Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii – Zelda: Wind Waker For Organized Crime

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In September, I got to test-drive a brief version of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. This demo offered insights into how Majima landed his latest gig as a pirate and returned to the spotlight as the main character, nearly a decade after the launch of Yakuza 0 in Japan. Most of my playtime involved battling and exploring the Madlantis region. It may have been brief, but it was delightful to control the quirky Mad Dog once more, leaving me eager for more gameplay.

In approximately one month, we’ll be launching Pirate Yakuza, and I recently had the opportunity to delve into a comprehensive playthrough of its fresh, exhilarating additions. Even after just a few hours, I was astonished by the game’s density, and what we played was merely a slice of the whole. The experience was incredibly invigorating, and Pirate Yakuza continues to demonstrate that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio excels at unique concepts and character-driven side activities.

In summary, the game Pirate Yakuza unfolds six months post the events in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Our protagonist, Majima, mysteriously awakens on an island, seemingly having forgotten his past. His new life as a pirate begins, and he gathers a crew to tackle environmental issues on Nele Island and unearth the secrets of Madlantis – a sanctuary for nefarious organizations. Retrieving his lost memories is vital to both the game and its narrative, as Majima juggles his current pirate family with his yakuza past.

In the world of Like a Dragon/Yakuza, Majima is a beloved character known for his boisterous and aggressive demeanor, yet endearing charm. Even in Yakuza 0, we witnessed him before his Mad Dog days, revealing a completely distinct character from the lovable rogue he eventually became. The question arises: how would Majima function as a main character? However, the upcoming Pirate Yakuza set in Hawaii seems to be skillfully creating fresh features and interactions that cater perfectly to his quirky personality and new pirate identity.

I’ve experienced every installment in the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series, and while they might appear somewhat repetitive with their map exploration, eating extensive meals, and countless attempts at mastering Mahjong for those achievements, each game boasts its distinctive minigames and side missions that set them apart from other RGG games. The Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii carries on this tradition. I was utterly astonished by the abundance of novel and zany content I discovered during my initial two hours of play: sailing the seas and engaging in naval battles, a variety of pirate-themed minigames, and even inventive methods for fishing and cooking food. RGG clearly spared no effort to keep Majima fans satisfied after such a long hiatus from the limelight.

First Stop, Rich Island

In our demonstration, we initially visited Rich Island, serving as Majima’s central hub. This vibrant location is teeming with intrigue: a quaint mix of locals and pirates, breathtaking vistas of nearby islands and seas, and a charming mini-farm called the “Goro Kingdom” where you can interact with various animals. The fishing experience here is diverse: you can fish using a rod, launch your grappling hook to catch them, or even dive in and grab fish with your bare hands (though fighting them in the water isn’t an option – I gave it a shot!).

The island poses no safety from adversaries, rendering it an ideal spot for enhancing your combat abilities and honing your fighting techniques. In the world of Pirate Yakuza, there are “bounties” you can pursue and engage in combat with to pocket some additional funds, and a handful of these bounties can be found lounging on the island’s beach.

An exciting addition is the enhanced clothing customization system for Majima. Just like Kiryu in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, you’re no longer limited to default outfits. Instead, you can customize Majima’s attire, with Pirate Yakuza providing a wide array of choices for everything from hairstyles to complete outfits for both his Casual (Mad Dog) and Pirate (Sea Dog) personas. Additionally, Majima can wear up to 10 rings at once, each providing unique battle and gameplay benefits. And get this, you can even put a cute hat on Goro the tiger!

Upon setting sail for the water and islands, I took some time first to discover the ship of Majima, called Goromaru. This vessel is a veritable treasure trove: it allows you to sing karaoke, cultivate plants, switch outfits, and deepen relationships with your team. There’s even a cooking game titled “Goro Goro Kitchen,” which offers a lively twist on the culinary mechanics from Yakuza Ishin. You can decide which crew members accompany you on your voyage and elevate them using gifts, drinks, or grand feasts. The crew is an assortment of fresh faces as well as familiar ones from every previous game. The bonding moments are endearingly charming and evoke a sense of nostalgia, much like when Majima had his construction team in Yakuza Kiwami 2. I suspect these interactions will play a crucial role in uncovering Majima’s memories, and perhaps we’ll even get another infectious theme song to belt out as well.

In the game Pirate Yakuza, the fresh additions further demonstrate that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio excels at unique concepts and richly developed side stories centered around characters.

Sail Between Islands

Among the many captivating novelties in Pirate Yakuza, what truly grabbed my attention was the oceanic expeditions. It’s this aspect that sets Pirate Yakuza apart from its predecessors in the series. While earlier games each had their distinctive elements, they all adhered to a common template for transportation – either walking or hailing a cab to traverse between areas or expansive city maps. However, the introduction of Majima wearing a pirate hat and a motley crew commandeering their own ship to navigate between islands has made me reconsider this conventional approach.

Among the most exciting new elements in the Yakuza series, I can’t wait to see it reappear again in future installments. The creators of Ryu Ga Gotoku have truly gone above and beyond with the ocean exploration feature, offering a diverse range of experiences from ship-to-ship combat to treasure hunting and smaller island battles for plunder. Essentially, it’s like playing The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker but in an organized crime setting.

As a gamer, I sail through the stunning islands of Hawaii, venturing into Rich Island, Nele Island, and Madlantis. These areas are jam-packed with adventure, brimming with treasure just waiting to be collected. Smaller islands offer challenging encounters with groups of pirate gangs, where I can upgrade my crew, level up, and gather even more loot. The highlight for me was the thrilling sea battles! Majima’s ship is armed with a front-mounted machine gun and side cannons, and you can personalize both your ship’s appearance and crew too. The combat wasn’t overly complex, but it was still a blast, with no foe posing much of a threat to us. I hope the challenges increase as I progress through the game, but even now, this pirate experience offers enough excitement, with plenty of room for further development.

I found the controls of the ship remarkably intuitive, allowing for effortless maneuvering despite its immense size and robust build. Navigating the waters was surprisingly simple, thanks to the effective use of boost and combat mechanics. Sailing might be straightforward, but encounters with storms, whirlpools, and lightning kept things interesting. I wished for more challenges in the waters, as it seemed a bit too easy, but the experience was undeniably enjoyable. The allure of spending numerous hours solely on the ship, neglecting the storyline for extended periods, is quite enticing. I’m eagerly anticipating investing over 20 hours on this ship.

Madlantis Coliseum Battles and Exploration

During the second segment of our demonstration, we shifted our focus towards Madlantis, where we witnessed Coliseum battles and delved into a few mini-games. Since Majima had reached his maximum level in this phase, we were afforded the opportunity to witness the full extent of his talents and capabilities, which encompassed an enhanced vessel among other things.

I particularly enjoy the new Coliseum battles that have been incorporated into the minigames. Unlike traditional arena-style fights seen in earlier versions, these battles take place on water-filled stadiums where you engage in ship-to-ship combat with enemies. Since our ship has been fully upgraded, it now boasts elemental weaponry such as flamethrowers for side attacks. After defeating an enemy, you board their ship and join a large-scale brawl. It’s not just a minor skirmish; it’s a sea-based conflict. The pirate theme and added mechanics make this Coliseum system more epic and entertainingly chaotic, perfectly fitting for our unruly protagonist. Previously, Coliseum battles provided a fun challenge in Yakuza games, but the pirate-themed update elevates the experience to something truly spectacular and delightfully absurd.

The ongoing fight continues to astound me: I figured I’d witnessed all its aspects during my previous trial run, but I was proven wrong as I discovered that Majima has even more tricks up his sleeve. When Majima’s heat gauge reaches its peak, he can produce a musical instrument and invoke one of four diverse “Dark Gods,” which are divine beings in the form of animals that aid him in combat. He can summon jellyfish, a parrot, an ape, and sharks by playing the appropriate instrument. These gods may not deal much damage, but they provide amusing assistance for large-scale battles. It’s as exhilarating as it seems, particularly when he whips out a violin in the middle of battle and a horde of sharks emerges from the ground to attack enemies.

Away from the coliseum battles, I explored some of the additional content in Madlantis. The classic mini-games, such as golf, gambling, and baseball, all got a pirate makeover in this game, which was quite enjoyable. Right off the bat, I found myself captivated by the unique pirate-themed battle-cage baseball minigame called Bang Bang. Instead of aiming for home runs, you score points by hitting exploding barrels in this game.

Towards the end of the demo, I took a quick tour of Hawaii to check how well Infinite Wealth’s content was integrated into this expansive game. As anticipated, the extensive map is present, but what excites me most is the return of Dragon Kart. Although the minigame’s mechanics remain largely unchanged, cruising through Honolulu roads with a stunning tropical backdrop provides more than enough enjoyment for me.

During the two-hour demo, I was only able to scratch the surface of what the game has to offer, but it’s clear that fans will be thrilled with all the zany pirate and Majima content that’s been crammed into it. There are still many secrets about the story that remain unknown, and I’m eager to find out how they might wrap up Majima’s saga. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it seems like the game could potentially tug at my heartstrings once more. Revisiting past relationships while forging new ones may create a conflict in Majima’s pirate lifestyle, and I can hardly wait to see how it all unfolds, as I find myself tearing up in my gaming chair.

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2025-01-21 22:39