Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the latest entry from the beloved series from SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, with its full focus on Goro Majima. Learn more in our Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review!
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the latest entry from the beloved series from SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, with its full focus on Goro Majima. I’m definitely a fan of the series, previously known as Yakuza, and now going by its original Like a Dragon name. I’ve previously had a chance to review pretty much all the games in the series, minus Like a Dragon: Ishin!, which was reviewed by ThaRaven403.
I’ve taken Yakuza Kiwami for a spin on PlayStation 4. The same goes for its sequel, the aptly titled Yakuza Kiwami 2. I reviewed Yakuza 5 on PlayStation 3 back when it was released in 2016. I also reviewed the sequel Yakuza 6: The Song of Life in 2018. I then dove back into Yakuza 3, 4, and 5, thanks to the Yakuza Remastered Collection on PlayStation 4. I enjoyed Yakuza: Like a Dragon and its nod to the Dragon Quest franchise. And it was definitely fun to play spin-off Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, so I was more than ready for this new game.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a spin-off that takes place after the events of last year’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Goro Majima has lost his memory and washes up on a small location: Rich Island. You are Goro Maijma, and Goro Majima is now you. The good news is that you’ve been saved from certain death by a boy named Noah Rich. Noah kindly gives you some water, which will certainly make a difference after you almost drowned and ended up pretty dehydrated. Unfortunately, that’s when some pirates spot you two. After they start to hit Noah, your inner demons begin to surface.
The game can be played in one of three difficulty settings: Beginner, Standard, and Professional. Beginner is going to be a good option for anyone who might be new to the Like a Dragon series or those who want to have an easier time with combat so that they can enjoy the game’s story. Standard offers a journey balanced to test your skills without feeling overwhelmed. If you go with a Professional, you better be ready to put your money where your mouth is! Enemies will be ready to punish you for any mistakes you make, and their attacks will certainly pack a punch.
The game will have you take on a short tutorial after the intro cutscene so that you can learn the basics. You’ll control Goro with the left analog stick, attacking enemies with the Square and Triangle buttons as needed. You can use these to perform combos that can deal some solid damage while you keep your focus on the multiple enemies you’ll be taking on in one go. You can jump while in combat, perform different attacks while up in the air, and do aerial combos after launching an enemy.
Grab an enemy by pressing the Circle button. This will allow you to use them to protect yourself as you prepare for what your next move will be. Press the L1 button to guard against incoming attacks. Press the R1 button to move around while holding a fight stance. You can then press the X button as you time things just right in order to sidestep away from danger. As you attack enemies and receive damage, your Heat gauge will start to fill up. After the Heat gauge reaches a certain point, you’ll get to press the Triangle button to perform a high-damage skill known as a Heat Action.
There’s also a circular gauge at the top left of the screen that you should pay attention to. This one is known as the Madness gauge. The Madness gauge will fill up over time, and you speed things up considerably by performing Heat Actions here and there. Once the Madness gauge is full, you’ll be able to press the R2 button to create a Goro Majima doppelganger, which will attack enemies… that is, as long as you’re in the Mad Dogstance!
Upgrading your abilities is going to be a must if you want to have a chance of making it until the end and the credits roll. You can boost your max health so that you can take more damage before you’re defeated. Improve your damage so that your attack power increases. Add some knockdown evasion so that you get up quickly and reduce the period of vulnerability after you’re knocked down. You can even unlock some additional attacks for each stance! Once you get the Sea Dog stance, you’ll be able to Yaar your way to victory!
Remember Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag? Remember its naval battles? Well, then, I have something that you’re going to love! Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will allow you to assemble a crew for you to sail the sea in order to fight against the evil pirates who are up to no good. You will be able to recruit new crew members as you explore Rich Island, Madlantis, and the other areas in the game, all while sorting out main story missions and the additional side missions on offer. You can later take on the Pirates’ Coliseum, where you can put your skills to the test in more naval battles.
As you can see, there’s a lot for you to do in this game if you’re a trophy hunter, and yes, you’ll have a chance to add a new Platinum trophy to your collection! In fact, since this title is a Cross-Buy release, you’ll have a chance to download the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game to your PlayStation 5 console, and each one will have its own trophy list for you to work on. Each list is split into 56 Bronze trophies, 4 Silver trophies, and a single Gold trophy. What will you need to do for that shiny Platinum? Some trophies are tied to completing each of the chapters in the game’s main story – of which there are five.
You’ll also unlock trophies for obtaining 10, 20, 40, and 60 abilities, using the cutlass boomerang on 100 enemies, the chain hook on 50 enemies, the pistol on 50 enemies, playing each dark instrument at least once, equipping rings on all 10 fingers at once, completing 20 and 50 bounty missions, and recruiting 30, 50, and 80gmembers to the Goro Pirates, and winning 10, 20, and 30 different matches in the Pirate Coliseum, to name some examples.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a spin-off that takes place after the events of last year’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Goro Majima has lost his memory and washes up on a small location: Rich Island. You are Goro Maijma, and Goro Majima is now you. The good news is that you’ve been saved from certain death by a boy named Noah Rich. Noah kindly gives you some water, which will certainly make a difference after you almost drowned and ended up pretty dehydrated. Unfortunately, that’s when some pirates spot you two. After they start to hit Noah, your inner demons begin to surface. What happens next is a very fun adventure in which Goro Majima shines as the star he is.
While the game is smaller in scope than the main entries in the beloved series, it still presents dozens of content for you to enjoy, especially if you want to 100% the game and add another Platinum trophy to your collection. Just be sure to purchase items to heal your wounds as well as cook some delicious meals with the ingredients that you’ll find during your journey, so that you can always be ready to recover in the middle of battle. Oh, and did I mention there’s a SEGA Master System console for you to play and get some much-needed R&R? You can play classic games such as Poseidon Wars 3-D, Alien Syndrome, Penguin Land, and Fantasy Zone. You can also collect additional cartridges to add to your virtual collection. Are you up for it? Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza is available as a Cross-Buy title, so your $59.99 purchase will allow you to download both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game at no extra cost. You can also go all-in and get the Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza Deluxe Edition for $74.99, which, along with the main game, will also give you access to the following:
Legendary Pirate Crew Pack
Legendary Outfit Pack
Ship Special Customization Pack
Extra Karaoke & CD Pack
Disclaimer
This Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by SEGA.