Goro Majima is among the most beloved characters within the Like a Dragon collection, formally referred to as Yakuza – and for the primary time since 2015’s Yakuza 0, the Mad Canine returns as a most important playable protagonist in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
Set roughly six months after the occasions of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Majima wakes up on a tropical island affected by amnesia. Fortunately, he’s rescued by a younger boy named Noah and whereas making an attempt to recollect how he got here to be in his present predicament, Majima finds himself as soon as extra because the reluctant hero within the bizarre however fantastic world of Like a Dragon.
Try the Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii trailer beneath!
I spent roughly two hours taking part in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii within the chilly however befitting location of The Golden Hinde, a sea-worthy reconstruction of the galleon captained by Francis Drake, located on the St. Mary Overie Dock in London.
To keep away from spoilers, I’ll avoid main plot particulars and can as an alternative give attention to the gameplay that I skilled throughout my hands-on preview. Fight has all the time been a significant factor of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon collection and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is not any exception.
Majima has the choice of two preventing kinds, Mad Canine and Sea Canine. Mad Canine performs just like the video games made well-known by Kazuma Kiryu, in contrast to the turn-based fight of Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth. This type is fast-paced with fists and kicks flying and Majima wielding his signature Tanto knife. For those who’re acquainted with the spin-off titles Judgment and Like a Dragon Gaiden, in addition to Yakuza video games of outdated, you’ll really feel proper at house with this type.
The second preventing type, Sea Canine, absolutely embraces the theme of Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Equally as quick and frantic, Majima dons his pirate outfit, wielding cutlass swords and pistols. Each kinds have particular power-ups such because the Majima doppelgangers, a capability encountered in Infinite Wealth, in addition to an enormous monkey, and a parrot, to call just a few.
Throughout the preview, I caught glimpses of a number of of the places that function within the recreation, such because the returning Hawaii in its entirety from Infinite Wealth in addition to Nele Island. These are joined by Wealthy Island, the placement that Majima washes up on. This acts as the house hub for fellow pirates.
SEGA
Then we’ve Madlantis, a spot the place Majima can battle in tournaments, purchase luxurious objects, improve his ship, recruit pirates, and gamble to his coronary heart’s content material. It’s very a lot an analogous location to The Fortress in Like a Dragon Gaiden. There may also be loads of distant small islands accessible along with your ship that could be the placement of buried treasure.
However let’s get to what a lot of you might be right here for, the naval fight. Naturally, this facet of the sport is probably going impressed by Murderer’s Creed IV: Black Flag, there’s no escaping that and that’s wonderful. Contemplating that Black Flag was launched a decade in the past, you’d anticipate Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii to be higher than its Ubisoft counterpart and it most actually is from what I’ve skilled to this point (I really like Black Flag by the way in which).
There can be a great deal of NPC ships within the open sea eager to select a battle with Majima and his crew, no totally different to strolling the streets of any land location within the collection. Relying in your upgrades, your ship will be capable of fireplace cannons, machine weapons, flamethrowers and lasers. Sure, lasers.
At first, the ship felt sluggish and sluggish to maneuver, as you’d anticipate from a pirate ship, however I quickly realised that when pressed with a pace enhance, you possibly can primarily drift in the direction of an enemy ship to fireplace the right shot. It was pure bedlam and gave me vibes of The Quick and the Livid: Tokyo Drift, however with pirate ships and laser cannons. It was fantastic.
SEGA
You may customise the vessel with tons of cosmetics. Your ship could possibly be an intimidating vessel or pink and sparkly, it’s as much as you. The extra battles you tackle, the extra loot you purchase, and also you’ll be capable of improve your ship to be extra highly effective, together with your crewmates. Talking of which, preserving crew morale excessive is vital however nothing a beneficiant feast can’t remedy.
What would any Yakuza/Like a Dragon recreation be with out its superb mini-games? Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has a lot from karaoke to go-karting to traditional SEGA video games, and rather more. The enjoyable facet actions of this collection are why I can spend lots of of hours with every recreation and I anticipate the identical of this newest entry.
All of those aforementioned options have been actually the highlights of my brief preview time with Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, leaving me greater than glad – and that’s as a giant fan of the collection. Most significantly although, so too did they depart me wanting extra. I’m counting down the times to the total launch.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii releases on 21 February 2025 for PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
