Sega says Pirate Yakuza ‘is canon’ despite being very weird
What started out as a beat ’em up street gangster drama 20 years ago with the original Yakuza turned into something delightfully, fantastically funny with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. In a new look at Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s next installment, we see that every shred of realism has been jettisoned; Pirate protagonist Goro Majima can engage in massive naval warfare with laser guns, summon a giant ghostly macaw with a magical saxophone, and visit the mystical island of Madlantis.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii It looks like it could put Ubisoft’s favorite pirate games to shame with its ship combat. Captain Majima can take part in fierce boat battles, equipping his vessel with energy cannons, poison-spewing missile launchers and ice-elemental cannons that freeze enemy ships. Majima can assemble a crew of oddballs to staff his vessel, including former yakuza, hostesses, robots, ninjas, and sheep farmers. On land, things can get even stranger, as Majima’s powers include the ability to summon ghostly doppelgängers to fight for him. Or he can summon jellyfish, sharks and the great ape to do his bidding.
While previous games like A Dragon and Yakuza had relatively justified fight, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has no such claims. Majima is now essentially Dante from the Devil May Cry series and can launch his opponents into the air while juggling them with mid-air punches, kicks and flintlock pistol shots.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios is essentially doing what it does best: borrowing ideas and game mechanics from other game genres and implementing them into the new Like A Dragon. If last year Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Taking inspiration from Animal Crossing, Dragon Quest and Crazy Taxi, this year’s spin-off will cleverly move from Assassin’s Creed 4: Black FlagDevil May Cry and all the RPGs where you wake up on a beach with amnesia. Sega seems to be aware of how weird things have become; at the end of the video, a voiceover notes: “Yes, this game is canon, and you will need a lot of them.”
If for some reason you thought so Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will be a boring, fast-paced sequel to Sega’s long-running franchise, take 13 minutes to watch Thursday’s Like A Dragon Direct. It’s filled with gameplay details that make Like A Dragon another must-have title this year.
There’s also good news for Like A Dragon fans: unlike previous games, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii does not block a new game plus paid access. Sega has confirmed that this feature will be added to the game for free in a post-release update.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will be released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X on February 21.