Summary
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories enrich Goro Majima's character arc, offering valuable narrative depth.
- Substories provide substantial gameplay benefits like new crew members, while also delving into Majima's relationships and best qualities.
- The deep focus on Majima's bond with Noah in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories makes completion essential for a richer story experience.
Side quests in any game are a tough nut to crack, as the industry has proven. As game worlds become larger, especially, side quests often give in to the temptation of being little more than filler content intended to make a world feel less empty. Unfortunately, this approach generally ends up backfiring, as meaningless side quests only serve to highlight how empty a game's world actually is. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is one such game with plenty of side quests (substories) for players to complete, and thankfully, rather than offering players empty objectives and forgetful narratives in these optional activities, they serve to enrich Goro Majima's character arc — one of the game's strongest characteristics.
There are a wide variety of substories for players to complete in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, most of which reward players with substantial gameplay benefits, like new crew members for the Goromaru or equippable rings. However, the standout feature of these substories is how often they are used as an opportunity to explore and develop Goro Majima's character in ways that the game's main story even tends to avoid. The dual nature of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories ultimately makes every one of them worth completing in the end.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Proves the Series Can Still Innovate
The Like a Dragon series has been more iterative, but Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii introduces some innovations that take it to new heights.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Substories Play a Pivotal Role in Majima's Journey
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Substories Flesh Out Majima's Relationship With Noah
One of the most prominent focuses of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories is the relationship between Majima and Noah. At the heart of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's story is the bond Majima shares with Noah, to the point that their relationship plays a pivotal role in Majima's character arc throughout the game. As such, the fact that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories place such importance on that relationship makes completing them almost necessary for those hoping to witness the full extent of Majima's arc.
The dual nature of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories ultimately makes every one of them worth completing in the end.
For example, one of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's earliest substories, "The Symbol of the City, the Street Surfer," may seem at first glance to be nothing more than an opportunity to provide players with a more efficient method for getting around in Honolulu. However, this substory, in particular, highlights one of the deepest aspects of Noah and Majima's relationship, which portrays Majima as a paternal figure to Noah. During the substory, the two characters roleplay as father and son, with Majima going from being uncomfortable with the whole idea to fully embracing it in the end.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Substories Reveal Majima's Best Qualities
Additionally, as any good side quest should, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories do an excellent job of showing Majima's inherent qualities. As Majima assumes the role of a pirate captain in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, the game's substories play a pivotal role in showing his leadership, loyalty, and sense of adventure. Whether he is recruiting crew members for the Goromaru, fending off other ships in naval battles, or hunting for hidden treasures off the beaten path, Majima's ability to inspire and connect with others is put on full display in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories.
Substories have always been a tradition of the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series, but Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes them a step further by using them as a method for enriching Majima's character arc. Rather than simply being extra content for players to complete, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's substories help reinforce key aspects of Majima's character, including his relationships, his leadership, and his evolving identity. Majima's relationship with Noah, in particular, is deepened during these stories, showing how Majima's past and present interact with one another in ways that the main story doesn't always delve into, making them feel more essential than optional in the grand scheme of things.
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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
