Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Last updated
Like a Dragon:
Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Cover Art.jpg
Developer(s) Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher(s) Sega
Producer(s) Ryosuke Horii [1]
Series Like a Dragon
Platform(s)
ReleaseFebruary 21, 2025
Genre(s) Action-adventure, beat 'em up, hack and slash
Mode(s) Single-player

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii [lower-alpha 1] is an upcoming action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. Taking place after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024), Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii focuses on the series' recurring protagonist, Goro Majima, who, after being stranded on an island and losing his memories, now leads his own pirate crew to discover a hidden treasure. [2]

Contents

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is set to release for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 21, 2025.

Gameplay

In Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, players control Goro Majima as they explore four different locales: Rich Island, a remote island in close proximity to Hawaii; Madlantis, a secret island frequented by criminals and pirates; Nele Island, the base of the Palekana religious group; and Honolulu, the main setting of Infinite Wealth. [2]

Similar to older Like a Dragon titles, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii utilizes a beat 'em up combat system. Majima has access to two fighting styles: Mad Dog, which is Majima's signature speed-focused style; and Sea Dog, which allows Majima to wield dual cutlasses and pistols, as well as other pirate tools. A new addition to the combat system is the ability to jump and perform mid-air combos. [2]

Outside of regular combat, players can also assemble a pirate crew and upgrade their own ship, the Goromaru, which they can use to explore the open sea and engage in combat with other pirate ships. Ship combat takes place in real-time, and players can also board enemy ships to battle their crew and defeat their captain. [2]

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii features the return of several minigames from previous Like a Dragon titles, such as Karaoke, Crazy Delivery, and Dragon Kart. In addition, a new side activity, Masaru's Love Journey, focuses on Majima recruiting "Minato Ward girls" to hang out with one of the game's characters, Masaru Fujita. [3]

Premise

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes place six months after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth , and features ex-Tojo Clan yakuza Goro Majima (Hidenari Ugaki) as the sole playable character. Through unknown circumstances, Majima has been stranded on Rich Island, with no memories of his past life. Having been saved by a boy named Noah Rich (First Summer Uika), Majima finds himself embroiled in a new conflict, involving both local Hawaiian pirates and ex-yakuza members from Japan. He becomes the captain of a new pirate crew, and sets out in search of a hidden treasure, as well as to recover his memories. [2]

In addition to Noah, Majima is joined by a new cast of characters, including: Jason Rich (Kenji Matsuda), Noah's father and a former treasure hunter who owns a bar on Rich Island; Masaru Fujita (Ryuji Akiyama), a skilled chef who joins Majima's crew; Teruhiko Shigaki (Munetaka Aoki), the former patriarch of the Tojo Clan's Shigaki Family who volunteered to clean up the pollution on Nele Island; Rodriguez (Ayumi Tanida), a disciple of the Palekana religious group; Mortimer (Shunsuke Daito), a charismatic pirate who leads the Mortimer Armada; [2] and Raymond Law (Samoa Joe) and Queen Michele, the rulers of Madlantis. [4] Also returning from previous Like a Dragon titles is Taiga Saejima (Rikiya Koyama), Majima's sworn brother and fellow ex-yakuza. [4]

Development and promotion

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 (2023). 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. Yokoyama thought about writing a story depicting Goro Majima as a follow-up to Infinite Wealth, and chose the pirate angle as a way to do things differently than how the team usually did. [3]

Development started shortly before the release of Infinite Wealth, and was first hinted at by Yokoyama in December 2023. [5] Yokoyama estimated the main story to be 1.3-1.4 times larger than that of Gaiden, while the adventure section is much bigger due to the addition of new locations. Hawaii was chosen as a primary location as the team did not want to stop using the setting after just one game. [3]

In May 2024, RGG Studio hosted a "Minato Girls" audition, similar to past games' audition contests, where the winner(s) would be chosen to appear in the then-unannounced new Like a Dragon game, in addition to performing promotional activities. The final five winners were announced on July 19, 2024. [6] During the same month, the studio confirmed that they would reveal their new game at Tokyo Game Show 2024. [7]

In September 2024, RGG Studio hosted their RGG Summit 2024 livestream event, where they revealed Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for the first time, and also introduced the game's voice cast, in addition to talking about the combat system and new activities. [8] In October 2024, the studio released a second trailer detailing the naval combat system, while also confirming a new release date of February 21, 2025, moved up a week from its original date. [4]

Release

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is set to release worldwide for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 21, 2025. [4]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku 8 Gaiden: Pirates in Hawaii (Japanese: 龍が如く８外伝 Pirates in Hawaii, lit. "Like a Dragon 8 Side Story: Pirates in Hawaii")

Related Research Articles

<i>Yakuza 2</i> 2006 video game

Yakuza 2 is a 2006 action-adventure game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2. The second installment of the Yakuza series and the sequel to Yakuza, it was released on December 7, 2006, in Japan and in September 2008 in North America and Europe. The game focuses on the former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu who receives a request for help from his former group, the Tojo Clan yakuza of eastern Japan, to stabilize relationships with the Omi Alliance group of western Japan. Across Kiryu's journey, he learns of a Korean mafia group linked with both the Omi and his own past, and becomes the rival of the Omi's "Dragon of Kansai", Ryuji Goda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazuma Kiryu</span> Fictional character in the Yakuza video game series

Kazuma Kiryu is a fictional character and the initial main protagonist of Sega's action-adventure beat 'em up Japanese role-playing game series Yakuza / Like a Dragon. He is popularly known as "the Dragon of Dojima" due to the tattoo of a dragon on his back and him originally being a fearsome member of the yakuza group known as the Dojima Family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan. He was introduced in the series' 2005 debut game, where he took the blame for his boss's death to protect his sworn-brother Akira Nishikiyama, resulting in his expulsion from the clan and a ten-year stay in prison. After leaving prison, he fights against the new threats in his life, during which he meets Haruka Sawamura, to whom he eventually becomes an adoptive father. He is voiced by Takaya Kuroda in Japanese and by Darryl Kurylo and Yong Yea (2023-present) in the series’ English-dubbed releases. Besides the main series, Kiryu has also appeared in two “Like a Dragon” live-action films, as well as other video games including Project X Zone 2 and as downloadable content in the spin-off game, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise.

<i>Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan!</i> 2008 video game

Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. It is a jidaigeki-themed spin-off game in the Like a Dragon series. It was unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show 2007 and released exclusively in Japan on March 6, 2008.

<i>Yakuza 3</i> 2009 video game by Sega

Yakuza 3 is a 2009 action-adventure game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The third main entry in the Like a Dragon series, it was released in Japan and South East Asia on February 26, 2009, and in North America and Europe on March 9, 2010, and March 12, 2010. A remaster containing all cut content was released in Japan on August 9, 2018, and worldwide on August 20, 2019, for the PlayStation 4, and on January 28, 2021, for Windows and Xbox One. A sequel, Yakuza 4, was released on March 18, 2010, in Japan.

<i>Like a Dragon</i> (film) 2007 film by Takashi Miike

Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is a 2007 Japanese crime film directed by Takashi Miike, based on the 2005 PlayStation 2 video game Yakuza. The film stars Kazuki Kitamura, Goro Kishitani, Show Aikawa, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Kenichi Endō and Tomorowo Taguchi.

<i>Yakuza 4</i> 2010 video game

Yakuza 4 is a 2010 action-adventure game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. It is the fourth main entry in the Yakuza series. The game was formally announced on July 24, 2009. A promotional video was presented at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show. The sequel to Yakuza 3, it was released on March 18, 2010 in Japan, after a playable demo was released on the Japanese PlayStation Store on March 5. Yakuza 4 was released in Europe and North America in March 2011. A sequel, Yakuza 5, was released in 2012.

Goro Majima is a major recurring character in Sega's Like a Dragon video game series, previously known as Yakuza outside of Japan. He is the main protagonist of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and one of the main playable protagonists of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza: Dead Souls, as well as the Majima Saga of Yakuza Kiwami 2. Introduced as a member of the Tojo Clan and patriarch of its subsidiary group, the Majima Family as well as second-in-command of the Shimano Family, nicknamed "Mad Dog of Shimano", he develops a sadomasochistic obsession with the protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. He continually seeks to fight him, seeing him as the perfect rival, but eventually bonds with him across the franchise and becomes an important ally of his. He is also the sworn brother of Taiga Saejima who is one of the protagonists of Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5. Majima's character is explored in more detail during the prequel Yakuza 0, in which he is a 24-year-old former Yakuza and a playable protagonist along with Kiryu. In this game, Majima has a much more calm and serious demeanor that develops into his standard sadomasochistic one during a war between a number of families in a fight for a patch of land known as the Empty Lot. Majima also appears in the spin-off Dead Souls as well as the crossover Project X Zone 2.

<i>Yakuza</i> (franchise) Video game series

Like a Dragon, formerly known outside of Japan as Yakuza, is a video game franchise created, owned and published by Sega. It incorporates elements of the action-adventure, beat 'em up, and role-playing genres.

<i>Yakuza: Dead Souls</i> 2011 video game by Sega

Yakuza: Dead Souls is an action-adventure survival horror video game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. The game was originally scheduled for release in Japan on March 17, 2011 two days after the release of Yakuza 4 in North America; however, after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the release was indefinitely delayed. A new release date, setting the game's release for June 9, was announced on April 7. The game was also released in North America and Europe by Sega in March 2012. The gameplay and themes are based on another Sega horror-themed rail gun called The House of the Dead series.

<i>Yakuza 5</i> 2012 video game

Yakuza 5 is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is the fifth main entry in the Yakuza series. The game was released in December 2012 in Japan, and localized for North America, Europe and Australia as a PlayStation Network download in December 2015. A remaster with improved resolution and frame rate was released for the PlayStation 4 on June 20, 2019 in Japan, and worldwide on February 11, 2020 as part of The Yakuza Remastered Collection. Versions for Windows and Xbox One were released in January 2021.

<i>Yakuza: Like a Dragon</i> 2020 video game by Sega

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a role-playing video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. The eighth mainline title in the Yakuza series and the first to be developed as a turn-based RPG, it was released in Japan and Asia for PlayStation 4 on January 16, 2020. The western release of the game for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020 included new costumes, the English audio track and some previously paid DLC. This version was then released in Japan and Asia under the subtitle International on February 25, 2021 for Windows and Xbox platforms. The game was released worldwide for PlayStation 5 on March 2, 2021, and a version for Amazon Luna launched on December 10, 2021.

RGG may refer to:

<i>Yakuza 0</i> 2015 video game

Yakuza 0 is a 2015 action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is the sixth main entry in the Yakuza series and a prequel to the original game. It was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in Japan in March 2015, and in North America and Europe for PlayStation 4 in January 2017. It was released on Windows on 1 August 2018 and on Xbox One on 26 February 2020. A free accompanying game application for PlayStation Vita, titled Yakuza 0: Free to Play Application for PlayStation Vita, was released in Japan in February 2015.

<i>Yakuza Kiwami</i> 2016 action-adventure video game

Yakuza Kiwami is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a remake of Yakuza, the first game in the Yakuza series, originally released on Sony's PlayStation 2. Yakuza Kiwami was released on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in Japan on January 21, 2016, and on PlayStation 4 in Europe and North America on August 29, 2017. It was also ported to Windows via Steam worldwide on February 19, 2019, to Xbox One on April 21, 2020, to Amazon Luna on December 22, 2022, and to Nintendo Switch on October 24, 2024.

<i>Yakuza Kiwami 2</i> 2017 video game

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a remake of the 2006 video game Yakuza 2 for the PlayStation 2, and is the second remake in Yakuza series following 2016's Yakuza Kiwami. It was developed using the Dragon game engine from Yakuza 6. The game was released for PlayStation 4 on December 7, 2017 in Japan, and worldwide on August 28, 2018. It was released for Windows worldwide on Steam on May 9, 2019 and released for Xbox One on July 30, 2020. A version for cloud-based platform Amazon Luna was released on January 19, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio</span> Japanese video game developer

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is a video game developer housed within the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 1 division. It is known for developing the games in the Like a Dragon series, which the studio is named after, since Yakuza 5.

Ichiban Kasuga, also nicknamed Ichi (一), is a character from Sega's Ryu ga Gotoku media franchise, formerly known internationally as Yakuza. Ichiban is first introduced in the 2018 mobile game Ryu ga Gotoku ONLINE, a freemium collectible card game spin-off which is exclusively released in Japan. Ichiban is the lead character in the 2020 video game Yakuza: Like A Dragon, the first main series Yakuza title which does not feature recurring series lead Kazuma Kiryu as a playable character. Ichiban is voiced by Kazuhiro Nakaya in Japanese, and by Kaiji Tang in English.

<i>Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name</i> 2023 video game

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a 2023 action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. Taking place during the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020), Like a Dragon Gaiden focuses on the series' original protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, as he embarks on a new adventure in Osaka under the guise of a secret agent.

<i>Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth</i> 2024 video game

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a 2024 role-playing video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. The game is the ninth mainline entry of the Like a Dragon series, serving as a direct sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020) and a spin-off of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023).

References

  1. ↑ Robinson, Andy (September 20, 2024). "Sega unveils new Like A Dragon game, 'Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii'". Video Games Chronicle . Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Romano, Sal (September 20, 2024). "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 齋藤, モゲ (September 26, 2024). "『龍が如く8外伝 パイレーツ イン ハワイ』横山昌義氏インタビュー。海賊船を使った特別な遊びも!? 過去作にはなかった演出も盛り込んだ挑戦作". Famitsu (in Japanese). Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Dinsdale, Ryan (October 17, 2024). "Xbox Partner Preview | New Details on How Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Takes Ex-Yakuza Majima to the High Seas". Xbox Wire . Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ Bevan, Rhiannon (December 30, 2023). "Like A Dragon Lead Hints At 'Big Announcement' In 2024". The Gamer. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  6. ↑ Zalamea, Nigel (July 19, 2024). "Gorgeously famous Japanese cosplayer and actress to appear in the next Like a Dragon game". ONE Esports. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  7. ↑ Middler, Jordan (July 17, 2024). "The next Ryu Ga Gotoku game will be revealed at TGS 2024". Video Games Chronicle . Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  8. ↑ Dinsdale, Ryan (September 20, 2024). "Majima-Focused Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Announced at RGG Summit as Next Yakuza Game". IGN . Retrieved September 20, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.