Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii has been announced and is coming for you, Skull And Bones
How's this for "quadruple-A" *boomerang cutlass attack*
It's a pirate's life for me, and it's a pirate's life for Goro Majima, recurring eyepatched anti-hero of the used-to-be-called-Yakuza series. He's the star of the just-announced Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii, a game I can only applaud for the brazen straightforwardness of its title. Whatever Sega were drinking when they signed off on Metaphor: ReFantazio, they were not drinking when they signed off on this. They were definitely drinking something, though. Here's the reveal trailer.
Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii begins with Goro washing up on the beach of a strange island, much like Link in Link's Awakening, except that Goro has a full back tattoo and swanky leather trousers, and there is a small tiger wearing a neckerchief. [SCENE MISSING] Now Goro is wearing a tricorn hat and steering a galleon. There is mention of Madlantis. [SCENE MISSING] Now there are ninjas in bullet-proof vests, and Goro is throwing cutlasses like boomerangs.
I think this is still set in approximately the present day? The combat looks to be real-time. The key thing, the important thing is that Goro is having a lot of fun, bless him.
The Steam page helps clear the mists a little. Look, it's got a full-blown gosh-dang ship-sailing element! "Assemble a one-of-a-kind crew while upgrading your ship as you explore the open sea and forge your legend in the cannon fire of foes, unexpected friendships, and immense riches made along the way," explains the blurb. You can expect real-time cannon battles, boarding actions and hidden treasure islands.
As for the combat, there's a choice of at least two fighting styles. "With 'Mad Dog' style, utilize speed, agility, and flair to deliver precise yet powerful blows that stun your enemies into submission," the blurb goes on. "Or make enemies walk the plank with the 'Sea Dog' style that has you dual-wielding short swords and deploying tricky pirate tools to kick some serious booty." Three bits of pirate slang in one sentence, not bad. I can do better though: sink me, this is a haul worth hornswaggling a dungbie for, or my name's not Davey Jones's Locker.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii is out on 28th February 2025. I think I liked Goro better when he was an impossibly suave nightclub manager, but I welcome this new nautical phase in his career. If you're new to the sprawling LAD series, you might like to consult Ed Thorn's piece on the right order in which to play them.