Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review – A Fun and Wild Spin-Off Adventure
Explore treasure hunts, sea battles, and hilarious side quests in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – a wild, fun pirate adventure!
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes a bold step away from the Tokyo streets and dives headfirst into the sunny chaos of the Hawaiian islands. This spin-off swaps crime drama for pirate adventures—and it works surprisingly well. The game is packed with humor, action, and all the quirky side content fans love, making it one of the most refreshing spin-offs in the series.
Instead of gang wars and serious drama, you get treasure hunts, sea battles, and a playful pirate story. It follows fan-favorite Goro Majima, who wakes up on a mysterious island with no memory. He soon teams up with a young boy, a cute tiger cub, and an old pirate ship, kicking off a wild quest for lost treasure.
Majima is a little calmer this time, but still full of fun energy. His journey across the Hawaiian seas brings a mix of intense action and silly side quests. One moment you’re fighting giant sea creatures, and the next you’re rescuing animals or throwing parties for your crew.
The game’s bright tropical setting, exciting battles, and over-the-top moments (including a musical number!) make this a must-play for fans. Whether you’re into the main Like a Dragon series or just want a lighthearted pirate adventure, this game delivers big laughs and big action.
Sailing New Seas: Pirate Yakuza Tries Something Bold
While Like a Dragon Gaiden (2023) offered a light secret agent twist, Pirate Yakuza takes the series in a bold new direction with a full-on pirate adventure. There’s plenty of exciting naval combat on Majima’s ship, adding a fun twist to the usual gameplay.
However, don’t expect the open-world freedom of games like Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Instead of one large map, Pirate Yakuza uses smaller zones you travel between. The main areas—Honolulu’s hub and the creatively designed Madlantis casino district—stand out, but many of the smaller islands start to feel repetitive. Over time, the sense of discovery fades when you revisit familiar layouts across different islands.
Exciting Naval Combat and Strategic Depth in Pirate Yakuza
The open-water combat in Pirate Yakuza is full of spectacle and strategy, keeping me engaged every time I took the helm of Majima’s ship. In battles, I could attack head-on with machine guns or perform a boosted ram to hit enemies directly. Maneuvering alongside rivals allowed me to unleash powerful broadside attacks from the ship’s cannons. These cannons can be upgraded by collecting resources at sea or in ports, and I quickly worked toward equipping my ship with powerful lasers to slice through enemies.
As I docked at different ports, I recruited new pirates to join my crew. Assigning crew members to specific roles in naval battles had a real impact. Crew members are ranked in areas like attack, defense, and cannon power. If I put weak or inexperienced pirates in key roles, my crew often met a quick defeat.
After some trial and error, I found the right balance. Choosing a first mate with skills like boosting damage or providing extra repair kits helped me in tough battles. I chose a mechanic, which gave me extra repair kits—essential for fixing up my ship after intense fights.
While the naval combat is mostly straightforward, some features felt unnecessary. For example, the rocket launcher and the need to manually put out fires or clear ice didn’t feel crucial during the main story. However, after completing the story, I revisited Madlantis’ pirate coliseum and used every ability to survive the escalating challenges. These optional battles added depth to the game and made the final stages more engaging.
Captain Hookshot: Majima’s Fisticuffs and New Fighting Style
In true Like a Dragon fashion, Pirate Yakuza still delivers plenty of action-packed fisticuffs. Whether ashore or aboard enemy ships, Majima’s Mad Dog fighting stance brings back the classic, fast-paced combo-based street fighting the series is known for. He unleashes punches, kicks, and dagger slashes, with flashy neon trails and enemies bursting into gold coins like something straight out of a video game.
Majima’s combat style is noticeably more agile than previous characters, with a quicker quickstep that lets him counter enemies and an air-dodge to escape overwhelming crowds of foes.
But once I unlocked the Sea Dog stance a few hours into the game, I barely used anything else. This new style fits almost any situation, allowing Majima to wield cutlasses for devastating combos, throw them like boomerangs, and even perform spinning slashes to clear groups of enemies.
The hookshot is a standout feature in Sea Dog, letting Majima zip to enemies like a pirate version of Spider-Man, making it easy to target far-off enemies. Plus, the flintlock pistol becomes a powerful tool once upgraded, wiping out pirates in seconds with a charged shot.
Sea Dog Style: The Best Way to Brawl in Pirate Yakuza
The Sea Dog fighting style in Pirate Yakuza is a powerful, all-in-one combat option that works great in almost any battle. It’s fast, flashy, and fun to use—so much so that I rarely switched back to the old Mad Dog style.
The only time I did was to use Majima’s Doppelganger attack, a special move unlocked by filling a power meter. This move calls in two Majima clones who rush enemies and quickly tear down their health bars. It’s especially useful during tough boss fights.
While Infinite Wealth introduced turn-based combat as the new standard for the Like a Dragon series, Pirate Yakuza proves that real-time action still works. From the first sword swing to the final boss, the flashy and smooth fighting in this pirate spin-off is a big improvement over the gadget-filled battles in Like a Dragon Gaiden.
Pirate Yakuza’s Pleasure Island: Honolulu, Side Quests, and Wild Substories
Pirate Yakuza brings back the sunny streets of Honolulu, first seen in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but this time with new secrets and mini-games that make it worth exploring again. Using Majima’s hookshot, you can reach rooftops and hidden spots to find treasure chests full of costumes and rewards. You’ll also discover bounty targets for extra cash, and collectible retro games for your safehouse’s Master System.
That said, the Master System feels a little outdated now—after collecting the same 8-bit games in Lost Judgment and Like a Dragon Gaiden, it might be time for an upgrade to a Mega Drive or Game Gear in future titles.
There’s no shortage of fun distractions in this pirate spin-off. Popular mini-games like Sicko Snap and Super Crazy Delivery return, while Dragon Kart makes a comeback with an exciting twist: arena battle mode, where racing turns into chaotic car combat. Even the batting cages get a pirate upgrade—you now swing at cannonballs, smashing explosive barrels instead of baseballs.
The game also shines through its substories, which are full of personality and humor. Some are heartwarming, like helping an old man live out his dream of becoming a pirate. Others poke fun at internet culture—like Majima becoming a Virtua Fighter 3 streamer, where you have to choose the best reactions to keep the chat happy. And then there’s the wild stuff, like a full-on live-action dating show parody starring your ship’s cook.
One of the biggest side quests has you and your crew chasing down the dread pirate Zeus and his Devil Flags fleet. This massive substory unlocks new maps—volcanic islands, icy seas, and more—packed with powerful enemies and treasure to upgrade your ship. You’ll even find four Dark God instruments, magical weapons that can turn battles in your favor. One summons ghostly land sharks, and another calls in a giant ape with a guitar to wipe out enemies in dramatic fashion.
These are some of the strongest attacks in Pirate Yakuza, though it’s surprising they’re hidden in an optional quest that’s easy to miss.
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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – Pros & Cons
| 👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
|---|---|
| 🏴☠️ Fun pirate theme with treasure hunts and sea battles | 🏝️ Some islands look the same and feel reused |
| ⚔️ Majima’s Sea Dog fighting style is fast and exciting | 🧭 You can’t sail freely—just travel between small zones |
| 🚢 Naval battles are fun and easy to learn | 🔧 Some ship tools feel useless in the main story |
| 😂 Lots of funny and heartwarming side quests | 🎮 Retro mini-games feel old and repeated from past games |
| 🎮 Many mini-games like pirate batting and Dragon Kart | 🗺️ Some of the best weapons are hidden in easy-to-miss quests |
| 🎭 Good mix of action and comedy | 👎 |
Conclusion
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a fun and exciting pirate game. The story is light and crazy, mixing street fights with pirate battles. Majima’s Sea Dog fighting style is fast, strong, and fun to use.
You can fight on land or at sea. To win sea battles, you need to choose the right crew. Some places on the map feel reused, but Honolulu is full of fun side stories and mini-games that keep things interesting.
There are hidden treasures, powerful weapons, and lots to explore. Whether on land or sea, this pirate adventure is full of surprises and great fun from beginning to end.
