Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Goro Majima loses his memory and becomes a pirate captain.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an action-adventure game from 2025, developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. As a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series, it takes place half a year after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The game launched on February 21, 2025, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
The story follows longtime series character Goro Majima, who wakes up stranded on an island with no memory of his past. He forms his own pirate crew and sets out to find a hidden treasure. The gameplay returns to the series' classic beat 'em up style, while also introducing naval combat elements tied to the pirate theme. Critics gave the game generally positive reviews. A remake of Yakuza 3, titled Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, followed in February 2026.
**Gameplay**
Players control Goro Majima across four locations: Rich Island, a remote island near Hawaii; Madlantis, a secret island for criminals and pirates; Nele Island, base of the Palekana religious group; and Honolulu, the main setting of Infinite Wealth. The combat system is a beat 'em up similar to older Like a Dragon games. Majima has two fighting styles: Mad Dog, which focuses on speed, and Sea Dog, which lets him wield dual cutlasses and pistols along with other pirate tools. A new feature allows jumping and performing mid-air combos.
Beyond combat and exploration, players can recruit a pirate crew and upgrade their ship, the Goromaru, to explore the sea and fight other pirate ships. Ship battles happen in real time, and after depleting an enemy ship's health, players can board it to fight its crew and defeat its captain. Several minigames from previous titles return, including Karaoke, Crazy Delivery, and Dragon Kart. A new side activity, Masaru's Love Journey, has Majima recruiting "Minato girls" to spend time with the character Masaru Fujita. As in other Like a Dragon games, players can unlock emulations of older Sega titles, such as the Master System and SG-1000 games Poseidon Wars 3-D, Space Harrier 3-D, Star Jacker, and the arcade game The Ocean Hunter.
**Synopsis**
**Premise**
Set six months after Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024), the game features ex-Tojo Clan yakuza Goro Majima (voiced by Hidenari Ugaki in Japanese and Matthew Mercer in English) as the only playable character.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
- Developer
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher
- Sega
- Series
- Like a Dragon
- Director
- Yasuaki Uehara
- Producer
- Ryosuke Horii · Hiroyuki Sakamoto
- Designer
- Takanori Naganuma
- Programmer
- Yutaka Ito
- Artist
- Yuu Honya · Nobuaki Mitake
- Writer
- Tsuyoshi Furuta
- Released
- February 21, 2025
- Genre
- Action-adventure, beat 'em up, hack and slash
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes place six months after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The game features ex-Tojo Clan yakuza Goro Majima as the sole playable character. Through unknown circumstances, Majima is stranded on Rich Island with no memories of his past life. After being saved by a local asthmatic boy named Noah Rich, Majima becomes embroiled in a conflict involving local Hawaiian pirates and ex-yakuza members from Japan. He becomes captain of a new pirate crew and sets out in search of a hidden treasure, as well as to recover his memories.
Gameplay utilizes a beat 'em up combat system with two fighting styles: Mad Dog, a speed-focused style, and Sea Dog, which allows Majima to wield dual cutlasses and pistols. A new addition is the ability to jump and perform mid-air combos. Players can assemble a pirate crew, upgrade their ship the Goromaru, and engage in real-time naval combat. The game features the return of minigames such as Karaoke, Crazy Delivery, and Dragon Kart, as well as a new side activity, Masaru's Love Journey. Unlockable emulations of older Sega games are also included.
The plot follows Majima as he forms the Goro Pirates with Noah and his father Jason, a retired treasure hunter seeking the Lost Treasure of the Esperanza. The story involves the Palekana religious group, the pirate hub Madlantis ruled by Queen Michele, and the Pirate King Raymond Law. Majima confronts various characters including Mortimer, Rodriguez, and Spade Tucker, and eventually recovers his memories after battling a giant squid. The game concludes with Majima and his sworn brother Taiga Saejima visiting their friend Kazuma Kiryu in the hospital.
Reader's Guide
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was developed as a standalone expansion to Infinite Wealth, following the success of the spin-off title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. According to Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's director Masayoshi Yokoyama, the concept of Gaiden was a gamble due to its more compact size and scale, but due to its positive reception, it allowed the team to develop the series more deeply. The game received generally positive reviews from critics. It was followed in February 2026 by a remake of Yakuza 3 called Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. The game's significance lies in its expansion of the Like a Dragon universe through a pirate-themed narrative, introducing new locales and characters while retaining core series mechanics. Its legacy includes demonstrating the viability of spin-off titles that explore different genres and settings within the established franchise framework.
Did You Know?
- Majima has two fighting styles: Mad Dog and Sea Dog.
- Players can board enemy ships after depleting their health in naval combat.
- The game includes unlockable emulations of Master System and SG-1000 games such as Poseidon Wars 3-D and Space Harrier 3-D.
More in Adventure Games of the 2020s, Part 2 1-24
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