RGG Studio revealed a brand new recreation within the franchise in the course of the week of Tokyo Sport Present: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (or “Ryu ga Gotoku 8 Gaiden: Pirates in Hawaii” in Japan), a spin-off that picks up after the occasions of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The announcement maybe got here as a shock to some followers, particularly that this new recreation will launch in February of subsequent 12 months and Infinite Wealth solely popping out again in January. With this new recreation not removed from launch, SEGA had Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii playable at Tokyo Sport Present 2024, and so I spent a while swashbuckling within the Aloha State.
Much like final 12 months’s spin-off, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Title, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes fights again to the Yakuza franchise’s unique beat ’em up sort of fight. My hands-on time started with the demo instructing me the fundamentals of Majima’s explicit model of preventing generally known as Mad Canine fashion. When preventing on this fashion, preventing feels sooner and extra frenetic than the beat ’em up fight in previous video games as Kiryu. Majima strikes like lightning and makes use of his fists and knife to deal injury swiftly. Oh, and right here, he can leap. That’s proper – we will lastly leap throughout real-time fight in a Yakuza/Like a Dragon recreation!
Majima’s default Mad Canine preventing fashion is loads of enjoyable sufficient, however you may also change to a Sea Canine fashion. When switching over to this fashion, Majima unleashes his interior swashbuckler and dons the looks of a pirate. Sea Canine equips him with two cutlass swords, a pistol, and a wire hook. The cutlasses should not solely larger blades for Majima to slash with, however may be thrown like boomerangs for a extra ranged assault. Or you possibly can deal injury from a distance utilizing the pistol, which is ready to be charged up for extra affect. If you wish to rapidly rise up and near enemies, that’s the place the wire hook is available in. Some followers might have cocked their heads in confusion on the pirate theme, however boy, does it make for enjoyable fight.
Because the title suggests, this recreation does happen in Hawaii like Infinite Wealth did. Utilizing this setting once more probably helped with making it potential to get Pirate Yakuza out so quickly, as some environments and belongings will look acquainted for those who performed the final recreation. Likewise a variety of mini-games from earlier entries return, resembling Dragon Kart, karaoke, and Loopy Supply. They aren’t actually completely different from how they performed up to now, for higher or for worse, but nonetheless present some wacky enjoyable on the facet. The Segway-like scooter is again, too, that can assist you traverse across the metropolis elements of Hawaii.
Nonetheless, there are new locations to sail to and discover as Majima has his very personal pirate ship, the Goromaru! Within the demo, I used to be in a position to take to the seas and journey to 1 new place referred to as Madlantis. Set in an enormous cave, Madlantis appears to be like like a steampunk pirate land crammed with casino-like neon lights. It’s the proper place to fulfill a motley of characters together with different pirates and different seafaring hoodlums. I quickly got here throughout such of us, who in fact wished to struggle Majima. I hope Madlantis is only a style of extra pirate-themed locales the sport has in retailer.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is shaping as much as be an entertaining, action-packed journey for franchise followers to take pleasure in earlier than the following main entry. It doesn’t transform how a Like a Dragon/Yakuza recreation is performed however the pirate theme gives for a distinct, enjoyable taste, some potential new locations to see, and highly effective, cool fight with Majima’s new Sea Canine fashion.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches on February 28, 2025 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Collection consoles, Xbox One, and PC.
Thanks to SEGA for having me at their sales space at Tokyo Sport Present 2024.
