Today Sega hosted its traditional pre-Tokyo Game Show RGG Summit, sharing news about the Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) franchise.
The livestreamed show started with the reveal of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, an action-adventure game releasing on February 28, 2025, for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
This time around, the game focuses on Goro Majima, who has lost his memory and found himself on Rich Island, not far from Hawaii.
He finds himself involved in a strange pirate adventure between treasure hunts and dangerous criminal organizations.
Incidentally, the Japanese title is Ryu Ga Gotoku 8 Gaiden: Pirates in Hawaii, which basically places this game in a similar fashion as Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
Considering how beloved Goro Majima is by the fans of the franchise, it’s not surprising that he’s finally getting his own game.
The gameplay was also showcased, and since this is an action-adventure game, there are no turns this time around, and combat feels much closer to the roots of the franchise. Incidentally, it’s possible to jump in combat for the first time in the series.
Majima has two combat styles, his original Mad Dog Style and the new Sea Dog Style.
The Sea Dog Style involves two cutlasses and has sidearms, including guns, a chain to close the distance with enemies, and more.
One thing is for sure, the developers promised that the series would continue to be about middle-aged dudes doing what middle-aged dudes do, and becoming pirates is certainly an interesting way to fit that scenario.
Incidentally, the demo will be playable at Tokyo Game Show. Producer Masayoshi Yokoyama also mentioned that there are “a “lot of things” that the Ryu Ga Gotoku studio has not announced yet, encouraging the fans to look forward to them.
If you’re interested in the series, Fans on Nintendo Switch will soon be able to experience the series for the first time with Yakuza Kiwami, the remake of the original Yakuza game. It’ll come on October 24, 2024.
