Prepare for a swashbuckling adventure! The upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii promises a significantly larger and more ambitious experience than its predecessor, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. RGG Studio's announcements at RGG SUMMIT 2024 revealed exciting details.
Majima's Hawaiian Hijinks Set Sail in 2025
A Grander Scale for Pirate Yakuza
RGG Studio President Masayoshi Yokoyama confirmed that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's story and world will be approximately 1.3 to 1.5 times larger than Like a Dragon Gaiden. This isn't a mere expansion; it's a substantial leap in scale. Yokoyama hinted at the game's expansive scope, mentioning Honolulu (featured in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth) and other locations like Madlantis, contributing to a significantly larger game volume. He even admitted, "We don’t even know the exact area of the city itself."
The game's content is equally expansive. Expect a robust offering of signature brawling combat, alongside a plethora of quirky side activities and mini-games. Yokoyama indicated a shift in the "Gaiden" concept, suggesting that the line between spin-off and mainline entry is blurring, implying a fully-fledged experience.
The Hawaiian setting provides a distinct change of pace. Goro Majima, voiced again by Hidenari Ugaki, takes center stage in this unexpected pirate adventure. While the specifics of Majima's transformation remain shrouded in mystery, Ugaki expressed excitement and hinted at much more to be revealed. He playfully lamented, "I have a tendency to talk a lot about various things, but I’ve been told not to say anything, so I’m not completely satisfied yet."
Adding to the intrigue, voice actor First Summer Uika (Noah Ritchie) and Ryuji Akiyama (Masaru Fujita) teased further details. Akiyama even mentioned a live-action scene and a humorous anecdote involving an aquarium and "a lot of beautiful women" during recording, fueling speculation about the game's content. These "beautiful women" may be connected to the "Minato Ward girls," who were cast earlier this year and will appear in both live-action and CG form.
