Against the odds, the next game in the beloved Yakuza game series, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza of Hawaii, is shaping up to live up to its quirky name. At a themed preview event in Buena Park, California, just outside of Knotts Berry Farm, myself and other journalists got to take a stab at never-before-seen parts of the game — and sea combat looks like it'll be a fun moment among the many activities.
Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a new adventure from Sega Studios, Ryu Ga Gotoku, starring series favorite Goro “Mad Dog” Majima, a wild eyepatch-wearing gangster who emerges from the maniacal sidekick in Yakuza 0 and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth to the main character. Picking up six months after Infinite Treasure, Majima washes up on the shore of an island with no memory of his past (wrong) deeds. After receiving a first look at the game late last yearthis new preview introduced me to a trio of activities teased in the trailers – ship-to-ship naval combat, Colosseum fights, and the returning Dragon Kart mini-game.
More importantly, I got a feel for the gameplay, as the first preview session ushered me into the game's second chapter. Although I don't have many abilities and upgrades, I was still able to switch between Majima's two fighting styles. The first, in a pirate-themed Sea Dog style, had me scurrying around swinging the twin grappling hooks (or throwing them like a boomerang), firing the flintlock gun, and using a chain whip to retreat into enemies. The latter, the Mad Dog style, will be more familiar to Yakuza fans who have battled Majima in previous games: he lunges around with a knife like a back-alley brawler, even calling in doppelgangers to even the odds against masses of enemies.
Both styles are fun, and while I got by with button mashing, I was forced to use my small pool of skills and tools when enemy groups pulled guns on me (and actual mods that put my tiny flintlock to shame). While the game fits into the Like A Dragon sub-series, it wisely ditches the turn-based RPG combat in favor of real-time combat like the main Yakuza series, and it's all the better for it; flying around with boomerang hooks in a pirate outfit is the kind of crazy action that's doable with non-stop movement (which can break down if players are given a moment to think).
In the first free-roaming installment, I took on roaming gangs of island tough guys, but I mostly ran around learning the game's weird and wonderful angles: planting herbs to harvest later, cooking meals for valuable stats, winning the affections of animal friends and stocking of health products and energy drinks. Even on the islands, I buy supplies for the next unusual fight.
The next play session brought the good stuff, namely the ship battles that were teased in the previous trailers. As gamers long for the dark days of sea dogs Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flagenjoy Sea of Thieves and mourn what could have been Skull and Bones, the cannon-ridden waters of the Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii are sure to appeal.
Naval combat, Colosseum clashes and more
The second play session opened in the wondrous dark pirate dreamland of Madlantis, the game's big addition to the Yakuza landscape. Scallywags roam the rusted metal walkways that break down from fights, and neon signs point to bars, shops and a casino (where you can play poker and blackjack). But the centerpiece is Pirates Coliseum, which lets you engage in four different types of battles of escalating difficulty.
The first, Quick Clash, places your ship in a flooded Colosseum to deal with enemies in quick combat. In the lower ranks, you'll take on single ships, but tougher fights will pit you against multiple ships of varying sizes. Sea combat is a bit more Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag arcade than the more realistic Sea of Thieves, as you'll be sailing with a bird's-eye view as attack grids appear for your three slotted weapons: forward-firing machine guns as well as a set of cannons each for port and starboard. These can be traditional cannon launchers, short-range flamethrowers, or even laser cannons (stay awesome, Yakuza).
While you'll mainly be concerned between ships to get the best angle for your next cannon salvo and drive it out of the range of your opponent's response, there are a few reasons to get off the wheel to move around Goromaru's deck (such as your ship is called). Most notably, you'll need to do this if your ship catches fire, as putting out the fire will stop taking damage because the less health your ship has, the less damage it will do. While walking around your ship, you can also man a deck-mounted machine gun or run around firing rocket launchers at enemy ships (never change, Yakuza). Keep in mind that you'll be crawling to a stop away from the wheel, so watch out for enemies charging at your stationary ship.
Once you defeat the enemy ship, it's time to board and you'll automatically engage in hand-to-hand combat with your crew against the other ship's captain and mates. It's a fun end to fights, especially in the second Pirates Coliseum mode, Tournament of Captains, where your opponents will have increasingly crazier themes — I've played against bike pirates, for example, who didn't just dress up as extras in Grease or The Outsiders , but after boarding, they rode across their deck on motorcycles.
Pirates Coliseum's third mode, Madlantis Mania, was a series of deck battles against enemy crews and a little less exciting than the others. But the fourth mode, Swashbuckler Showdown, was a fun hand-to-hand melee on an island arena that pits you and your crew against dozens of enemies — a bit like Dynasty Warriors brawling in mob bosses with some champions sprinkled throughout. Here I fought long enough to fill up the Sea Dog-style madness meter and call upon one of the four dark gods of the sea (shark, parrot, monkey, or jellyfish) to take down my enemies a lot.
On the other hand, your crew is drawn from a delightfully wide assortment of oddballs you'll collect as you play through the game, some with different abilities suitable for controlling the cannons, being team leaders or making your first mate. From cooks to brothel ladies, accountants to gangsters, you'll fill your team with a who's who of who's who. During one fight, my preset crew took to the deck of the enemy ship with me, including one dude wearing a ram's head over his business suit while another fought in his underwear.
Gangster, pirate, what's the difference?
Unfortunately, we weren't shown much of the story, although we do know that the amnesiac Majima at the start of the game will enjoy his freedom and affection for the friends he meets. This gets complicated though, as his memories flash back to the crime boss he was at the end of the last game, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
This preview was more about exposing us to the yakuza pirate vibes that await players — and the vibes are just shy of being too funny. The Yakuza series balances melodrama and crazy hijinks in ways that are kind of complementary, and amping up the crazier aspects in Pirate Yakuza of Hawaii works for Mad Dog Majima. It pushes the envelope for what players can take seriously, but with plenty of familiar features returning from the main games to ground it.
One of those recurring perks is the beloved Dragon Kart, which we got to play in the review. While I didn't master RGG's take on the basic go-kart racing minigame, it was pretty fun to cram Majima into a mini-vehicle and blast around the turns, and there's even a Battle Royale-like duel mode (which sounds much like Mario Kart's battle mode). Of course, no Yakuza game would be complete without karaoke, which you can sing on your ship.
But it's the fun new pirate-themed touches that caught my attention, from decorating all 10 of Majima's fingers with various exotic rings (to boost stats and abilities) to the cooking mini-game so I can whip up a boisterous feast for my crew to raise their morale and strength. I can navigate the waters between the game's four main land areas to battle marauding ships and find secret treasure on the shores of remote islands.
The game's themes of freedom from rules and supporting your crew nicely echo the same dynamic in many other Yakuza games, making the downright stupidity more charming than alienating. With fast-paced combat on land and at sea, Yakuza Pirates of Hawaii is shaping up to be a fun outing that expands the world of the series without straying from its central message of staying true to your chosen family (through violence).
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