seanoa), the manager of Madlantis' Pirate Coliseum;[5] and Spade Tucker (Mugihito/Geoff Pierson), a New York loan shark who is also on the hunt for the Esperanza. Returning characters from previous Like a Dragon titles include: Taiga Saejima (Rikiya Koyama/James Kirkland), Majima's sworn brother and fellow ex-yakuza;[2] Nishida (Katsunori Okai/Brandon McInnis) and Daisaku Minami (Hideo Ishikawa/Mark Whitten), former members of Majima's yakuza family;[5] and Ichiban Kasuga (Kazuhiro Nakaya/Kaiji Tang), an ex-yakuza who previously crossed path with Majima.

Plot

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In August 2024, Goro Majima finds himself washed ashore on Rich Island, a remote island near Hawaii, having no recollection of his past or how he got there. He is awakened by a local asthmatic island boy, Noah Rich. After saving Noah from local pirates, Majima is brought into Noah's home, where the latter's drunken father Jason tells him that he likely got shipwrecked on his way to Nele Island, which is currently under cleanup by the Japanese yakuza.[b] After saving Jason's daughter Moana, Majima confronts and defeats the pirates, led by Jack the Collector. After recruiting the ship's cook Masaru Fujita, Majima takes over Jack's crew and become its captain upon Masaru's suggestion. Masaru reveals that he once partnered with Jason, a former treasure hunter who sought after the "Lost Treasure of the Esperanza", an urban myth said to contain treasure and an "elixir of eternal life", capable of curing any diseases. Jason aimed to find the elixir to cure Noah's asthma, but lost his ship during a fixed coliseum match, causing him to lose a lot of money and disappear afterwards. Majima convinces Jason to join the crew, partly for Noah, who yearns to explore the world beyond the island. With a crew assembled, and calling themselves the Goro Pirates, Majima and his new allies set sail to Nele Island.

Upon arrival, Majima is attacked by local Palekana zealots, led by a disciple named Rodriguez. Teruhiko Shigaki, a former Tojo Clan patriarch, steps in to stop the fight. He explains that after Masataka Ebina's plan fell apart,[b] Shigaki stepped in to continue the clean up plan, run by former Tojo Clan leadership and the Hawaiian State Government, allowing the yakuzas to get proper jobs. Afterwards, Shigaki also tells Majima that his sworn brother, Taiga Saejima, will also arrive at Nele Island, planning to bring him back to Japan to assist his recovery. After seeing some yakuzas heading on a yacht, the Goro Pirates head towards Madlantis, a social hub for pirates made on top of a ship graveyard, built by the former corrupt Sage of Palekana, Bryce Fairchild, which is now run under Queen Michele. On route, Masaru reveals that a New York moneylender, Spade Tucker, began appearing in Madlantis, seemingly having new information regarding the Esperanza treasure.

Entering Madlantis, the Goro Pirates find that Tucker is nowhere to be seen, while Majima has a bounty on his head, set by Mortimer, a high-ranking pirate commodore who previously betrayed Jason's crew and caused his loss in the coliseum. After upgrading their ship, Majima enters the Pirates Coliseum and beats one of the Mortimer Armada ships. The crew then is invited to meet Michele, alongside Mortimer, the Pirate King Raymond Law, and Jason's eldest daughter Naomi, the Queen's right hand and bodyguard. Naomi secretly tells Majima that Michele is aware of Majima's purpose at Nele Island and asks him to help her find a secret hidden on the island.

Noah gets kidnapped by Palekana zealots, forcing Majima, Masaru, and Jason to traverse through Madlantis underground and save him. Wanting answers, Majima and his crew meet up with Naomi in Honolulu, who reveals that the Esperanza treasure was buried somewhere in Nele Island, and that she got her intel from Tucker. Tucker, aiming to find the treasure, has been working with Shigaki to prevent Nele Island from being sealed off by the government. Majima returns to Nele Island and confronts Shigaki, who attacks the group. Shigaki explains that Majima and Saejima are in the way of finding the treasure and that he orchestrated Noah's kidnapping to prevent Majima from leaving Madlantis and Saejima from arriving at the island. Shigaki makes amends with Majima, and joins his crew to find the treasure. Saejima arrives at Nele Island, intending to bring Majima back to Japan. The two fight, and Saejima is defeated.

Majima meets Tucker, who reveals that he found a journal written by one of the attackers of the Esperanza, who after hoarding the treasure, got washed up on Nele Island. There, the pirates found a "village of heretics" within a cave and decided to hide the treasure there. Noah discovers an old man living on the island, later revealed to be Rodriguez's father, who possesses a silver of the Esperanza treasure. Rodriguez fights Majima, then later rallies around the Palekana zealots and attacks the yakuza settlement, forcing Majima, Shigaki and the yakuza to fend them off. They are later saved by Noah, Saejima, and the Goro Pirates. Rodriguez is revealed to be allied with Raymond, who plans to sell off the treasure, but clarifies that he did not know the location of the treasure. Majima forms a truce with Rodriguez and they work together to find the treasure.

Majima decides to help Tucker reach Nele Island through Madlantis, but is confronted by Mortimer and Raymond. Raymond strikes a deal with Majima to beat Mortimer in a coliseum battle to let Tucker pass. Majima and his crew later confront Masaru, who was seen drinking with Mortimer's men. After a brief fight, Masaru reveals that both he and Mortimer were bribed by Raymond to sabotage Jason's ship seven years prior; the former initially took the bribe but later returned it. Masaru later makes amends with Jason. Majima defeats Mortimer in the Coliseum, and the latter is killed by his own men after attempting to get Majima's bounty pulled off.

The Goro Pirates travel to the waters near Nele Island, where they find a hidden entrance into a cave where the Esperanza treasure is located. They then encounter a giant squid, which was responsible for Majima being shipwrecked prior. Majima defeats the squid, and regains his memories in the process. Naomi reports to Michele, who dispatches her armada to take the treasure by force. Raymond discloses Michele's plan to Rodriguez, allowing Majima to beat her armada. Michele flees to Madlantis, but Raymond, who has taken control of the city in her absence, orders guards to sink Michele's boat, killing her. Raymond kidnaps Moana as a bargaining chip in exchange for the treasure, causing Shigaki and the yakuza to turn against the crew. During the ensuing scuffle, Shigaki accidentally stabs Jason, who is then taken to a Honolulu hospital by Tucker.

Majima returns to Madlantis for the exchange but is captured until rescued by Saejima and Naomi. Majima, Saejima, and Naomi fight through Madlantis and disable its defenses, allowing the Goro Pirates to storm Madlantis. Majima then confronts and defeats Raymond, who is later eaten by a white whale. The crew later reunites with a recovering Jason, celebrates their victory, and agrees to split the findings, with Majima only taking a picture as a memento instead.

Six months later, Majima, now fully recovered, recounts his tale by filming it on a TV set, assisted by his subordinates Nishida and Daisaku Minami, as well as Ichiban Kasuga, and is later visited by Noah. Elsewhere, Jason and Masaru research the elixir, which is yet to be found, and theorize that the elixir is ambergris, said to help extend a person's metabolism and help them live longer. Meanwhile, Rodriguez mourns his father's passing as Shigaki watches on. In a flashback, Rodriguez's father, revealed to be the last member of the pirates who attacked the Esperanza and prolonged his life through the ambergris, picks up several ambergris rocks surrounding his home, and dumps them in the sea.

In a post-credits scene, back in Japan, Majima and Saejima muse about their journey, of which it was later revealed that the reason Majima went to Nele Island was to find the elixir for his friend Kazuma Kiryu. The two then visit Kiryu in the hospital, planning to recount their journey to him.

Development and promotion

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Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was developed as a standalone expansion to Infinite Wealth, following the success of the spin-off title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. According to Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's director Masayoshi Yokoyama, the concept of Gaiden was a gamble due to its more compact size and scale, but due to its positive reception, it allowed the team to develop the series more deeply. Yokoyama thought about writing a story depicting Goro Majima as a follow-up to Infinite Wealth, and chose the pirate angle as a way to do things differently than how the team usually did.[3]

Development started shortly before the release of Infinite Wealth, and was first hinted at by Yokoyama in December 2023.[6] Yokoyama estimated the main story to be 1.3-1.4 times larger than that of Gaiden, while the adventure section is much bigger due to the addition of new locations. Hawaii was chosen as a primary location as the team did not want to stop using the setting after just one game.[3]

In May 2024, RGG Studio hosted a "Minato Girls" audition, similar to past games' audition contests, where the winner(s) would be chosen to appear in the then-unannounced new Like a Dragon game, in addition to performing promotional activities. The final five winners were announced on July 19, 2024.[7] During the same month, the studio confirmed that they would reveal their new game at Tokyo Game Show 2024.[8]

In September 2024, RGG Studio hosted their RGG Summit 2024 livestream event, where they revealed Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for the first time, introduced the game's voice cast, and talked about the combat system and new activities.[9] In October 2024, the studio released a second trailer detailing the naval combat system, while also confirming a new release date of February 21, 2025, moved up a week from its original date.[2] Furthermore, the game's launch day patch added English and Chinese voices, as in which, the Japanese voices was included in the base game.

Reception

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[10][11][12] OpenCritic determined that 86% of critics recommended the game.[13]

Notes

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  1. ^ Known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku 8 Gaiden: Pirates in Hawaii (Japanese: 龍が如く８外伝 Pirates in Hawaii(パイレーツ イン ハワイ), lit. "Like a Dragon 8 Side Story: Pirates in Hawaii")
  2. ^ a b As depicted in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Romano, Sal (September 20, 2024). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Dinsdale, Ryan (October 17, 2024). "Xbox Partner Preview | New Details on How Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Takes Ex-Yakuza Majima to the High Seas". Xbox Wire. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c 齋藤, モゲ; コウ (September 26, 2024). "『龍が如く8外伝 パイレーツ イン ハワイ』横山昌義氏インタビュー。海賊船を使った特別な遊びも!? 過去作にはなかった演出も盛り込んだ挑戦作" [Interview with Masayoshi Yokoyama of Ryu ga Gotoku 8 Gaiden: Pirates in Hawaii special gameplay using a pirate ship!? A challenging work that incorporates effects not seen in previous works]. Famitsu (in Japanese). Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Romano, Sal (December 12, 2024). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii details Minato Girls, substories, and minigames". Gematsu. Archived from the original on December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Romano, Sal (October 22, 2024). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii details story, cast, combat, and locations". Gematsu. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  6. ^ Bevan, Rhiannon (December 30, 2023). "Like A Dragon Lead Hints At 'Big Announcement' In 2024". The Gamer. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Zalamea, Nigel (July 19, 2024). "Gorgeously famous Japanese cosplayer and actress to appear in the next Like a Dragon game". ONE Esports. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Middler, Jordan (July 17, 2024). "The next Ryu Ga Gotoku game will be revealed at TGS 2024". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (September 20, 2024). "Majima-Focused Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Announced at RGG Summit as Next Yakuza Game". IGN. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (PC Critic Reviews)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (Xbox Series X Critic Reviews)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Reviews". OpenCritic. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  14. ^ Colantonio, Giovanni (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review: all schtick, no substance". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  15. ^ Elliott, Matt (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  16. ^ Wakeling, Richard (February 18, 2025). "Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii Review — You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  17. ^ Daly, James (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review: "Sun, surf, and treasure hunting takes the series to new places at the right time"". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  18. ^ Shive, Chris (February 18, 2025). "Review: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  19. ^ Ogilvie, Tristan (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  20. ^ Bedingfield, Will (February 19, 2025). "'Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii' review: Japanese crime saga hits the high seas". NME. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  21. ^ Stone, Abbie (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  22. ^ Schofield, Ashley (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review — a swashbuckling success". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  23. ^ Greenwald, Will (February 20, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review". PCMag. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  24. ^ Croft, Liam (February 18, 2025). "Review: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (PS5) — Madcap Majima Does the Job". Push Square. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  25. ^ Denzer, TJ (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review: Bury me in Madlantis". Shacknews. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  26. ^ Wood, Rhys (February 18, 2025). "I summoned a chimpanzee god in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and it was still only the fourth weirdest thing in the game". TechRadar. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  27. ^ Middler, Jordan (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  28. ^ Warren, Mark (February 18, 2025). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review: a swashbuckling success with strange showering". VG247. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
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