Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Reviews
Flawed and overfamiliar, but still as joyously OTT and hilarious as ever.
A raucous, absurd spin-off that manages to still feel like a first-rate Yakuza game despite the leftfield setting and delightfully unhinged plot.
Absolutely heaving with buried treasures and varied pleasures, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a consistently captivating voyage that kept my timbers shivering whether on land or at sea.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii successfully gives classic Like a Dragon beat 'em up action a pirate-themed makeover.
Pirate Yakuza goes all in on making Majima the most charming, endearing, and downright loveable rogue he’s ever been. It takes everything Majima and ramps it up to a million, throws in some added pirate spice and soul searching for the main man, and has him performing stunts and smacking down enemies as if he’s a character in his prime, not a 60 year old fast approaching retirement.
Given how serious Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth can get, a sillier adventure with no less heart feels like a welcome breath of salty sea air. While I love playing as Kiryu and Kasuga, I'm grateful for the time with Majima this game offers. He's hilarious, compassionate, and always up to the challenge. He's an icon, and there's no character in the franchise who deserves more time in the middle of the stage.
irate Yakuza may not be the best entry to get players on board with the ongoing Like a Dragon narrative. I was more entranced by the loop of upgrading Majima and his ship and recruiting new crewmates than I was by the story, but it delivers on everything the series has become renowned for. An absurd tone with surprising pockets of earnest pathos, fun characters, and bombastic action are all present and accounted for here.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii puts the spotlight back on Goro Majima for an uneven swashbuckling adventure that delights more often than it disappoints
You can see exactly what the devs are going for with each choice and mechanic, why they’ve done it, and have as much loveably idiotic pirate Yakuza fun as you’d want to.
Waking up marooned on a tropical island with no memory of who he is, Goro Majima does the only sensible thing. He becomes a pirate captain.
Against all odds, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii delivers everything I love about the series alongside a full-fledged pirate sim. Its modest scope can't facilitate the level of immersion of other seafaring titles but what it lacks in spectacle, it more than makes up for in charm and heart.
Pirate Yakuza is frequently funny and charming, but this Gaiden entry doesn't feel lean as much as it feels thin.
RGG has done a marvelous job capturing the old-school Pirate era with naval combat that feels arcade-like and simplistic to have fun with and sea exploration to get lost in for a few hours.
After more than 30 hours of gameplay, I can safely say that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is exactly the kind of madness we needed. It's a game that embraces the absurdity of its premise and turns it into its greatest strength. The story kept me engaged, the characters are memorable, and every aspect of the game is bursting with personality.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Like Aa Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a fun spin off that has allowed RGG Studio to indulge in silliness. Majima as a pirate captain is a perfect fit, and the new characters are a good addition. But the actual piracy can quickly become a bit too repetitive and unsatisfying.
The beefy spinoff of last year’s Infinite Wealth is an act of cosplay. While most of the pieces that make the long-running series so beloved are there, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio trades in strong writing for pirate pastiche with mixed results. Majima’s nautical adventure is at its best when flashes of memory break through its amnesia, reminding me that there’s more to Like a Dragon than its memeable moments.
The concept of putting Goro Majima in a pirate adventure is pretty much everything I thought it would be. This is a silly game with an enjoyable gameplay loop and adventure.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an amusing, if underwhelming way to kill time before Yakuza 9, but considering the speed at which RGG is releasing new games in the series, you probably don't have to wait that long for the next traditional entry.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is totally bonkers in places, but don't let that put you off; there's a surprising amount of heart in its narrative, and the game effortlessly captures the thrill and spirit of adventure. With tons of content, rewarding and cinematic combat, and a memorable cast of characters, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is nothing less than a triumphant spinoff.
An addendum to Infinite Wealth, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii feels like a vacation after a vacation, a small and silly adventure, a fun time with your crazy friends and not a care in the world. But only up until the ending, where Like a Dragon makes a sharp turn, and remind you of how much of a heart this franchise really has.
Review in Russian | Read full review