Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiis shaping up to be one of the most unique and ambitious projects to ever come from Ryu Ga Gotoku’s longstanding franchise, with this clearly being reflected in the narrative, themes, and core gameplay mechanics of the project. The title is set to put a fascinating spin on the Hawaii setting thatLike a Dragonhas recently explored, finally putting players back into the shoes of Goro Majima in a protagonist role
With Majima washing up on Hawaii’s shores with a bout of severe amnesia inLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, fans should expect to see a more vulnerable and raw Majima, but with the same lack of inhibition. By throwing such an iconic character into the mainline franchise’s latest major setting,Pirate Yakuzais centered around a fascinating clash between the classic and contemporary gameplay of the wider IP, and the combat of the project in particular seems to offer a perfect middle-ground between beat-em-up combat and more traditional RPG elements.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Seems Like a Celebration of the Franchise’s Past and Present
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiis expected to launch on February 21, with the franchise continuing its penchant for innovation by centering the title around piracy and ship-based combat while maintaining the classic land exploration and combat that fans have come to expect from the IP. While this unique setting recontextualizesInfinite Wealth’s Hawaiian setting in a fantastic way, a lot of the current hype surrounding the game comes from Majima’s presence as the game’s protagonist.
Despite being one of the most important figures in the series, Majima has only appeared as a protagonist a handful of times, with the figure being at the center of ashow-stopping storyline in the fan-favoriteYakuza 0. The unpredictable and eccentric nature of Majima is reflected throughout his combat styles, andPirate Yakuzais set to put this power into the hands of the player in a way never seen before.
Ryu Ga Gotoku has recently outlined some ofthe fighting styles for Majima inPirate Yakuza, with his Mad Dog style having a fascinating Madness Gauge that players can fill via combat. When activated, the Madness Gauge can spawn deadly apparitions of Majima to fight alongside the player, with this being a staple feature of when fans have been at the receiving end of Majima’s combat over the years.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Uses RPG and Beat-Em-Up Mechanics to its Advantage
These fantastical combat elements have carried over to the Sea Dog style, with players being able to use a variety of instruments to summon dark deities including sharks, apes, birds, and jellyfish to the battlefield. Gameplay mechanics such as this are much more in-line with theRPG elements ofLike a Dragon’s era of turn-based releases, starring Ichiban Kasuga. These RPGLaDtitles fully embrace the wacky and unrestricted elements of the franchise, whereas other titles likeThe Man Who Erased His Namemaintain the classic feel of grittyYakuzawith Kazuma Kiryu and explosive beat-em-up combat.
In this way,Pirate Yakuzaseems like the title to fully embrace both of these distinctLike a Dragonidentities, with its RPG combat elements not being restricted to turn-based combat. Majima’s memory loss in the narrative ofPirate Yakuzaseems like a poetic way for the character to fully embrace the new themes and mechanics of the modern franchise, with the figure deservedly getting another shot in the spotlight while still saying true enough to the combat roots that madeLike a Dragonthe international powerhouse that it is today.
