The impressive frequency of Ryu Ga Gotoku releases is set to continue with the upcoming launch of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii on February 20, with many fans looking forward to finally stepping back into the shoes of Goro Majima in a protagonist role. While the project is technically a spin-off title, the premise and gameplay of the release is already shaping up to make it one of the most unique entries that the longstanding LaD franchise has ever seen.

As the name suggests, the story and core experience of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is entirely centered around the same Hawaiian map that was introduced with 2024's Infinite Wealth, with RGG being renowned for the long-term use the studio can glean from its major locations. While this has worked well for the iconic Japanese locations of the franchise, it is a difficult ask for future LaD titles to narratively justify also being set in Hawaii, and the franchise should not rely on the location anymore as a primary setting for other projects going forward.

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Confirms Free New Game Plus

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii players won't need to purchase the most expensive version of the game to gain access to New Game Plus.

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Can Say Farewell to the Location in Style

The upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii puts beloved franchise character Goro Majima back in the hot-seat of the franchise, with the iconic figure washing up on the shores of Hawaii with a bout of amnesia. In classic Like a Dragon fashion, Majima quickly finds himself in the middle of nefarious factions operating around the islands, with Majima becoming the captain of his very own pirate ship and taking to the seas.

At the recent RGG Like a Dragon Direct event on January 9, the studio outlined the exciting naval combat of Pirate Yakuza, with players having full control of their ship's cosmetics and arsenal, with the title even featuring ship-boarding combat to create a surprisingly complete pirate experience. While the wacky premise of Pirate Yakuza adds a fresh spin to the gameplay of Like a Dragon titles, the game's Hawaiian setting is largely a way to get more value out of the expansive major location of Infinite Wealth, and this can only go so far.

Ryu Ga Gotoku is only able to release high quality games so consistently thanks to the smart way in which the studio re-uses assets, be it fighting animations or entire locations. Major Japan-set franchise locations like Kamurocho, Sotenbori, and Isezaki Ijincho have appeared extensively throughout many LaD titles over the years, including spin-offs like the Judgment series, yet it would be much more difficult to consistently use Hawaii in the same way.

Like a Dragon's Narrative Ties to Japanese Settings Are Too Strong to Ignore

Of course, Hawaii was an exciting and logical setting for the international story of Infinite Wealth, and the number of major characters that visited Hawaii during the game's plot can logically extend to Majima washing up on its shores in the upcoming Pirate Yakuza, but it would be quite far-fetched to continue the franchise's story in the location beyond this. The major stories behind the LaD franchise are inexorably tied to Japan, with the series using Japanese-inspired locations to great success over the years, and this should not end just to squeeze more value out of the Hawaiian assets that were created for Infinite Wealth.

Upcoming RGG titles like Project Century show how the studio is still finding new ways to make Japanese settings engaging and fresh, proving even further that the studio should not rely on Hawaii as a major setting for any more games going forward. The upcoming Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii still seems like an excellent addition to the franchise that smartly leans into Infinite Wealth's locational assets well, yet it would be for the best for the title to act as an explosive swansong for the location instead of the beginning of a reliance on this particular map for future entries to the series.