At the recent RGG Summit, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio revealed its nextLike a Dragonentry,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Not only is it coming just a year afterLike a Dragon 8: Infinite Wealth, it also stars fan favorite character Goro Majima as a playable character for the first time sinceYakuza Kiwami 2, and as the sole protagonist of his own game for the first time ever. Combined with a pirate premise and the introduction of limited aerial combat, it’s no wonder why so many are looking forward toPirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
Majima’s story picks up six months after the events ofLike a Dragon 8, and shows him waking up amnesiac in Hawaii. The ex-Yakuza quickly takes up the seafaring lifestyle on a quest to regain his memories, and probably score some treasure while he’s at it. Featuring the return ofYakuza’s classic real-time combat fromLike a Dragon Gaidenand a newship combat system reminiscent of games likeAssassin’s Creed 4, this title has cast a wide net to draw players in. However, the most exciting part ofPirate Yakuza in Hawaiiisn’t necessarily what’s in the game, but what it represents forLaD’s future.
The title ofLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiis different in Japanese than it is in English, instead being rendered asLike a Dragon 8 Gaiden: Pirates In Hawaii. It’s not unusual to see titles in theYakuza/Like a Dragon/Ryu ga Gotokuseries shift between regions, but this Japanese title actually reveals a couple new details. Firstly,Pirates In Hawaiiis linked toLike a Dragon 8as its spin-off. Second, and more meaningful, is that it has joinedLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Nameas anotherGaidengame, marking the birth of a newLike a Dragonsubseries.
While theLaDfranchise is no stranger to multi-game spin-off series,Gaidenhas one major advantage over thesamurai-era games and portableBlack Panthertitles. UntilPirate Yakuza in Hawaiior a future installment proves otherwise, theGaidengames are just as canon as their numberedLike a Dragoncounterparts. These titles explore the exploits of major characters in theLike a Dragonuniverse besides Ichiban Kasuga,LaD 7and onwards’ new protagonist, and revert from his turn-based combat to classic action-RPGYakuzafisticuffs. It looks like theGaidensubseries is here to stay, and it thankfully has lots of ground left to cover.
Like a Dragon Gaiden Will Likely Keep Highlighting Yakuza Protagonists
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Namefeatured Kazuma Kiryu, whilePirate Yakuza in Hawaiiwill star Goro Majima. Both are pastYakuzaprotagonists who are more than deserving ofGaidengames during Kasuga’s era, but they are far from the only ones. TheGaidenseries could comfortably slot in besideJudgmentas schedule filler during numberedLaD’s off years, and continue expanding its repertoire ofolderYakuzaplayer characters and major figures. Enough candidates are around forGaidento stick around for a long time, and it has plenty of options for its next protagonist.
While Ichiban’s party members should be ruled out until a precedent is set there, several playable allies beside Majima could take solo roles. They include Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima, Masayoshi Tanimura, Tatsuo Shinada, and possibly even Haruka herself if aGaidengame focused onLike a Dragon’s many mini-games. Important non-playable characters also dot the series, and potentialGaidencandidates among them include Daigo Dojima, Makoto Date, and perhaps even Ryuji Goda. Whoever the nextYakuza Gaidenchooses to follow,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiihas paved the way for many like-minded sequels to come.
