Summary
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii innovates with new features like naval elements and an in-depth look at Goro Majima in modern-day Hawaii.
- The series' meta humor takes center stage, pushing boundaries with direct fourth-wall breaks that integrate into storytelling.
- The game transforms traditional fourth-wall-breaking into an essential narrative device, making players active participants in Majima's version of events.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is without a doubt one of the most bizarre games in the series yet, putting fan-favorite character Goro Majima in the role of a pirate in modern-day Hawaii. Being such a wild spin-off with unconventional ideas, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii innovates in a great number of ways, with new features added to the series' combat and exploration, including naval elements, and an in-depth look at an unexplored side of Goro Majima. The franchise's roots are there, and they are evident, but it's clear that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has taken the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series to uncharted waters.
While Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii does add a lot of new layers to the Like a Dragon/Yakuza formula, it also expands on ideas previously introduced in the franchise. One such expansion involves the series' meta humor, which has proven over time to be a significant part of its comedic appeal. What Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii does, though, is it takes this traditional element of the series and leans into it as much as possible to produce something unique and distinct from every entry before it.
Why Majima Makes the Perfect Pirate in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Goro Majima is the perfect choice for a pirate in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, thanks to his character-defining charisma and combat skills.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Takes the Series' Fourth-Wall Breaking to the Next Level
The Like a Dragon/Yakuza Series Has Been Known to Subtly Break the Fourth Wall
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii isn't the first game in the series to lean into meta humor, as almost every entry before it has subtly broken the fourth wall in one way or another. Throughout its lifespan, the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series has shown itself to be one of the most self-aware video game franchises ever made, with plenty of tongue-in-cheek references to its own absurdity and nods to the real world beyond the game itself.
The Like a Dragon/Yakuza series has frequently featured meta humor in its mini-games, with characters referencing the fact that they are engaging in activities beyond the main story. A great example of this is Kiryu or Ichiban questioning why they're spending so much time at a cabaret club or a go-kart race when there are more pressing matters to attend to. Many of the franchise's substories also include characters who directly refer to gameplay mechanics — like in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, where party members sometimes make comments on RPG mechanics in a way that suggests they are fully aware of the genre's most common tropes.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Breaks the Fourth Wall in the Most Direct Way Possible
While the series has been known to make subtle nods to the real world, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii breaks the fourth wall in the most direct way possible by featuring Majima as an unreliable narrator outside the game's story. Instead of just using small jokes that break the fourth wall, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii seamlessly integrates it into the game's storytelling. From the beginning of the game, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's story is framed as a recounting of past events by Majima himself, who even exaggerates certain details to make things more dramatic.
The Like a Dragon/Yakuza series has frequently featured meta humor in its mini-games, with characters referencing the fact that they are engaging in activities beyond the main story.
Frequently throughout Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's narrative, Majima will yell "Cut!" As a film director might, after which he gets a well-deserved intermission in which he even encourages the player to take a bathroom break while they can. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's gameplay can even evolve according to Majima's comments, with instances where enemies might become more over-the-top in the middle of a battle because Majima decides to make them more formidable in his version of events. This is a first for the series, as it transforms the traditional fourth-wall-breaking from a comedic bit into an integral part of the narrative.
While past games in the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series have dabbled in meta humor, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes that concept to uncharted waters by transforming it into an essential storytelling device, making the player an active participant in Majima's version of events. It's an approach that not only reinforces the game's identity as a wild spin-off but also shows just how far the series may be willing to go in future entries when it comes to pushing the boundaries of its own conventions.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- February 21, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
