Some game ideas are so wacky, that even people long used to crazy game pitches will shake their heads in disbelief. Both Reddit and 4chan were utterly disbelieving initially when they heard the latest Like A Dragon game would be pirate-themed, but it was. As for the finished product, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, it is definitely a crazy idea, but the Ryu Ga Gotoko developers made it work in spades.

A bit of background. Ryu Ga Gotoko (Like A Dragon) was formerly called "Yakuza" in Western regions due to its heavy association with yakuza-themed plots. While it moved away from this starting with the seventh game, going by Like A Dragon to match its Japanese rendering, many prominent characters from the earlier titles with yakuza backgrounds still play a role. This latest title stars 60-year-old Goro Majima, who, much like fellow series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu gets his own standalone side-story game (or Gaiden game in Japanese). Set after the game Infinite Wealth, it follows up on its events while also serving as a bridge to the next title, which is still in production at this time of writing.

The story starts with Goro Majima having washed up on a beach in Hawaii. Suffering amnesia, he is rescued by a young boy named Noah Rich. Finding himself near Hawaii and that somehow a neo-retro renaissance in classic piracy has sprung up in modern day, Majima adapts quickly, donning a tricorne hat and getting his own ship, and serves as a captain and grandfatherly figure to Noah, who has always wanted to have adventures in the wider world. Along the way, not only does Majima find his lost memories, but he alongside Noah makes some new ones. At the same time, events from the last game that left some lasting repercussions drag Majima into a tangled web of danger and adventure.

It needs to be said that while this game retains the classic trapping of the series action RPG titles, this game is unique in that it's now got elements of a naval piracy simulator that also plays a prominent role, with both the classic and new gameplay intersecting. The classic action RPG style of the LAD titles prior to the seventh game returns. You will do quests, fight various street thugs and pirates in some of the quest areas, do various substories, and meet all sorts of weird and wacky people you can recruit. The naval piracy simulator shares many of the same mechanics, but introduces sea travel, fighting off various enemy vessels, pitched hand-to-hand battles with enemy crews, and excursions on various islands to retrieve treasure. Both game modes have in common an RPG progression, where Majima, his crew, and his vessel must acquire various upgrades in order to proceed through the story.

It needs to be mentioned that some elements of the story are rather silly even by the standards of a series that has always leaned a bit into wackiness while still having a core serious story. The Golden Age of Pirates element existing in the modern day is a bit silly, and even with the in-game explanation of its neo-retro renaissance, it's still a bit strange for this series. That aside, it's still played for as much seriousness as it played for silliness. While many pirates have the classical pirate costumes and sound like they stole whatever was not nailed down from pirate stories like Treasure Island, they do nod to the modern take on pirates, including their willingness to dip into modern weapon use, engage in activities that are considered serious crimes in international waters, and frequent bloodshed also does result.

As a side story game set between main series entries, this is going to be somewhat shorter in scope than a main series entry, at least in terms of the core story. Regardless, like all Like A Dragon games, it can still provide days' worth of side activities and bonus content to justify its price tag. Thankfully, they backed away from the controversial decision made in the prior Infinite Wealth to gate New Game+ behind a paywall, that is now included as a free game update.

The game has a few major hub areas, like Honolulu (with the same map from the prior Infinite Wealth), a pirate city area called "Madlantis" where many of the pirate-centric aspects of the plot are located, and there are some semi-open-world areas explorable with a pirate ship the player can customize and upgrade. The last one takes place in the seas around Hawaii and its outlying islands.

Majima himself has two play styles in this game, neatly summing up the differences between the classic LAD gameplay and the new features of this title. His classic "Mad Dog" battle style returns, involving the use of a tanto blade and martial arts-style moves. His new 'Sea Dog' style leans heavily in the pirate themes with the use of dual cutlasses, a flintlock pistol, and a grappling hook. Both styles can be used at will, barring a few game areas where only one can be used for plot reasons. The action RPG segments take place in real locations like Honolulu and in the pirate city of Madlantis.

The naval segments take place in the Pacific Ocean and involve sailing a ship around various islands, avoiding sea hazards, fighting off rival pirate vessels, and occasionally disembarking on islands to fight off pirates guarding certain rare treasures. Both sides of the game put a lot of stock into finding treasures. Some simply increase the reputation and wealth needed to unlock upgrades. Some include various rings that can be equipped for various combat bonuses. Some include rare artifacts that allow the player to use a form of summon magic to attack multiple foes.

There are a lot of bright colors given the naval focus and tropical location. Another topic worthy of note is that many non-cutscene and cutscene-specific scenes are nigh entirely of the same quality at times, making for almost seamless gameplay transitions. There are many reused assets from the prior Infinite Wealth, but they still look good and some have even been improved on with minor touchups to details.

Music and sounds crib extensively from the prior title. There are some new naval-themed songs to fit the new gameplay, and amusingly, some nice vocalized stuff like a custom pirate anthem for your crew and even one section early on that is a full-on musical in-universe. That aside, the soundtrack doesn't have as many standout tracks, though some of the classics like "Recieve You" received some tense and exciting remixes. The dubbing for the English is particularly good. Majima is well-played by Matthew Mercer and the pirate king Raymond Law is played by veteran wrestler Samoa Joe. The Japanese dub is just as good if not better, retaining many series veterans.

This game can be played with a keyboard and mouse or any Steam-supported controller. Despite lacking the classic "real X (pirates in this case) play with a controller" screen from older titles, that is still good advice for the best play experience. Keys are remappable, but I found the default controls work just fine and all get in-depth tutorials.