REVIEW: ‘Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’ Sets The Spin-Off Standard

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii feels like a fever dream. Taking one of the best characters across the entire Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise in Majima Goro and turning him into a pirate captain? Unleashing him on the high seas around Hawaii with a pirate ship that basically has rocket boosters? It’s an idea only the fine folks at RGG Studios could come up with, let alone capitalize on.

Pirate Yakuza is a blast, building on the framework provided by last year’s excellent Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth while being its own thing entirely. The combat is fast and furious, the narrative fun and ridiculous in the best way, and the ship combat feels like everything it should be. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is fantastic.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii puts you behind the eyepatch of the antagonistic, chaotic ex-Yakuza captain with a heart of gold, Majima Goro. Marking the first time he’s been playable since Yakuza 0, Majima wakes up on a random beach with his memories missing. He’s quickly introduced to Noah, a young boy living on the island, and his cat…or tiger, depending on who you ask.

Things quickly escalate as Majima goes toe to toe with pirates who are terrorizing the island. Majima messes them up, takes their ship, and heads for high waters to regain his memories, bring Noah’s dreams of exploration to life, and find a legendary treasure that could fix Noah’s illness.

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the best stand Like a Yakuza spinoff.

Like any good Like a Dragon story, Pirate Yakuza grounds itself in character. This is entirely a wild pirate story, leaning into the tropes that come along with the territory, with plenty of twists along the way. Majima is the perfect character to turn into a pirate, bringing along a Captain Jack Sparrow-esque vibe if he was somehow a tad bit more insane. Majima is entirely wild, but he genuinely cares for Noah and the rest of the crew, going to great lengths to keep them safe and help them fulfill their wishes.

The rest of the main cast are a blast to get to know. From Jason, Noah’s ex-treasure hunter father who gave up the life to take care of his son, to Rodriguez, a member of Infinite Wealth‘s Palekana cult, each crew member has a reason for being on that ship. The story is loud and bombastic, but it never forgets the cast at its core.

Combat in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes the series back to its action roots, with Majima effectively being knives in a blender, whirling around and doing damage quickly. RGG managed to capture his wild dog energy perfectly, with a lot of the moves being ripped straight out of past encounters. Majima has two fighting styles, Mad Dog and Sea Dog. Mad Dog is better at solo fights or smaller groups of enemies, using Majima’s iconic knives to deal damage hard and fast.

Sea Dog style, on the other hand, uses two swords and pistols that can mow through groups of enemies, especially when tossed like boomerangs as they cut through swathes of foes. Sea Dog also gets a grappling hook later on, being able to whip over to enemies instantly. It’s also used outside of combat, as you can catch bugs and find treasure in higher spots in Hawaii.

Each style is entirely viable, and eventually, being able to swap on the fly between them is a blast. Using Sea Dog style to fire off a pistol shot that rips through multiple enemies, hooking an enemy with a grappling hook to fling Majima over to them, then landing and swapping to Mad Dog to hit them in the air and juggle them makes you feel like a badass every time.

Summon the might of sharks when you activate Sea Dog style.

Both styles have their own superattack, as well, dealing tons of damage. Mad Dog summons a group of shadow Majimas that fight alongside you, while Sea Dog can play certain instruments to call upon animals that crush groups. The first Sea Dog summon is a group of sharks, and more can be unlocked through side content.

The pirate ship combat is also a blast. While not as deep and intricate as something like Sea of Thieves, the ship combat is entirely focused on chaotic fun. As you descend on other ships on the sea, the Goromaru has different weapons that can be used to shiver their timbers. Firing with machine guns as you close distance, battering them with the ship itself, or using different cannons as you pull up alongside them. All of this carries the unique RGG chaotic energy, as the ship can use boosters to speed up and deal more ramming damage.

Cannons can be upgraded from the standard cannon balls to lasers to elemental attacks that can freeze ships in place while being able to use different options on each side of the ship. Players can even leave the helm and switch to Majima on foot, helping crew members who may have been downed in battle or blasting the enemy ship with a rocket launcher.

The ship combat is very arcadey – a ship simulator, this is not. This isn’t a knock against it either, as ship combat tends to be long and drawn out in other games, but Pirate Yakuza battles can be over in a handful of seconds if handled properly. As you enter the Pirate Coliseum and fight other boss ships, once you knock out a ship’s health bar, the crew boards the other ship. The fight then switches to hand-to-hand combat, with a badass boarding scene reminiscent of Avengers: Age of Ultron, as your crew flies sideways onto the other ship. It’s your crew against theirs, fighting through big groups of enemies to be the last one standing.

Staffing the ship is incredibly important, and as you upgrade the ship, more spaces open up for additional crew. Some crew members have first-mate abilities that can boost health, attack, or other traits, while others are better suited for different spaces. While one crew member may have higher ship stats, making them a better fit on the cannons or machine guns, another may be better suited for the boarding party, dealing more damage to opponents. All of your active crew members gain experience after every ship fight.

The ship play stands out, giving so much room for combat and exploration.

Navigating the ship is fun, too. As you travel from island to island, there are boost rings that increase the speed of the ship, alongside the thrusters that propel it forward quickly. This isn’t one giant open ocean, but rather open zones that have different islands you can visit and hunt for treasure, fight elite ships, or collect materials on the open water. You can unlock fast travel at every lighthouse, where you can also swap out crew members and upgrade the ship.

The islands aren’t freely explorable either, but fighting gauntlets can lead to new treasure, weapons, summoning instruments, or more. You basically just run through an island, cutting down anyone in your way, with a smaller boarding party than ship fights. Sometimes, the game does change up the flow, making you fight 100 enemies in one spot or a smaller number of elite enemies.

While exploring islands such as Majima would have been cool, these island visits are quick and furious. They do not overstay their welcome and provide worthwhile money, experience, and loot. The flow and island design can feel similar, but fighting through groups of enemies like Majima never gets old.

Every ship fight and island exploration grants not just money but also a pirate reputation. Your reputation goes up as you gain notoriety, being used to upgrade your ship and Majima himself. Buying upgrades costs both gold and reputation, and some potential crew members won’t even join you until you reach a certain level of reputation. While money is important, your reputation is just as integral to having a deadly Majima and ship.

While the first handful of hours are largely linear, once the game opens up, there’s plenty to do. From traveling and exploring each open zone on the high seas to the battles in the Pirate Coliseum, each piece of content is engaging. It’s a good mix of remixed old and brand new. Hawaii, in particular, remains largely unchanged from last year’s Infinite Wealth, but that’s not a bad thing.

Once the game opens up, the world is your oyster.

RGG makes the return feel more like a homecoming as you catch up with a number of plot threads and mini-games. Sicko Snap, Crazy Delivery, Karaoke, and more all return, but each feel different as you see them through Majima’s eye.

The side stories also follow up with stories from Infinite Wealth, as you see familiar faces like the coffee shop comedians or even the villain from Dondoko Island. The game does a great job of catching up with new players, but for returning fans, it’s so much fun seeing these characters again, some even joining your crew.

Alongside the familiarity, there’s a ton of new to engage with. Madlantis, the pirate haven, features a Pirate Coliseum that players can battle through, going up against other crews in their quest to become the Pirate Kings and Queens. Majima can also bounty hunt for more money, going up against varying levels of powerful foes for a quick buck.

Recruiting crew members is also important, with each potential crew member having different needs. Some require a certain item before they join you, others are unlocked through side stories, while some just need a good ol’ smackdown to board the ship. Majima even has a zoo that he can add animals to, as going to feed and take care of them can unlock new bonuses for the ship. There’s even a fun cooking minigame that sees Majima making meals for himself and his crew, eventually unlocking the ability to host feasts on deck.

While the main story is spread out over five chapters, doing everything in this game will take a good long while. One of the best parts of Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is its pacing, as it constantly moves at a breakneck pace. The fights, both melee and ship, are fast and hectic. The side stories and content are all fast, keeping the player moving from one interesting thing to the next. There’s so much to engage with in Pirate Yakuza, with each piece feeling rewarding, ridiculous, heartfelt, or some combination of all of the above.

Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is one of the best Like a Dragon/Yakuza spin-offs, joining the likes of Judgment and Like A Dragon: Ishin. Majima is a fantastic protagonist with a colorful cast of characters around him, the combat is packed with adrenaline, and the side stories and content are engaging and feel important. It’s a fast and frenetic pirate adventure that constantly calls the player back to its high seas, and it’s an adventure you won’t want to miss.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is out on February 21, 2025, on PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.