Goro Majima is a goofy dude, but he’s not one to be trifled with or put down. In the Yakuza/Like a Dragon universe where everyone is one short dialogue box away from a punch that will settle all differences, Majima is a living god alongside the likes of Kiryu Kazuma. And just as well, because only Goro Majima could have pulled off an adventure like Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Not only does it go back to Yakuza’s action roots, but it tries some zany things as you recruit a crew and take them on the high seas in a bona fide pirate adventure.
What’s one to do when you don’t know you?
Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii gives us a pretty simple start. Goro Majima, as we know him, ends up on a beach on some backwater island near Hawaii and he has forgotten his name and history. Thankfully, a resident of the island, Noah Rich and his pet tiger cat Goro (yes, the tiger is also named Goro) discover Majima, give him water, help him back on his feet, and introduce him to Rich Island. Noah is a sickly boy with a breathing problem and his dad, Jason, is a down-and-out former treasure hunter who gave up adventuring to help keep Noah safe. Unfortunately, this has led to a pretty miserable and cooped-up life on the tiny Rich Island. Noah wants to see beyond the island’s shores, and Goro Majima resolves to help him do it for saving his life.
It just so happens that pirates are as thick as molasses in the seas around Rich Island. More than that, there are organizations that act on behalf of a pirate haven known as Madlantis and its cold and calculating ruler, Queen Michele. There are also tales of a legendary treasure in these waters that has yet to be claimed: The treasure of Esperanza, said to be worth a billion dollars in gold and riches to the lucky souls who might claim it. Finally, there’s an island with a nuclear waste clean-up facility that’s inhabited by a mysterious religious group and a gathering of ex-Yakuza who are trying to work after laws back home pushed them out, and it might be tied to Goro Majima’s memory. With numerous interesting threads to chase, Majima gains command of a pirate ship and sets off on the Hawaiian seas to have adventures with Noah Rich and maybe even get his memory back if he has time.
Everything about Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is ridiculous, so it works that this adventure was given to Goro Majima. Even without his memories, Goro’s impulsive, fearless, and complete lack of seriousness for most things plays well into the ridiculous hands that are dealt to him and his crew at nearly every stage of the game. He’s also joined by a solid collection of comrades. Jason and Noah Rich, the chef Matsuru, and Queen Michele all provide an awesome supporting cast, and it’s hard not to appreciate Samoa Joe as Pirate King Raymond Law. It can get a little overly campy and goofy at times and there’s even a pirate crew musical scene. Even so, no matter how corny it gets, there’s a treasure waiting around the corner and plenty of intriguing plot points to sort out with a cool cast.
And it takes us to quite a few amazing locales as well. Whether you’re sailing on the open seas, running around the pirate Las Vegas that is Madlantis, or going back to civilized society on Honolulu, there’s so much to see and it’s mostly beautiful. Madlantis, itself, hits a vibe very similar to Final Fantasy 7’s Gold Saucer. It’s a never-ending carnival of rogues and I love it.
The only thing I’ll take away from the environment is that I wish Ryu Ga Gotoku had been a bit more creative with some of the treasure islands. They’re mostly corridors of caves, jungle, and docks that set the stage for battles, but they feel uninspired and snapped together from premade parts compared to everything else happening in the game. Put that aside and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a fun story with a lot of beautiful places in which to go adventuring.
Mad Dog turned Sea Dog
For Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Ryu Ga Gotoku went back to the original action stylings of the Yakuza games, at least as far as being on foot. When wandering about between missions and side tasks, players will be able to play Goro in his Yakuza “Mad Dog” martial arts style, complete with his knife. However, he can also switch to a wholly new style, Sea Dog. In his pirate outfit, Majima has access to two cutlasses that can be thrown like boomerangs. He also eventually gets a pistol and chained hook, turning him into a bristling arsenal all confined to a single attack style. Both are fun. I feel like Mad Dog has great utility for one-on-one fights while Sea Dog is amazing for crowd control.
What I like a little less is the sheer amount of tutorializing Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii does to get you fit into all of the things it offers. I get wanting to make sure the player knows how to play, but there are a lot of early hours in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii where the game simply teaches you more about how to mess with its various systems and features. It stifles the pace of the game, to a point where you make it to Honolulu and have to learn all about what you can do there, meaning you don’t get to sail and explore the seas for a pretty long time while you’re there learning how to do side jobs, build gear for your ship, and recruit crew members.
Quite frankly, I think the piracy aspect is the most engaging part of this whole package. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is broken up into a few maps of islands and sea where you’ll sail your ship across it, doing battle with hostile pirate ships, landing at lighthouses to create checkpoint areas, and sailing for treasure islands to pinch their booty (respectively). Each success adds more money to your coffers to upgrade Majima’s combat abilities and unlock new moves, upgrade the ship and its weapons, or get the ingredients to make strong health items or feasts to boost your crew’s morale. The better they feel, the better they fight.
And there are so many of them! Collecting crew is another interesting endeavor in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Prospective crewmates are literally everywhere, but most of them will want something to join your crew. Whether it’s beating them or someone else in a fight, bringing them an item, being famous enough by doing pirate-y stuff, earning them through side tasks, or just advancing the story enough, each crew member brings new strengths and opportunities to your squad. You need crew to man your ship’s weapons, deck battle squads, away parties on treasure islands, and more, so getting as many of them as you can and leveling them up with activity and feasts felt rewarding as the power of my mighty boat and crew increased with every recruitment, upgrade, and victory.
There is a lot to do in this game outside the main path, as well. Ryu Ga Gotoku has brought its penchant for side-tasks and minigames to Pirate Yakuza, filling the game to the brim with things to do outside of the main story. Classic things like ported Sega arcade and classic console games, UFO Catcher claw machines, Mahjong, darts, and karaoke are back, but they’re joined by pirate twists on things like baseball batting cages and golf ranges, and a cooking mini game that can increase the quality of your food. There are also all sorts of side missions that are generally silly, but also usually result in you getting a new crew member. Madlantis even has its own coliseum system where you rise through the ranks fighting other pirate crews in gladiatorial ship combat. No matter where you look in Pirate Yakuza, you won’t be lacking for interesting things to do.
Anchors aweigh, we sail for Madlantis
Source: Sega
The concept of putting Goro Majima in a pirate adventure is pretty much everything I thought it would be. This is a silly game with an enjoyable gameplay loop and adventure. Riding on the seas, ripping through ships with cannons, and then battling their crews in massive all-out brawls was always a fun time. Even if the story and side missions on land sometimes kept me from sailing, there was generally always something cool to do between the main story and copious side activities. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii won’t take up as much of your time as Yakuza 6 or Infinite Wealth, but it’s most certainly a fun and exciting way to pass the time with our favorite Mad Dog of Shimano while we wait for RGG’s next big thing.
This review is based on an early PlayStation 5 digital edition offered by the publisher. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii comes to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 21, 2025.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
- A ridiculous adventure that fits Goro Majima perfectly
- Sailing, collecting crew, ship battles, & other lovely pirate-y things
- A decent enough story with a solid cast of characters
- Minigames out the wazoo
- New crew mates are cool rewards for side quests
- Solid new combat in Sea Dog style
- Tutorials overstay their welcome hours in
- Pacing feels uneven at times
- Treasure islands are pretty bland compared to everything else
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replyTJ Denzer posted a new article, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review: Bury me in Madlantis
