Summary
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii introduces naval travel and pirate themes, distinguishing it from Infinite Wealth.
- Infinite Wealth focuses on urban exploration with detailed districts, while Pirate Yakuza balances land and sea exploration.
- Pirate Yakuza offers new side activities like treasure hunting and drunken dueling, with substories focused on emotional character development.
The Like a Dragon franchise is known for its immersive open-world settings, offering players some of the most vibrant urban landscapes gaming has ever seen, where they can engage with diverse NPCs and participate in exciting and hilarious side activities. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth sent players to an expansive version of Honolulu City, and its spin-off successor, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, takes them back to that location for another round of fun. However, despite largely taking place in the same location, both Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii offer players distinct experiences.
Both Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii may share the sun-soaked setting of Hawaii, but they differ in their approach to open-world design. While Infinite Wealth thrives on the urban environments that resemble a more classic Like a Dragon/Yakuza world, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii splits the difference by taking place on both land and the sea for an innovative approach to its predecessor's open world.
Majima’s Amnesia in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Is the Series’ Boldest Story Choice Yet
Amnesia tropes are frequently cliched, but it ultimately works in favor of Majima's character development in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
Comparing Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's Open World to Infinite Wealth
How Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's Setting and Exploration Compare to Infinite Wealth
The most obvious line of comparison that can be drawn between Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is each game's setting and its exploration. Infinite Wealth, primarily set in Honolulu, features a massive open world that is three times larger than Yakuza: Like a Dragon's Yokohama, complete with detailed districts — including Aloha Beach, the Anaconda Shopping Center, Waikiki Town, Chinatown, Little Japan, and District 5. As players navigate Infinite Wealth's Honolulu, they can interact with dozens of NPCs, uncover hidden alleyways, and explore restaurant and shop interiors to their heart's content.
Since Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is not only a Like a Dragon spin-off but also a direct spin-off of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, at least part of its story takes place in Honolulu. Whereas Infinite Wealth gives players an expansive city to explore, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes them to the sea aboard the Goromaru, Majima's ship. The Honolulu map in Pirate Yakuza is nearly identical, but players can also now travel to Madlantis, a lawless pirate hub, and explore the sprawling seas if they're looking for a more open-ended approach to exploration.
How Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's Side Activities Compare to Infinite Wealth
Since the settings differ between Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, so too do their side activities. For instance, while both games include traditional Like a Dragon/Yakuza mini-games — like karaoke, arcade games, and gamlbing — Infinite Wealth features activities such as Dondoko Island, a full-fledged island-building sim. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, on the other hand, introduces new pirate-themed content, like treasure hunting and drunken dueling. Additionally, both games allow players to build relationships with NPCs through their Aloha Links system.
Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories are also on a different level in comparison to Infinite Wealth, as most of them involve Majima's new counterpart, a young individual by the name of Noah. As such, these substories hit on a more emotional level than Infinite Wealth's ever did.
While Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii share a setting, their approach to open-world design and the overall player experience sets them apart. Infinite Wealth utilizes the series' traditional urban exploration, offering a sprawling city filled with detailed districts and bustling NPC interactions. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, on the other hand, introduces naval travel and pirate-themed locations, balancing exploration between land and sea. These differences extend to side activities and substories, with Infinite Wealth leaning into large-scale management systems like Dondoko Island, while Pirate Yakuza emphasizes character-driven narratives, particularly through Majima's relationship with Noah.
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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
