Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the swashbuckling RPG set to fulfil my pirate fantasies
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The Like a Dragon series swaps gangster beatdowns for sea-based shenanigans in what is so far turning out to be a confident (and appropriately zany) spin-off. Not five minutes into playing a preview build of Like a Dragon : Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, I was summoning sharks via violin, bringing an instant sense of developer RGG Studio letting its hair down. The open-world gangster series has always had a sense of humour and flippancy to it, of course, but following the genuine gravitas and reflective themes found in last year’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, this seafaring spin-off does much to make outright fun its focus. In this case it does so by moving events promptly from land to the ocean in the form of a full-fledged pirate RPG. And heading up the boat-based adventure? Not Ichiban Kasuga or Kazuma Kiryu, but rather fan-favourite character and self-confessed madman, Goro Majima, who has finally been promoted to the status of main protagonist. In case it was ever in doubt, the stage is set for chaos to ensue!.
My hands-on demo started off relatively early in the game’s second chapter. Taking place soon after the events of Infinite Wealth, Majima has found himself mysteriously washed up on an island situated off the coast of Hawaii, without his memory yet with a thirst to suddenly command the high seas. It was at this point that I was afforded the chance to explore the starting area of Rich Island, a relatively idyllic beach setting with plenty of local pirates to pummel and fun mini-games (such as cooking and karaoke) to take part in.
