The Daily Quest

Majima’s craziest he’s ever been. (Image credits belong to SEGA and Steam)

Slick Combat, Rockin’ Beats, Smooth Sailing

I just finished Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii not too long ago and have had some time to sit with my thoughts on it. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is in the category of a “Gaiden” game, which is to say that it is a side story. Much like the other Gaiden game in the series “The Man Who Erased His Name,” Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a shorter title spanning only five chapters compared to those of the mainline games. That said, it has a lot to do in it and certainly just as much polish.

To begin with, the combat has never been better. If you were a fan of Majima’s high speed combat in Yakuza 0 but were disappointed with his playable side story in Yakuza Kiwami 2, then this game’s playstyle is for you. Over the course of his upgrades, Majima gains the ability to slip and slide around foes like never before as well as take to the skies with equally evasive jumps and air dashes. Paired with an especially aggressive enemy attack pattern set in this game, you will find yourself dodging and weaving around veritable mobs of lethal enemies as Majima both on the street and on ships. Pirate Yakuza adds in a new quality-of-life feature where Majima possesses a danger sense for guns. When an enemy is about to aim and fire at him, a sound will play with a visual indicator above Majima’s head for both. This leads to often high-octane situations in which you may be dueling an enemy on the ground and then have to dodge bullets without looking–totally badass. As a cherry on top, this game brings back air juggling akin to that of Lost Judgment. Although it is somewhat limited based on your difficulty and when against bosses, Majima has several very satisfying combo routes with different ways of styling on foes.

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii also features some killer music. While it brings in many tracks both from previous Yakuza games and other SEGA titles as unlockable music tracks for your phone’s MP3 playlist, the game introduces many new memorable tracks. Majima’s Mad Dog stance’s theme immediately calls back to his Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami appearances, which is a double reference to how the stance is made of two different old ones mashed together. Boss themes are of course also adrenaline-pumping. Just because this game is a side story does not mean that they skimped on quality, no sir.

The ship combat is simple but tight. Your ship certainly turns like a boat, but it features many more things under the deck. You have your choice of port and starboard guns which start out as conventional cannons but can be upgraded (in classic Yakuza fashion) to more ridiculous things like railguns or lasers. Your ship also features machine guns mounted on the stern that can carry different elemental afflictions. Majima himself also can fire a bazooka at enemy ships for a little extra chip damage when you’re in safe standing. Unlike standard boats, your ship features rocket thrusters on the back and can take short-term boosts of speed to cut across your opponents’ fields of view for more advantageous angles of attack. With all of these armaments at your disposal, ship combat is quick and simple but complete enough to be intuitive.

The Good, The Bad, and The Majima

Yakuza games tend to lose me somewhere around the middle parts of them. It always happens to me; I’ll be playing happily but then get bogged down under all of the extra content that there is. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii ended up being the same. Between the Devil Flags side story and the Pirates’ Coliseum, I drifted away at sea amidst a veritable deluge of content. That’s not to say that it’s a bad thing to have so much to do, but it certainly tends to disinterest me after some time. That said, the substories have always been engaging at worst and hilarious at best in Yakuza; this game is no different.

The plot of this game starts out strong and then peters off towards the end. It doesn’t leave any plot holes necessarily, but the way it wraps up the story as well as some of the happenings are somewhat disappointing. It’s safe to say that as far as Yakuza games go, this game’s story is likely the worst of them all. However, the antics and gameplay more than make up for it, which made a sour taste in my mouth feel more like a more indifferent sensation.

It’s a Yakuza game, and a well-made one at that. No one should be surprised that the plot wasn’t all there–Yakuza plots have been going downhill since the 2010s. The game is well-made in so many regards and was boatloads of fun despite any plot shenanigans. If you enjoy Yakuza, Majima, and stylish combat, by all means pick up this game. For all others though, perhaps it may be best to wait around for the release of Yakuza Kiwami 3, coming out February 11, 2026.