Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii brings back playable Goro Majima in style - hands-on preview

As a dedicated Yakuza series fan with countless hours spent navigating the treacherous streets of Kamurocho and beyond, I must admit that the latest announcement from RGG Studios left me absolutely giddy with excitement! With the reveal of Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, it’s clear that this new adventure promises to deliver the same high-octane action and compelling storytelling that we’ve come to expect.


At any given moment, it’s hard to predict exactly what RGG Studios might be planning; for instance, they recently unveiled “Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii,” featuring Goro Majima playing a significant role for the first time since Yakuza 0. Known as The Man Who Forgot His Name, Majima has assumed the position of pirate captain in the meantime. During our demo playthrough, we didn’t get to see any specifics about the story, but there wasn’t much more explanation required either.

In the sequel of Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii revisits the series’ classic action combat. Majima now offers two distinct fighting styles; Mad Dog, demonstrating that despite forgetting his identity, Majima is still well-versed in his techniques, and Sea Dog, where he adorns a full pirate attire, including dual cutlasses that function like boomerangs against enemies, a flintlock pistol for increased damage with charged shots, and a hookshot to swiftly reel himself towards foes.

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii brings back playable Goro Majima in style - hands-on preview

As a devoted fan, I’d put it like this:

Apart from that, we didn’t have much opportunity to delve into the fresh aspects of Majima’s latest tale. However, in Hawaii, Majima can utilize his novel hookshot to collect items and access locations unattainable otherwise, which mirrored my previous experience with the TGS demo for Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Remarkably, it was again set in Hawaii. I did catch a glimpse of Majima enacting 24-hour Cinderella, though! Additionally, there were some typical minigames as one would anticipate from the series.

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii brings back playable Goro Majima in style - hands-on preview

The main thing I was interested in checking out wasn’t available in the demo, however – ship combat. Any sections where Majima would’ve taken to the seas had been blocked out, and past a quick excursion to the new area of Madlantis, I wasn’t able to see anything truly new just yet. What I played was fun – and I’m absolutely sold on the concept – but with only a few months before launch I was hoping to see a little bit more. At least we won’t have to wait too long!

Hey there, game enthusiasts! Let me warn you, RGG Studios: If anything happens to that adorable tiger cub in “Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii,” I’m telling you now, I will shed tears like an endless storm. Mark your calendars for February 28, 2025, as this game drops on PlayStation 4, 5, PC (Steam), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Keep your eyes peeled for more of my thoughts as we inch ever closer to launch!

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2024-09-28 05:25