Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review: A Nautical Delight

Goro Majima is the coolest guy alive, and he’s got a fun new adventure to share with you.

There is currently no better video game series to be a fan of than Sega’s Like a Dragon, formerly known as Yakuza in the West. The franchise consistently delivers fresh and exciting experiences, thanks to developer Ryo Ga Gotoku Studio’s willingness to experiment. The latest entry, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, is no exception. With its outlandish premise, engaging combat, and humor-filled storytelling, this game is a must-play for fans of the series.

This Mad Dog Can Swim

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is exactly what it sounds like: a game about a Japanese Yakuza member who travels to Hawaii and becomes a pirate. The protagonist is none other than Goro Majima, one of the most beloved characters in the series, though rarely a playable lead outside of Yakuza 0.

Majima, known as the “Mad Dog of Shimano,” is unpredictable and always up for chaos. In Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, he awakens on an island near Hawaii with amnesia and befriends a young English-speaking boy named Noah. Together, they embark on a nautical adventure, gathering a crew of eccentric misfits and even breaking into spontaneous Disney-style musical numbers aboard an old wooden pirate ship. Yes, that actually happens.

This spin-off embraces its absurdity, foregoing the usual Like a Dragon melodrama for a lighthearted, over-the-top experience. The game fully leans into its comedic elements, including a fictional pirate city called “Madlantis,” ruled by a character played by All Elite Wrestling’s Samoa Joe. While the story misses an opportunity for deeper character exploration, particularly regarding Majima’s amnesia, it still provides an engaging and hilarious experience for longtime fans.

Mad Dog and Sea Dog… The Duality of Man

Once past the opening hours, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii settles into a familiar Like a Dragon structure: exploring an impressively detailed Honolulu (reused from Infinite Wealth), engaging in side stories, and recruiting crew members for Majima’s ship, the Goromaru. The game offers plenty of signature weird and wonderful moments, from bizarre side quests to karaoke sessions.

The game’s combat is one of its standout features, bringing back real-time action gameplay rather than the turn-based combat seen in recent mainline entries. Majima has two combat styles: Mad Dog and Sea Dog. Mad Dog features his classic fast-paced, blade-centric attacks, while Sea Dog introduces dual-wielded cutlasses, an old-school pistol, and a grappling hook for dynamic, large-scale battles. Later in the game, Majima even gains access to magical musical instruments, like a guitar that summons spectral sharks to attack enemies. It’s ridiculous, but it works.

Assassin’s Creed with Laser Cannons

The Goromaru isn’t just a plot device—it’s a fully controllable and customizable pirate ship. Unfortunately, naval combat is one of the weaker aspects of the game. While it’s functional, it doesn’t add much beyond basic broadside cannon battles and occasional crew management tasks.

Despite this, the ability to equip laser cannons on a wooden pirate ship is undeniably cool. However, repetitive side missions and a lack of strategic depth make the ship-based gameplay feel somewhat underdeveloped.

Is Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Worth Getting?

If you’re a fan of Goro Majima, this game is a no-brainer. While it doesn’t offer the emotional depth seen in recent Like a Dragon entries, it compensates with an abundance of fun, humor, and creative combat. RGG Studio continues to push boundaries in unexpected ways, and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a testament to their ability to keep the franchise fresh.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches on February 21 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles.