Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii interview: ‘There’s a lot more possibilities with Majima’
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GameCentral speaks with Like A Dragon producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto about mini-game creation, spin-offs, and how the studio’s approach to development has helped it survive. Based on our initial hands-on last year, we were still unsure how distinctive Like A Dragon spin-off Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii would end up being. The game is built on the bones of its predecessor Infinite Wealth, only this time with fan favourite character Goro Majima taking the spotlight in a sequel set six months later. There’s plenty of eccentricities in combat we already knew about, to match the swashbuckling pirate theme, but the question was whether it would be just a brawler-skewed retread with some shivering timbers.
![[Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii screenshot]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236162905-f585.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
We’ll have to wait until the full game launches next month to answer for certain, but following a second hands-on session, we have a better idea of its biggest selling point: ship battles. Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has teased this component since the game was announced and while past games have a knack for sidelining extravagant ‘mini-games’ as optional diversions, sailing the seas as Captain Majima is an essential part of Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii – and it’s all the better for it.
![[Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii screenshot]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236162816-2182.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Infinite Wealth was impressive because of how robust many of its side activities were, but we were still surprised by how deep the pirate stylings go here. You can customise practically every part of your ship: between the hull, masts, cannons (more on that later), leading figurehead, and the crew aboard the vessel. You’ll recruit new members over the course of the game, usually by beating them up in dedicated battles, which adds them to your growing roster of outcasts (yes, nappy men included) you can assign them to different parts of the ship.
![[Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii screenshot]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236162930-3a66.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
