Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review: Silliness sets sail

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Picture yourself on a voyage along Hawaii’s picturesque coastline, sailing aboard an antiquated galleon filled with pirates. Among your crew are an elderly man in a mascot suit, a polar bear, and your trusted friend from the Tojo clan, who starred in the last Like a Dragon game. This unique band of misfits is not only involved in the quirky side quests reminiscent of past games but also engages in thrilling real-time battles against an assortment of unexpected adversaries. The result is the newest addition to the Like a Dragon series, a fusion of yakuza and pirates that you didn’t realize was missing from your gaming life until now. Frankly, the person who concocted this blend of yakuza and pirates deserves credit for their brilliance.

Like a Dragon: Hawaii Pirate Yakuza” doesn’t just roll off the tongue, but it’s packed with all the top-notch features from previous “Yakuza” games and throws in a nautical adventure for good measure. It may not be unique as it recycles many assets, locations, and mini-games from its predecessor, but the sheer enjoyment of playing makes up for that.

Ahoy, Aniki

The game titled “Pirate Yakuza” unfolds six months following the occurrences in “Infinite Wealth“. Remarkably, it’s a self-contained narrative that becomes clearer as you delve deeper into its gameplay. Moreover, an intriguing twist is introduced through the protagonist, Goro Majima, who suffers from amnesia; thus, understanding unfolds simultaneously for both the character and the player. Unlike previous games, this story primarily revolves around Majima’s personal journey, introducing characters unique to this game, except for a few familiar faces that emerge when he reconnects with his old friends.

Regardless, the narrative style of Pirate Yakuza is captivating due to its blend of humor and emotion. Interestingly enough, Majima manages to commandeer his own pirate vessel, amassing a crew eager to follow him. Additionally, he establishes strong bonds with his newfound allies, like young Noah who rescued him after he was cast away on his father’s island. Numerous instances reveal Majima’s empathy, as he pledges to fulfill Noah’s dream of exploring the world, something his father had never allowed. As the game unfolds, Majima undergoes significant character development, lending a note of maturity to this tale of his journey, despite the numerous absurdities that occur during his voyage.

The charm of this story lies in the fact that it doesn’t always offer a straightforward journey – quite literally so, as you’ll frequently encounter hurdles that must be overcome before moving forward on your mission to discover the long-lost treasure of an old shipwreck. Alongside this primary quest, other engaging subplots will emerge as you advance through the game’s five acts. These will ultimately lead Majima to reconnect with his old comrades and aid new allies in dealing with the deceit and betrayal that is common among criminal circles. This multi-layered approach helps maintain a balance between action, humor, and exploration, ensuring the game remains engaging without becoming too one-dimensional.

Picking Fights in the Streets and on the Seas

Unlike the game “Infinite Wealth”, “Pirate Yakuza” offers a beat-em-up combat system where you can swiftly move, dodge, and chain combos in rapid succession using two distinct fighting styles: Mad Dog and Sea Dog. The Mad Dog style allows you to use fists, blades for combos and counters, while Sea Dog lets you dual-wield cutlasses, a rope to attack enemies from afar, and a gun for long-range attacks. A heat gauge builds up for powerful attacks and defensive counters, while a special “Madness” gauge enables you to unleash devastating ultimate moves that can change the course of tough fights. The combat in this game feels swift, smooth, and adds depth to make battles feel more engaging, fitting the character of Majima’s wild personality. Each style has upgrades and new combos to unlock, expanding your arsenal of moves, and you can switch styles at any time to experiment with different strategies when facing enemies to see what works best in specific situations.

In contrast to other games, what makes Pirate Yakuza unique is that you can sail your own pirate ship, engaging in maritime mayhem, and eventually, you’ll be able to freely roam the seas in search of treasure. Unlike Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, this game doesn’t offer deep or complex exploration. Instead, finding an island with treasure is a matter of landing on it and battling enemies to claim your loot. While it may not be as elaborate or sophisticated, Pirate Yakuza maintains the classic arcade feel that Like a Dragon is known for.

In my experience as a mariner on my vessel, it’s not so much about discovery as it is a journey to destinations marked on my limited chart. I harness the wind and currents to expedite my voyage, but sometimes, I find myself colliding with adversaries who, fortunately for me, can be subdued by my trusty cannons, machine guns, or even brute force ramming tactics. Yet, there are formidable foes that demand my ship’s improvement to stand up against their relentless onslaught and retaliate with enough firepower to render them helpless. Once a vessel is vanquished, the real challenge ensues: a deck battle that allows me to mobilize my entire crew onto the enemy ship for an epic showdown.

PROS:

  1. an engaging story that’s just the right length with an impressive range of themes,
  2. great mix of gameplay that gives you variety in choosing what to do next,
  3. plenty of things to do from arcade games to substories to naval battles.

CONS:

  1. cutscenes don’t always show your actual outfits,
  2. occasional game crashes during cutscene.

A Treasure Trove of Content

In these engagements, you’ll witness an exciting spectacle with multiple characters clashing on-screen. As the combat unfolds, you or your opponent may employ special group orders, such as defense boosts, health recovery, or peculiar effects that can occasionally tilt the balance of the battle in either direction. At a certain point in the narrative, you’ll also have the chance to participate in ship battle competitions within Madlantis, which pit you against tough opponents whose crews encompass diverse personalities like sumo wrestlers, robots, and office workers. These battles provide essential funds to help you upgrade yourself, your vessel, and acquire all the game’s unlockable content.

One standout feature of the game “Pirate Yakuza” is the extensive customization options it offers for your adventure. You’re not only able to modify the appearance of Majima and your ship, but you can also choose who will sail with you on your vessel. These decisions significantly influence the power-ups you acquire during deck battles, but they also affect encounters with enemy ships by granting benefits like additional repair kits, quicker reloading times, and numerous others.

Incorporating new team members is another challenge since there are numerous individuals to pick from spread across Honolulu and Madlantis. Each one has unique prerequisites, and some demand you finish different side-stories. Players who have experience with previous Like a Dragon games understand that these side-stories can span a wide spectrum, from unsettling to melancholic to absurd. There’s even one that involves multiple stages, where your mission is to gather potential love interests for a crewmate, which leads to a series of Bachelor-esque live-action cutscenes featuring the game’s actual actors. These scenes are so realistic that they might leave you questioning the nature of the game you’re playing…

The game appears and sounds fantastic overall, but I encountered problems where it would crash during cinematic scenes, which was particularly frustrating towards the end of the game since there were numerous cutscenes without auto-saves, forcing me to restart from the beginning and replay some challenging battles to progress. Additionally, I noticed that certain cutscenes didn’t take into account my Majima character customization choices, as he would revert to his default attire despite my efforts to make him look unique—a disappointment considering how stylishly I had dressed him up.

Final Thoughts

In essence, Pirate Yakuza offers a wealth of activities once you’ve wrapped up its main storyline in roughly 15 hours. While it might not be the longest game in the series, the numerous side-quests, collectibles, mini-games like Dragon Kart racing, and tough ship battles ensure that there’s plenty to keep you engaged even after the credits roll, as you strive to uncover everything you may have overlooked.

Due to its diverse missions, ranging from significant to ridiculous, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii resembles a compilation album of highlights from previous Like a Dragon games. It serves as an excellent starting point for newcomers to the series, since its narrative is straightforward yet engaging. Veterans of the franchise will also enjoy seeing Majima as the protagonist once more and the unexpected pirate elements intertwined within the game. Remarkably, this unusual blend succeeds in creating a game that’s both light-hearted and capable of leaving an impression.

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2025-02-18 18:03