Tokyo Game Show 2024 - Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Hands-on

You can find all of my Tokyo Game Show 2024 coverage here

We knew it was coming. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio had already confirmed that it would be announcing the next Like a Dragon in time for Tokyo Game Show, and the RGG Summit, streamed just a few days before TGS, seemed like the logical time to do it. It was reasonable to expect that this would be a Gaiden-like spin-off, as delivering a full Yakuza experience so soon after Infinite Wealth would surely be an impossible task, event for a studio as prolific as RGG.

We knew it was coming, but we didn't know it would be this.

In Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Goro Majima, the Mad Dog, has amnesia, and has decided to become a pirate captain. He's got a ship and everything - he brought his own eye patch. Having washed ashore in Hawaii, Majima makes friends with some kind souls who take him in, protects them from some ruffians, gets a boat and becomes a marine menace. Beyond that, the story is a mystery. We don't know when it's set in relation to Infinite Wealth, whether any of that crew will appear, or what events led to Majima's memory loss.

Pirate Yakuza took prominent place at Sega's packed TGS booth, and lines were among the longest I saw all day. The demo was also available at PlayStation, with a more civilized ticketed waiting system. So I gave up on getting a cheap Yakuza bag, a freebie for playing the demo at Sega, and opted to play at the far quieter Sony booth.

The 12-minute demo opened with Majima and his crew docked in Honolulu, the same city that many of us will have recently spent hours exploring in Infinite Wealth. As expected, it took all of ten seconds for Majima to get into a scrap with a bunch of local dickheads. These juiced-up lads explained that they were suffering due to rampant inflation and needed some fiscal relief. Basically, they were out for a mugging. Majima doesn't know anything about the economy, but he does know a thing or two about kicking off, and these dummies served as my punching bags as I got to grips with the combat.

As you've probably already gathered, we're back to the classic real-time scrapping here, and not the turn-based approach of Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth. This better suits Majima's frantic, aggressive and sometimes balletic fighting styles, which is split here between two stances: Mad Dog and Sea Dog styles.

Mad Dog will be familiar to any series fan. In this stance, Majima utilises his blade and an array of fast kicks, spins, and aerial maneuvers. Instead of his iconic leopard-print jacket, he has switched to a Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned of course. Successful hits and combos will cause the Madness Gauge to fill, much like the Heat Gauge. Once it is full, you can unleash Duplication, which enables Majima to summon four ghost-like versions of himself. They're not player-controlled but they are devastating.

Sea Dog is Majima's pirate style, and has him changing into his full captain attire. His dagger is replaced with a cutlass, which he can throw and use like a grappling hook, as well as a pistol. He's not quite as nimble in Sea Dog, but he's still more than fast enough to run rings around the opposition. The Heat Gauge replaces Madness, and we're back to familiar Heat actions. You can immediately and seamlessly switch between both Mad and Sea Dog styles to better suit the situation and your preferred play style. 

The Limited Edition on display at TGS

Having battered the gang of beach shits, I summoned my Segway and spent the next five minutes exploring Honolulu. From what I saw, it is the Infinite Wealth map recycled, with many of the same activities scattered all over. While there might be some danger of over familiarity, it was nice having Majima in a new-for-him location. I headed straight for Bar Revolve for a spot of karaoke, and can confirm that the regular bar staff are there waiting to greet you. Other activities offered in the demo included Crazy Delivery and Dragon Kart, but due to time constraints, and a desire to see what was available off Honolulu, I was unable to partake.

With a few minutes left, I set sail for Madlantis, a home to pirates and all kinds of debauchery. I was whisked there fast-travel style, but in the full game we'll have the option to take to the seas on our galley, battling other pirate ships along the way. This will also provide opportunities to bond with the crew, who appear to be a characterful bunch of kindhearted miscreants.

In Madlantis, I was looking for a fella called Keith (no idea!) for a reason that I didn't quite catch. This pirate town is a darker and far seedier location than Honolulu - think Gaiden's Castle or Purgatory back in Kamurocho. I looked left, I saw some guy being garroted; to my right, scantily clad ladies beckoned. It will be interesting to see how Majima's adventures will be split between Honolulu, the ocean and Madlantis, and I'm encouraged to see that we won't just be revisiting the places of Infinite Wealth.

I'm over the moon that we're getting another Like a Dragon so soon after Infinite Wealth. That it features Goro Majima, and a ludicrous pirate premise, makes me even happier. Roll on, February 2025.