Prepare for a swashbuckling adventure! The upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii promises to be significantly larger and more ambitious than its predecessor, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Details revealed at RGG SUMMIT 2024 paint a picture of a truly expansive experience.
Majima's Hawaiian Hijinks Set Sail in 2025
A Grander Scale for Pirate Yakuza
RGG Studio's president, Masayoshi Yokoyama, confirmed that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's world and storyline will be approximately 1.3 to 1.5 times larger than Like a Dragon Gaiden. This isn't a simple expansion; it's a game of a vastly different scale. Yokoyama hinted at the sheer size, stating (via Famitsu and machine translation), "We don’t even know the exact area of the city itself...there’s Honolulu City, and various stages, such as Madlantis, so I think the game volume is much larger than Like a Dragon Gaiden."
The game's scope extends beyond sheer size. Expect a robust offering of combat, side activities, and minigames, exceeding expectations set by previous "Gaiden" titles. Yokoyama suggested the traditional understanding of "Gaiden" as a spin-off is evolving, stating it's "gradually disappearing from us," implying a main-series level experience.
The Hawaiian setting provides a unique backdrop for Goro Majima's unexpected piratical journey. Voiced again by Hidenari Ugaki, Majima's transformation remains shrouded in mystery, with Ugaki himself teasing unannounced elements. He commented, "The information about the game has finally been announced, but there are many other elements and there is still a lot of information I want to tell you...I’ve been told not to say anything, so I’m not completely satisfied yet."
Further intrigue comes from voice actor First Summer Uika (Noah Ritchie), who hinted at a live-action scene featuring Ryuji Akiyama (Masaru Fujita). Akiyama added cryptic details, mentioning "an interesting recording scene...an aquarium with a clownfish...and really a lot of beautiful women at the recording." This could refer to the "Minato Ward girls," who will appear in both live-action and CG form, following auditions held earlier this year. Ryosuke Horii noted the enthusiasm of the audition participants, many of whom "had a love for the series and a passion to work with us."
