Summary
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the best pirate RPG featuring Goro Majima’s amnesiac pirate captain adventures.
- Engage in action and ship combat, upgrade Goro and ship, and hire crew members for traditional leveling during battles.
- Embracing chaos and embodying piracy, this new game stands out by blending action combat and ship exploration seamlessly.
When it comes to pirate games, there are a few modern outstanding ones that come to mind. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag took the series to new heights or more like new seas. Sea of Thieves was a big departure for Rare which was rough from at launch but it got better. The list could go on but those two examples aren’t RPGs but a new game, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, definitely is.
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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a pirate RPG, but is it one of the best pirate RPGs out there? Believe it or not, this RPG sub-genre has been around since the early PC and NES days. Let’s rank the best based on their overall quality.
8
One Piece Odyssey
Hang Out With TheStraw Hat Pirates
One Piece is one of the biggest manga/anime series of all time that has still ongoing since its 90s debut. There have been a ton of games with questionable quality over the years but the most recent adaptation, One Piece Odyssey, is one most fans can get behind.
It’s an original story featuring the Straw Hat Pirates venturing through new territory in turn-based combat. While nothing new to the genre, fans will dig it and they may also want to check out One Piece Pirate Warriors which are a good series of action RPGs.
7
Skies Of Arcadia
Taking To The Clouds
Skies of Arcadia is one of the only pirate games of its kind that does away with the typical ocean setting and taking to the skies. It’s one of the most cherished games from the Sega Dreamcast era which was eventually ported to the GameCube.
Its one-off status and the setting may be why Sega and RPG fans love it so much as a turn-based RPG even though by today’s standards it has problems. The random encounter rate is ridiculous and the turn-based genre has ultimately moved forward mechanically. While dated, it’s still a phenomenal sky pirate adventure that fans still hope Sega will revisit someday.
6
Rogue Galaxy
To Infinity And Beyond
- Released
-
January 30, 2007
- Developer(s)
-
Level-5
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Blood, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
Rogue Galaxy, like Skies of Arcadia, does not take this pirate adventure across the seven seas. Instead, wannabe treasure hunter, Jaster, is picked up from his desert planet to join a crew of space pirates. The spaceship looks like a typical sea-fairing galleon which is ridiculous but funny.
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Players cannot directly control the ship and instead, it’s just there as a HUB to interact with party members or to warp the crew to new planets to dive into dungeons for some good old-fashioned treasure hunting. Gameplay is action-based and it’s one of many Level-5 games of this era that is brutally difficult and requires high amounts of grinding but a pirate’s life is not supposed to be easy anyway.
5
Cat Quest 3
A Paw-rate Adventure
- Released
-
August 8, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
The Gentlebros
- Publisher(s)
-
Kepler Interactive
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
The first two Cat Quest games are set in fantasy worlds. Cat Quest 3 turned things around by focusing on a pirate adventure and things kick off almost right away. Players need to do a quick intro battle but after that, they will get their ship and the world is their oyster.
They will fight action battles on the world map or in dungeons, collecting loot along the way. The ship battles are quick but satisfying enough too. While not a dark, grim pirate experience, it is one the whole family can enjoy as there is co-op too.
4
SteamWorld Heist 2
From Space To Water
Adventure
Tactical
Action
- Released
-
August 8, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Thunderful Development
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
SteamWorld Heist was a tactical game about pulling off heists in space with a small band of misfits. The sequel put players in command of a submarine to pull off jobs around open waters. Players could arm their band of heroes in SteamWorld Heist 2 with various gear, upgrade them in between missions, and also engage in submarine vs ship battles as they explored this robotic archipelago.
It’s just as addictive as the original game with missions being quick and infinitely replayable for that sweet loot. It will be interesting to see where the SteamWorld Heist series goes next. Maybe in the air like in BioShock Infinite.
3
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
From Fantasy To Piracy
Pillars of Eternity is one of the greatest success stories in Kickstarter history and was ultimately a love letter to past top-down RPGs like the original Baldur’s Gate. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire was a direct sequel that even offered players carryover data bonuses but it switched the typical fantasy settings of castles and vast plains to islands and oceans.
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Players could sail their boat from location to location, engaging in text-based combat that ultimately felt like an afterthought. It’s the weakest part in an otherwise well-reviewed RPG with an engaging story and character choices.
2
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Pirates With A Greek Zest
- Released
-
October 15, 2018
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
Assassin’s Creed Origins is the first game that turned the franchise into an RPG but it didn’t have lengthy ship battles. Its followup, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, was located in the Greek region of the world which did feature naval combat although it wasn’t as involved as the pure pirate-themed entry, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
It’s one of the prettiest games in the series thanks to sea color and varied aquatic locations along the coast. Even though Assassin’s Creed Odyssey players aren’t exactly pirates in this entry, it still fits the vibes thanks to the ship raids and seafaring exploration.
1
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii
Goro’s Finest Hour
- Released
-
February 21, 2025
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the best pirate RPG not just because it’s the newest but because it embodies the idea of piracy so well. Goro Majima washes ashore on a random beach in the Hawaiian islands and has amnesia, so becomes a pirate captain while he unravels his memory loss mystery. Players can engage in action combat while on land and ship combat while sailing around the ocean.
They can upgrade Goro via skill trees in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, upgrade the ship with parts, and hire new crew members for said ship who all level up more traditionally during ship combat. It’s a wild spinoff for the series but it embraces the chaotic nature of Goro Majima’s legendary status so well.
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