Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is another game from the well-known developer RGG Studios. While most of the industry is struggling, with production scale and player expectations, RGG has regularly released at least one big game each year. All this has been done without putting the quality and caliber of their games at risk. Each of their game go beyond the previous one which results in a relatively good experience.
It builds on last year’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and uses the system, assets, and map of the previous game with a pirate-themed experience. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the type of high-octane experience that you would expect from the series, making it a good experience for fans of the series. For players coming at it expecting a similar experience to the last game in the series, there is still something good to be had. It makes you wonder, Is Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii worth it? Let’s find out.
Premise
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes place after the events of the last game and follows the character of Goro Majima. During the concluding events of Infinite Wealth, he washes up on a deserted beach with amnesia. He has no memory of the events that led him there. From that point onwards, he decides to roll the dice and ends up assembling pirates in the seas of Hawaii.
That might be the most generic and simple premise, which is exactly what it is. It’s not the Kazuma Kiryu games and resembles more like Like A Dragon Games. It’s not about the story but rather about the moment-to-moment interaction of the characters. The justification of events that happen is simple, to say the least. It’s not like the game is pretending to be all about story.
Later in the story, things do become better with the stakes getting higher. However, at its core, it is a follow-up of Infinite Wealth, which is a serviceable story at best. The story does support the content that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii offers, resulting in some amazing character moments.
Combat
Unlike the last two Yakuza games, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a brawler. Players have two fighting styles at their disposal. One is the Mad Dog style, which is similar to the famous style used in older Yakuza games. The new fighting style is called Sea Dog, a pirate-themed fighting style. Sea Dog is about throwing swords as you fight different enemies. Both styles have their own advantages and are fun to use.
Mad Dog style enables you to deliver powerful melee attacks and use clones to fight off enemies. Sea Dog style enables you to throw blades, use a gun, and even use a hook once you unlock it. The Sea Dog style also lets you summon ancient spirits to fight for different kinds of buffs and assists, which can get quite bizarre.
Despite all these additions, the combat still doesn’t feel as good as it was with Yakuza 0, which was the last series where you could play as Goro Majima. On the other hand, it does not reach the combat of Lost Judgment, which is one of the best new games from the developers.
With the new ring system, it is still fun. It enables Goro Majima to equip a ring on each finger, which grants you buffs. It results in a decent experience for both Majima and the pirate-themed elements.
Die-hard fans will find a lot of good stuff in it, especially when it comes to mad dog style. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii does not reach the height that the engine, developers, and series have the potential to reach based on previous games in the series.
Battle At Sea
Combat is good and works well with the system of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. The idea of a Yakuza and Like a Dragon type game with pirates sounded strange initially, but the game does things better. I was surprised at how good the pirate stuff works in the game.
There is an upgradeable ship and crew with their own backstories that can be assigned to different duties on the ship. At sea, you can find different islands, search for treasures, and fight against the ships that you encounter.
You can also find different lighthouses at sea, which can be used to repair the ship and increase the morale of the crew. Lighthouses can also be used as fast travel points.
Moving through the sea can get boring, which is an issue that has been plaguing other ship games. The speed of your ship is not fast enough, even after the upgrade. Stuff like collectibles and wind tunnels does make things better, it just doesn’t work that well. Aside from naval battles, sailing feels automatic.
Combat at sea is good, whether you are boarding a ship or blasting ships into oblivion. It avoids a lot of bad stuff that other games have in sea combat. Finding different resources at sea makes up a good foundation for pirate fantasy. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii gives players a lot of land and sea to explore, on top of the entire Hawaii map from Infinite Wealth.
Activities
There is also Madlantis, which is a theme park located in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. There, you can take part in a lot of different pirate-themed activities. While upgrading and strengthening your ship and crew, you will climb the ranks with the eventual result of you being the pirate king. The Madlantis goes in line with the story of a character in pursuit of a legendary treasure who becomes friends with Goro Majima. It can result in some likable character moments.
There is a lot of side content both at sea and in Hawaii. There are bonding events, a lot of side stories, characters to talk to, collectibles, and even a mini zoo that houses the animals that you have befriended throughout your journey. In the game, you also have a pirate rank, which goes in line with everything you do. This system ties everything you do on land and the sea, which makes sure that you rank up with whatever activity you engage in.
Verdict
The idea of Yakuza as pirates might seem obscure, but that has not stopped the game from delivering a good experience. It just goes with the idea and manages to make a compelling narrative on the way. It is a decent pirate game and a decent Yakuza, the combination of the two results in a refreshing experience.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a game that lacks a high-stakes story and crime drama, which is usually the case with the studio’s other games. This new entry offers a robust experience that does not justify the things it does. Instead, it focuses on providing a good moment-to-moment adventure.
It is an unexpected take on the series that the developers have executed decently. It is a pirate experience at its core, which is the thing that makes it such a good experience. It’s a Yakuza game and a pirate game, so one should come at it expecting some irregularities on the way.
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