Goro Majima has finally lost it. Well, more than usual. If you’ve been following the RGG Studio trajectory, you knew things were going to get weird after Infinite Wealth, but I don't think anyone had "amnesiac 18th-century style pirate king" on their 2025 bingo card. Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the spin-off nobody asked for but everyone realized they desperately needed the second that trailer dropped. It’s a wild pivot. It’s colorful. Honestly, it’s the most "Majima" thing to ever happen to the franchise.
The game isn't just a skin swap of previous titles. It's a full-blown standalone adventure where the Mad Dog of Shimano wakes up on Rich Island with zero memory of how he got there or why he’s wearing a tricorn hat. He's Goro Majima, though. He doesn't just sit around and mope about his lost identity. He builds a crew, steals a ship, and starts a naval war in the Pacific.
The Amnesia Trope Done Right
Most games use amnesia as a lazy way to explain tutorials. Here? It feels like a genuine excuse to let Majima be a blank slate without the baggage of the Tojo Clan or his complicated history with Kiryu. You start on Rich Island, a tiny speck in the ocean near Hawaii. Majima is rescued by a young boy named Noah and a baby tiger. Yes, a tiger.
The story moves fast. You aren't grinding through hours of dialogue before getting to the meat of the gameplay. Within the first few hours, Majima is already rebranding himself as Captain Majima. It’s a shift from the turn-based combat of Ichiban’s games back to the high-octane real-time action we saw in The Man Who Erased His Name.
Why Real-Time Combat Matters Here
A lot of fans were worried that the series was moving permanently toward turn-based RPG mechanics. While that works for Ichiban Kasuga’s "Dragon Quest" delusions, it wouldn't fit Majima. He’s too chaotic. He needs to move. In Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, the combat feels snappier than ever. You have two primary styles: "Mad Dog" and "Sea Dog."
Mad Dog is what you remember—fast, bloody, and full of those iconic knife strikes. But Sea Dog is the real star. It lets Majima utilize pirate tools. We’re talking cutlasses, flintlock pistols, and even wire hooks to zip around the battlefield. It’s basically Devil May Cry meets Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, but with a guy who probably smells like stale cigarettes and expensive cologne.
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The fluidity is a huge step up. You can jump now. Like, actually jump. It sounds like a small thing, but for a Yakuza game, being able to take the fight into the air changes the entire dynamic of street brawls. You’re bouncing off walls and slamming into pirates with a level of verticality the series has traditionally ignored.
Navigating the Dangerous Waters of Madlantis
Forget Kamurocho for a second. The main hub here is a place called Madlantis. It’s a massive graveyard of ships turned into a neon-lit den of iniquity. It’s hidden inside a giant secret cave system and serves as the epicenter for the pirate underworld. This is where you’ll spend your time upgrading the "Goromaru," your flagship.
Ship combat is a massive pillar of the experience. It isn't just a mini-game you play once and forget. You have to manage your crew, which, in classic RGG fashion, is filled with weirdos you recruit from side quests. You’ll be firing cannons, boarding enemy vessels, and engaging in massive deck brawls.
- You customize the hull, the sails, and the weaponry.
- Crew members have specific stats that affect how the ship performs in a storm.
- Boarding actions transition seamlessly from naval firing to hand-to-hand combat.
It’s surprisingly deep. I half-expected the ship stuff to be a shallow gimmick, but it’s a core loop that feels rewarding. Finding a rare piece of timber to reinforce your bow feels just as important as leveling up Majima’s health bar.
Exploring the Hawaii Connection
Why Hawaii? Again? Some players felt that Infinite Wealth squeezed every drop out of Honolulu, but Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii uses the setting differently. We aren't just walking the streets of Waikiki. We’re exploring the outskirts, the forgotten islands, and the lawless stretches of sea that the tourists never see.
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The game leans heavily into the "treasure hunter" vibe. You aren't just looking for clues to Majima's past; you're looking for literal buried gold. The environmental puzzles are more involved than the usual "find the hidden locker key" hunt. You have to use Majima’s new mobility to reach high ledges and hidden caves.
The Tone Shift
There’s a specific kind of humor here. It’s darker but also more whimsical. One minute you’re dealing with the trauma of Majima’s fractured mind, and the next you’re teaching a group of bumbling pirates how to properly "Arrr" to intimidate their enemies. RGG Studio has mastered this tonal whiplash. It’s their signature.
Many people assume this is a small DLC-sized project. It's not. The map size and the sheer amount of side content—including the inevitable Dragon Kart or something equally ridiculous—suggest a 40+ hour experience if you’re a completionist. The "Minigame Island" alone can suck up a whole weekend if you aren't careful.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Timeline
There’s a bit of confusion regarding when this takes place. It’s set after the events of Infinite Wealth. If you finished that game, you know the Yakuza world is in a state of total collapse. The "Second Great Dissolution" has left thousands of former gangsters without a home or a purpose.
This game actually addresses that. A lot of the pirates you encounter are ex-Yakuza who didn't know where else to go. They’ve traded their suits for eyepatches. It’s a meta-commentary on the state of the franchise. What do you do when the world you built disappears? You reinvent yourself. Majima is the perfect vessel for this theme because he’s spent his entire life reinventing himself to survive.
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Tactical Advice for New Captains
If you’re planning to dive into these shark-infested waters, don't just rush the main story. You’ll get wrecked. The difficulty spikes in the naval battles can be brutal if you haven't invested in your ship.
- Prioritize the Grappling Hook: In land combat, the hook isn't just for movement. It’s a crowd-control godsend. Use it to pull annoying gun-toting enemies toward you before they can chip away at your health.
- Talk to Everyone on Rich Island: The best crew members aren't found in the main quest. They’re the NPCs with the weird problems. Help the guy who lost his pants; he might end up being your best master-at-arms.
- Experiment with Sea Dog combos: The flintlock isn't just for range. You can weave shots into your melee strings to keep combos alive when enemies try to back away.
Final Thoughts on the High Seas
Honestly, Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii feels like the developers just having fun. After the heavy, emotional weight of Kiryu’s potential final chapter in the previous game, this is a much-needed palate cleanser. It’s loud, it’s violent, and it’s deeply weird.
It also proves that Goro Majima is more than a sidekick or a boss fight. He can carry a whole game on his scarred shoulders. Whether he’s wearing a tuxedo or a pirate coat, he’s still the most compelling character in the series.
Next Steps for Players:
- Check your save data: Having Infinite Wealth or Gaiden saves usually nets you some neat early-game bonuses or costumes.
- Focus your early currency on "Goromaru" cannon upgrades rather than personal gear; you can’t win a sword fight if your ship sinks before you reach the enemy.
- Keep an eye out for the "Akiyama" rumors—fans are speculating about a cameo, and the sea is a big place to hide a legendary leg-fighter.