Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii Review – You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

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Return once more to enchanting Hawaii: the realm of radiant beaches, sparkling oceans, and the legendary Mad Dog of Shimano sailing the waters as a dashing sea-faring pirate. As its title suggests, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii follows suit, with fan-favorite character Goro Majima taking center stage for the first time since 2015’s Yakuza 0. Unlike the previous game, which divided focus between Kiryu and other characters, this installment puts the spotlight firmly on our eyepatched hero – making him the ideal lead for one of the series’ more unconventional tales. No one is more dedicated to their role than Majima, which is part of the reason that Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii manages to remain fresh and engaging, despite being the third Like a Dragon game released within the past 15 months. Although it may not reach the heights of the series’ finest moments, the pirate motif adds enough unique flavor to make this return trip to Hawaii an enjoyable one.

Six months after the happenings in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, my story, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, finds me waking up on a tropical shoreline, clueless about where I am or who I was – a crime boss, cabaret manager, or construction tycoon. The only thing I remember is that a boy named Noah rescued me and for some unknown reason, the Pacific islands are teeming with pirates who appear to have stepped straight out of Tortuga in the 1600s. The quest for a legendary, long-lost treasure begins, transforming me into the captain of my own pirate vessel, accompanied by an ever-growing crew of new and familiar faces. While amassing treasure may be the ultimate objective, this journey is equally about the camaraderie we forge along the way.

Similar to Infinite Wealth preceding it, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii emphasizes deep bonds of friendship and unity. It’s often quirky, yet its unusual qualities are tempered by a sincerity and emotional depth that resonates with its charming protagonist. Ever since Yakuza 0, Majima has portrayed his Mad Dog persona as a facade he adopts to deal with the hardships of his past. Beneath this tough exterior, he’s always been compassionate, but his way of expressing this kindness is through violence to avoid being hurt again. The trope of amnesia is commonly used, yet it’s uncommon to see it impact a character we’ve known for two decades, enabling a sort of personality reboot. With no recollection of his past, Majima inadvertently lowers his defenses and smoothes out some of the rougher traits that form his protective barrier. He continues to embrace dangerous situations with unbridled joy, suggesting that his Mad Dog persona and his self-harming side may have been inherent aspects of him all along. However, his interactions with the crew, particularly Noah, seem to reveal Majima’s true essence.

For devoted followers of this series, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii presents an enticing scenario. However, it’s disheartening that the narrative fails to delve into Majima’s rich personality traits. While there’s commendable growth shown among the supporting characters and some noteworthy moments, the main plot seems disconnected from Majima’s life in Japan and appears to be stalling until an exciting climax. The pace improves as it escalates the tension and brings the emotional depth the series is recognized for. Prior to this point, though, it’s just a decent pirate adventure with a more humorous tone, where the ridiculousness of the subplots seeps into the main narrative. Sharing time with Majima is enjoyable, but not giving him the intense, emotionally resonant storyline he deserves feels like a squandered chance.

The assortment of sub-stories in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is still impressive, encompassing themes such as the struggles of an overlooked street performer to a pirate captain dealing with a disgruntled crew due to the ship’s unbalanced work and life situation. Some are downright zany, others evoke strong emotions, while some recurring characters from Infinite Wealth continue their narratives; these intimate human exchanges remain central to the series. Each sub-story in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii unfolds on the same Honolulu map as Infinite Wealth. After spending more than 100 hours in the city last year, it’s still a pleasure to traverse, whether you’re strolling past palm trees on Aloha Beach or shopping for new attire at one of the numerous stores inside the bustling Anaconda Shopping Centre.

This nautical escapade isn’t as impressive compared to the franchise’s top performances, yet the pirate motif manages to offer an enjoyable twist for a cheerful comeback to Hawaii.

In this update, there are no fresh minigames to enjoy, instead offering new tracks for both Dragon Kart and Crazy Eats, as well as new quizzes to test your knowledge at Ounabara Vocational School. It’s a bit disappointing, but given the fast pace of development, it’s not entirely surprising. What I really value, though, is the abundance of classic Sega games you can play. This aspect of the series is frequently under-appreciated. Where else can you experience games like Alex Kidd in Miracle World on a virtual Master System, followed by playing an obscure lightgun game such as The Ocean Hunter right in an arcade setting? Notably, The Ocean Hunter aligns perfectly with the theme.

In this game, the subsidiary tales seamlessly blend into the main narrative as they often culminate in a new character joining your crew. You can have up to 30 active crew members, where 10 are responsible for handling weapons and cannons, while the remaining 20 form part of the boarding party. The ship management aspect is quite intricate, requiring you to assign roles to your crew effectively, boost their morale through parties, feasts, or gifts, invest in ship upgrades, and customize your vessel with various weaponry.

While the ship battles aren’t overly complex, they typically follow a similar pattern: maneuvering beside enemy ships to fire cannons before turning around for another round. However, as you progress through Like a Dragon, the arsenal of weapons becomes increasingly extraordinary, allowing you to arm your vessel with laser cannons, shark-firing machine guns, and other outlandish power displays. These weapons don’t change the battle format significantly, but they do make battles more exciting, shorter, and visually appealing.

As a gamer, I’m not saying naval combat is terrible; it’s just lacks depth. Spinning my ship 180 degrees to blast an enemy with explosive bullets or unleashing a sustained laser beam like Captain Kirk on the USS Enterprise is thrilling. However, the repetition that creeps in as the game progresses can be dull. Thankfully, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii doesn’t drag on excessively, so it’s not as frustrating as it could have been in a longer game. Yet, it’s still a letdown that fine-tuning my ship for battle is more intricate than the actual battles themselves.

In this new setting, Majima, no longer commanding ships from behind the wheel, isn’t hesitant to engage in close-quarters brawls against any thugs, jerks, or pirate adversaries eager for a fight. The Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii returns to the traditional beat-em-up combat style that the series was recognized for before Yakuza: Like a Dragon shifted towards turn-based gameplay. Unlike previous protagonists (and Majima himself in 0), this pirate version of Majima is more agile, leading to an intense and thrilling pace that remains powerful when beating up enemies. Although the Mad Dog style remains emblematic of Majima, featuring his signature Demonfire Dagger combined with hand-to-hand techniques, the Sea Dog style equips him with cutlasses in both hands to maintain the pirate theme. In addition to a flintlock pistol for ranged attacks and a grappling hook that lets you zip towards enemies, there’s an array of imaginative, over-the-top Heat moves available, making combat feel comfortably familiar yet uniquely different if you’ve played beyond the more recent RPG-style entries.

In the bustling streets of Honolulu, you’ll find yourself engaged in numerous encounters with enemies, but that’s not all! The game offers ample chances for melee combat out on the open sea as well. You can engage entire crews in ship-to-ship battles, search for hidden treasures across various islands, and even confront a notorious pirate gang. To add more excitement, you’ll find yourself competing in a series of ship battles within an extravagant coliseum nestled inside the Madlantis locale – a once abandoned ship graveyard turned into a neon-lit hub for pirates and criminals, featuring a casino, bar, and the coliseum. It’s like Purgatory, only grittier. These side activities contribute to the main storyline, providing a sense of narrative depth, while also showcasing the game’s dedication to offering you a wealth of activities, although they might be slightly scaled down compared to the series’ primary titles.

Unexpectedly, technical problems have become an unexpected element in the series’ games. Despite having played every game in the series without encountering a single glitch, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has crashed so frequently that I’ve lost track. Not only does this require me to repeat lengthy sections, but it also causes another problem where, upon reloading a save, the game displays only a black screen with sound and UI elements. Verifying the game files through Steam temporarily resolves this issue, but ideally, both of these problems will be addressed by the game’s launch.

The game Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an enjoyable spin-off focusing on the beloved character Goro Majima, who embarks on a pirate adventure. While the story takes time to develop, it really shines in the final chapter. However, it’s unfortunate that we don’t get to explore Majima’s complex personality as deeply as we might hope. Despite some occasional stumbles, this nautical escapade offers a unique experience within the series and is not to be missed by those who have visited Kamurocho before.

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2025-02-18 18:40