Summary
One of the most recognizable features of theLike a Dragon/Yakuzaseries is its willingness to lean into a level of absurdity that most games attempt to avoid. When attempting to pull off something like this, the challenge lies in a game’s ability to justify such absurdity, though it’s not always necessary, as theLike a Dragon/Yakuzaserieshas proven. However, the latest entry in the franchise,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, does its best to justify its wildest story beats, which involve the classic amnesia trope and even pirates in its modern-day setting of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Even before its launch,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiwas fully expected to be just as bizarre as previous entries in the series have been, but it takesLike a Dragon/Yakuza’s signature design to a whole new level of ridiculousness. That being said, its ability to balance cliche narrative tropes with deep character development, traditionalYakuzaelements with pirate lore, and absurd humor with its unique setting make much of that humor understandable.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Wildest Story Beats Make Sense
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Amnesia Trope Leads to Deeper Discovery of Majima’s Character
The amnesia trope is often dismissed as cliche in video games, film, and television due to its predictability and frequent use as a narrative shortcut. However, whether it is effective in the end ultimately depends on how it is executed rather than the trope itself.Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiibegins with an amnesiacGoro Majimawho is now naturally driven to rediscover his identity. While the trope has been used similarly in many other stories, it affects Majima’s character much differently, as he has been portrayed one way throughout theLike a Dragon/Yakuzaseries but is given the opportunity to be someone entirely different inLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s amnesia tropeisn’t just an excuse or a shortcut — it’s a prime opportunity for players to see a character they have become more than familiar with over the years through a completely different lens. This ultimately leads the game’s story to a deeper discovery of Majima’s character than previous entries in the series have been capable of due to his history. Since Majima has forgotten his past,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiican essentially explore elements of his character that his past might have tried to keep under wraps.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Blends Traditional Yakuza Elements With Pirate Lore
The most significant change made to the series inLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiis the introduction of pirates, to the point that Majima himself even becomes one. This is a bit absurd, to say the least, but the game ensures it works by blending traditionalYakuzaelements with pirate lore. In combat,Majima’s Mad Dog styleis preserved, but the Sea Dog style is added to reflect his new persona. Additionally,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuzasees the return of several traditional mini-games, including Karaoke, Crazy Delivery, and Dragon Kart.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s amnesia trope isn’t just an excuse or a shortcut — it’s a prime opportunity for players to see a character they have become more than familiar with over the years through a completely different lens.
On top of these traditional elements are several new features to emphasizeLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s new pirate setting, with itsnaval combat and explorationaboard the Goromaru being a highlight. In addition to combat and exploration on the high seas, players can recruit new crew members for the Goromaru and evenhunt for treasureon uncharted islands across the map.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Pirate Setting Justifies Its Absurd Humor
While theLike a Dragon/Yakuzaseries has long been dramatically humorous,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s pirate settingultimately justifies its own humor, thanks to common pirate tropes. The game fully embraces classic pirate cliches, exaggerating them in ways that enhance its comedic experience, like over-the-top ship battles, treasure hunts with humorous twists, and flamboyant pirate adversaries and friends. This allowsLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiito be as absurd as possible, since the context ultimately justifies creative liberties such as these.
By fully committing to its pirate theme while maintaining the core identity of theLike a Dragon/Yakuzaseries,Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiifinds a way to justify its most bizarre elements. The game leans into classic pirate tropes in the same way pastLike a Dragon/Yakuzagamesembraced yakuza melodrama, using exaggerated humor and over-the-top scenarios to enhance its story. More importantly, it uses its somewhat cliche premise as a means for deeper character exploration of Goro Majima.
