Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review – Majima Returns as the Series’ Rightful Lead, and He’s Also a Pirate…Trust Us, It Works

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has some tough acts to follow. Not only is it coming off the heels of the fantastic Infinite Wealth, but it’s also the first time series staple Goro Majima has taken a lead role since the equally fantastic Yakuza 0. These expectations are unfair for what is effectively a side story, but it’s apparent right away that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii isn’t trying to be either of those games. It combines a lot of familiar elements from previous titles, yet it’s very much its own thing. What that thing is, is one of the most bizarre games you’ll play all year.

Story and Setting

Pirate Yakuza is a follow-up to Infinite Wealth, similar to how Like a Dragon Gaiden followed up Yakuza 7. Taking place six months after the events of Infinite Wealth, you play as an amnesiac Goro Majima who washes ashore on a small island in Hawaii, where he’s saved by a young boy named Noah. This amnesia makes the game extremely accessible to people who aren’t familiar with the series. There are only a few returning characters, and they play minor roles, so anyone who skipped the turn-based outings or hasn’t experienced Majima’s previous adventure won’t be left out.

Majima’s only clue is his tattoo, since many former Yakuza have been sent to a nearby island to assist in cleanup. In his efforts to find a boat to reach that island, he encounters a bunch of people cosplaying as pirates—there’s a nearby ocean city that hosts coliseum battles between ships for the entertainment of bloodthirsty spectators. Inevitably, he takes over the ship of one of these pirates and begins an adventure not only to regain his memories but also to show Noah, who has been largely sheltered due to health issues, a world outside his small island.

It’s a ridiculous setup, and the game doesn’t dwell on justifying why everyone is playing pirate; it expects you to roll with it. This is not a serious game, and it never pretends to be. If that isn’t immediately apparent from the opening, it’ll be impossible to miss when the prologue ends with an honest-to-god full musical number. Majima’s serious story already happened in Yakuza 0, and he’s been the same guy ever since: a massive wild card.

Gameplay and Combat

That aspect of him is perhaps the strongest part of the story. He follows his gut more than reason, and it results in entertaining situations most main characters would avoid out of practicality. The entire idea of taking a small child to see the world through life-threatening pirate cosplay makes no sense when you could just take him to Honolulu, which you also do. It’s a series of bad decisions that lead to fun outcomes, and despite being relatively static as a character, Majima just makes things interesting.

There are certainly some issues with this, though. Yakuza games are always full of absurdity and camp, but the main series typically manages to swing back around to compelling, suspenseful narratives and conclusions. That doesn’t happen here, for obvious reasons. This is a game called Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii; it’s not going to be an emotional rollercoaster. Still, that doesn’t mean the more serious aspect isn’t noticeably missed in the latter parts of the story, as the twists and turns don’t hit as hard due to less-established antagonists and fewer compelling character moments than the series standard. It’s understandable why these things are absent, but their absence is still felt.

Where the game tries to make up for this is by leaning into absurdity more than the series ever has outside of Dead Souls. The seriousness with which everyone treats their piracy can lead to hilarious moments—someone whips out a smartphone and reminds you this isn’t actually a period piece. You’ll park your exaggerated, Disney-ride-style ship in a totally modern Hawaiian harbor as if nothing is out of place, swapping between strolling around the city and fighting pirates for treasure as if both activities make an equal amount of sense. Even classic mini-games like the batting cages get this absurdist flair. Nothing here is normal, not even the things that are normal.

Exploration and Activities

Hawaii remains one of the best maps the series has ever had. It’s colorful and packed with things to do, with a density of activity that makes it hard to walk more than five seconds without running into some distraction. The standard Yakuza sub-events are as entertaining as ever and feed back into the gameplay loop, often resulting in the people you meet joining your pirate crew. Eventually, walking around your ship feels like viewing a trophy room of all the insane people you’ve met, and it’s a cool feeling.

Combat is perhaps where the least amount of originality has been injected, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any. Those familiar with Like a Dragon: Gaiden or Lost Judgment will feel right at home here. It’s a relatively standard brawler, with elaborate attack chains punctuated by quick dodges. There’s a focus on positioning, with no traditional lock-on: you instead adopt a fighting stance, square up with the enemy, and swerve behind them before wailing on them to punish their attack.

Combat Mechanics

I have a few minor complaints before we get to the positives. The lack of a traditional lock-on is something you get used to, but considering you’ll be using it constantly during one-on-one fights, I would’ve appreciated the option to toggle the fighting stance rather than hold a button. Having to perpetually keep the right bumper pressed positions your hand in a weird way. It’s also awkward that you can’t dodge unless you’re in a fighting stance. In big melees with ranged enemies, it creates a strange situation where dodging a gunshot involves locking onto some random enemy just so you can quickstep a different one you might not even see.

Overall, though, the combat is still fantastic, just as it was in Lost Judgment. Majima’s two styles are both a ton of fun to use, and the out-of-control nature of his combos matches his character. It’s fast and skillful—which was obvious the moment I realized how awful I was at it initially. Once you adjust, though, timing dodges and blasting through enemies without being touched is an absolute blast. Majima fights like a Tasmanian devil, and finally getting control of the chaos feels incredibly satisfying. You’ll have access to most of your moveset from the start, meaning most of the progression comes down to mastery, which the game absolutely nails.

Naval Combat and Pirate Elements

The action combat is only one half of the equation, as the titular pirate elements come into play with naval combat and massive boarding brawls. The controls are simple and arcadey: you have two side cannons and a weaker machine gun, and can do obviously impossible things like nitro-boosting and drifting your ship into position for cannon blasts. As you make your way through the admittedly limited ocean sections, you’ll glide through random boost circles, battle and sink pirate ships, and fight through islands teeming with enemies to grab treasure at the end. I wish there were more of this, since the areas are limited—connected only by a menu—and can feel formulaic, but the game doesn’t overload you, and much of the ship combat is optional.

The best parts are battles against bigger ships and coliseum fights where you not only take on a fleet of enemy vessels but also board them afterward with a massive raiding party. These sequences are pure chaos, with dozens of combatants wailing on each other while you weave through the crowd in search of tougher foes. Taking these on and leveling up your crew create a simple but satisfying reward loop, and it’s awesome to revisit fights that initially kicked your ass, now with a stronger crew to take everyone’s lunch money.

Content and Replayability

While the biggest chunk of the naval battles is optional, you’ll definitely want to engage with it to get your money’s worth. I handled all the sub-quests except two I couldn’t find, fully completed the big optional quest chain, and clocked in at around 25 hours. There were certainly more coliseum challenges and side activities I could’ve done to pad that number further. If you focus only on the main story, you’ll find the game short and lacking in content. That being said, this is a game about Pirate Yakuza. Why wouldn’t you want to tackle the big quest where you systematically dismantle a band of pirates while also uncovering cursed treasures that ramp up the absurdity even further by giving you access to magical summons? If you didn’t come here for the ability to play a magical violin and summon ghost sharks, I’m not sure what you expected.

Conclusion

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a bizarre fever dream. It’s not the most content-rich entry in the series, nor is it the most compelling from a narrative standpoint, but it combines satisfying combat, a vibrant setting, and a massive dose of pure insanity into an experience that revels in pure fun. Even if it doesn’t reach the heights of the main series, it doesn’t really aim to. It’s meant to provide an overloading burst of absurdity without overstaying its welcome, and it does that brilliantly.