Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – Hands-on Report – PlayStation.Blog

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, scheduled for release on February 28, is an action-adventure game featuring Goro Majima as the sole protagonist for the first time. After losing his memory and being stranded on Rich Island in Hawaii, Majima takes on the role of a pirate and sets out on a grand ocean adventure. Recently, this highly anticipated title was shown at Tokyo Game Show 2024, and I had the chance to play this title with great excitement, and here is my impression of the gameplay experience.

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The life of a pirate

In this hands-on preview, players take control of Majima as he embarks on an adventure in Hawaii, where he participates in battles and activities. At the start of the game, Majima is shown traveling by ship with his crew, including Jason, his son Noah, and Masaru, a chef and bodyguard. Their goal is to reach the imaginary island of Madlantis, but they make a stop in Honolulu to prepare.

Mad Dog and Pirate style

As Majima and Noah stroll along the beach, the combat tutorial begins. Unlike the RPG live-command system of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, this title returns to Majima’s action-packed, brawling roots, last seen in Yakuza Kiwami 2. Players can switch between two combat styles, Mad Dog and Pirate, with the latter involving a transformation into pirate garb.

In the Mad Dog style, Majima primarily uses his fists and a knife for combat. Compared to Kazuma Kiryu, Majima’s movements are noticeably faster, with agile footwork and quick attacks. A notable feature of this style is the ability to jump, allowing Majima to perform aerial combos. Players can enjoy the satisfaction of launching enemies into the air and continuing their attacks in the air. The longer air time makes it easy to perform aerial combos for those unfamiliar with action games.

Additionally, as time passes or when Heat Actions are activated, the Madness Gauge in the upper left corner of the screen fills up, allowing Majima to create clones. Once activated, four shadowy duplicates of Majima will appear and begin attacking nearby enemies. It’s exciting to see Majima in the center, spinning around like a top with his clones and knocking enemies over.

The Pirate style focuses on attacks with pirate-themed weapons, most notably the cutlass, a curved, single-edged sword carried by pirates in the movies. Majima can dual-wield swords to slice enemies and even throw them like boomerangs. The Charge Gun becomes more powerful the longer the button is held down, and there is also the option to use wire hooks. This allows Majima to attack from a distance or quickly close the gap on enemies, providing versatile combat strategies depending on the situation.

In battle, you can seamlessly switch between the two fighting styles at any time. Even players who aren’t so keen on action games can enjoy flashy, dynamic moves by mixing and matching the two styles. The Pirate style in particular, with its use of pirate-themed tools and unique actions, is sure to be addictive. Similar to Kiryu’s gadget-based Agent style from Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Majima’s Pirate style offers a tricky way to fight.

Play around in Honolulu

After completing the battle tutorial, I was able to freely explore and enjoy various activities in Honolulu. I got to try out popular features like Karaoke and Boutique, along with the explosive racing Dragon Kart and the stunt-based delivery game Crazy Delivery. While these activities will be familiar to players, experiencing them as Majima instead of Ichiban Kasuga gave the gameplay a fresh twist.

Gangs Madlantis

After playing for a while, you can talk to Jason and eventually set foot on the island of Madlantis. It is an abandoned place known as a ship graveyard, where mafia and gangs gather. The island exudes an atmosphere of decay and you often get into fights with noisy individuals. In addition, there are gambling places to enjoy games such as poker.

As you gather information from the roughnecks and head to the bar where Keith lives, a fight breaks out. Surrounded by a horde of henchmen, Majima’s fighting skills really shine. The Mad Dog style allows you to confuse enemies with quick, acrobatic moves while wielding your blade. On the other hand, the Pirate style allows you to perform long-range attacks with two swords. The one-on-one fight with Keith offers exciting action as you dodge, defend, and strike at just the right moment.

While the idea of ​​Majima becoming a pirate may seem far-fetched, the gameplay proves to be a solid action-adventure experience. Majima’s signature Mad Dog persona shines through, showing that even with amnesia, he can’t help but enjoy the thrill of battle. There’s a lot to look forward to when Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches on PS5 on February 28.