Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii is the next (and wildest) entry in the long-running Yakuza series, and it truly feels like the franchise is now fully unrestrained. Building on two decades of impressive titles, the Yakuza series has developed a reputation for balancing an almost operatic tale of brotherhood and betrayal amid the backdrop of the Japanese criminal underworld, alongside immersive game worlds where anything is possible. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth understood that balance, but Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii takes things even further — and fans of the series will be ecstatic with the result.

Set after the events of Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii finds Majima washed up on a tropical island with no memory of his past. Quickly amassing a number of allies, Majima sets out to become a feared pirate captain off the coast of Hawaii. Screen Rant was invited to attend a hands-on preview of the game and take part in a Q&A with Like a Dragon Producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto.

An Adventure On The High Sea

Majima Is Back, And Wilder Than Ever

Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii is an expansive sea adventure that feels like the melding of GTA and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in the best way possible. The game follows Majima as he explores (and pilages) several tropical locations. Ranging from the idyllic Rich Island and the scenic Honolulu to the expansive criminal paradise of Madlantis, Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii is a bright and colorful title that leans into the sheer inherent bombast of the premise. This includes giving the player the ability to recruit a truly staggering number of oddballs to crew their pirate shift.

The traversal system between islands puts players behind the mast of a classic pirate ship. However, this isn't Skull and Bones, where a certain degree of authenticity is expected for the experience. Instead, players can hit the boosters on their ship to catch up to enemy vessels, setting up a boarding combat scene where players and their crew can board and demolish other groups of characters. There's a sense of controlled chaos in Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii, a firm handle on a weird world where anything can happen and all avenues are available to players.

Yakuza Pirate In Hawaii's Controlled Chaos Is A Blast

Combat Isn't The Only Tightly Constructed Game Style

Gameplay in Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii shifts quickly between different styles in quick succession, although the most consistent is an action beat-em-up. The speed and scale of this combat depend on which route the players want to use, as they're easily capable of swapping between fisticuffs in the Mad Dog style or shifting to weaponry as in Sea Dog. Both offer plenty of options while fighting scores of enemies across various settings, although Sea Dog's variety and larger number of ranged options make it an easy one to utilize against larger groups of enemies.

Beyond the combat are countless minigames and experiences that feel right at home in the Yakuza series. Players can find karaoke machines, kart races, taxi missions, and countless other ways to spend their time. They can also commit to the gladiatorial combat within Madlantis, which puts attention on both ship-to-ship combat as well as using physical skills to confront small armies of bizarre forces. The trick is that everything handles incredibly well, with all these different facets benefiting from tight controls and impressive construction.

What Makes Like A Dragon: Yakuza Pirate Unique

Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii Producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto Went Wild With The New Game

During a Q&A with of the press (including Screen Rant), Hiroyuki Sakamoto revealed that he and the rest of the team have been tinkering with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for "two years," even while working on Infinite Wealth. The decision to embrace such a bombastic approach to combat stemmed from the decision to focus the game on Majima.

Hiroyuki Sakamoto: "We decided we wanted to make a Majima game, and if we're making a Majima a game, a RPG doesn't really fit him. Action fits him more. That was what led to [combat focus]."

The decision to focus on Majima opened up the development team to really embrace the bizarre bombast of the title, taking it further than ever before. "Just making a pirate Majima game," Sakamoto explained:

Hiroyuki Sakamoto: "We were quickly off the charts of ridiculous. We were thinking, okay, this idea is really ridiculous, but it's Majima, so maybe it works... this is probably the most, in a lot of ways, ridiculous and off the the normal track of our games we've ever done.

"In our games, we try to make really hard-boiled, very serious character drama stories. So if you actually play through the story, you'll find that same kind of deep story that defines our games so present in this one. When we decided to do Pirate Majima, everything was on the table."

That shows in the gameplay and presentation, which embraces the ridiculous nature of the world to an extreme degree.

Pirate Yakuza Is Wind Waker Meets GTA In The Best Way Possible

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Is Pure Fun

There's a lot to be impressed with by Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii . The graphics are gorgeous, even when compared to the rest of the already-beautiful series. The compelling imagery and bizarre touches make it a game that's hard to look away from. The combat is easy to pick up and fun to master, allowing every small skirmish to take on a certain level of sheer enjoyment. The wealth of gameplay avenues to discover and experiment with is genuinely staggering, even for longtime fans. More than anything, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is just fun.

There's an absurdist touch that makes the game just self-aware enough to be kooky without being too ridiculous. The characters are larger than life but grounded by real touches and elements. It feels like a part of the overall Yakuza tapestry while also remaining powerfully unique and entertaining. It's also just a blast to run around as a pirate and fight sumo wrestlers to a standstill with a cutlass, chain, and flintlock pistol. That is the underlying core of the game, and it's a key reason why Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirate works as well as it does. From my time with the game, I'm certainly looking forward to the full release - and you should be too.