Games To Play If You Like Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the latest spinoff in the series, and it was completely unexpected. After all, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the eighth main game in the series, only came out in 2024. Now, a year later a full-on pirate adventure is here and it stars a fan favorite like Goro Majima.

Related

The Mainline Yakuza/Like A Dragon Series, Ranked

The mainline Yakuza series has some truly awesome entries. These are all of them, ranked.

Fans may think it’s a dream but Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is indeed real. It’s shorter than Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth too, so if players are still cruising for like-minded games from more pirate adventures to treasure hunting expeditions, these games will fill the void in no particular order.

8

Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed

Hunting Vampires In Japan

• Developer: Acquire
• Publisher: Xseed Games (NA)
• Released: August 12, 2014 (NA)
• Platform: PS3, PS Vita, PS4, PC

Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed takes place in Japan which has been overrun with vampire-like entities. Players assume the role of a voiceless protagonist who is hunted by these vampire wannabes in the streets of the stylistic Akihabara district. Players can find all sorts of weapons to fight them off with from bats to umbrellas.

The main goal is to strip enemies down to their underwear and expose them to sunlight. It’s easy to imagine a Substory in the Yakuza series trying to emulate these mechanics.

7

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

An Obvious But Solid Choice

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Action-Adventure

Open-World

Released

October 29, 2013

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is the most obvious choice on the list as it’s also about sailing and pirates. It’s not the first game in the Assassin’s Creed series to incorporate ship combat into the gameplay but it was the first to focus on it and the concept of being a pirate via Edward Kenway. There were still assassination plots but that took a backseat to exploring the game’s plentiful tropical locations all while singing sea shanties with the crew.

Players could engage with locals or other pirates on the high seas after blasting their ships to smithereens. It’s an unforgettable entry in the series and the game that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii most likely resembles.

6

Cross Treasures

A Lost Square Enix Dungeon be Crawler

Cross Treasures

Systems

Released

December 3, 2009

Cross Treasures is a DS game most probably haven’t played or even heard of and that’s because it’s never released outside of Japan. It’s a rare one as it was published by Square Enix and they were usually pretty good about shipping things worldwide on the DS.

Related

8 Best RPGs Where You Can Travel Between Planets, Ranked

Pilot ships and explore planets in these unforgettable RPGs from across the globe.

Players can create their character using a few different weapons and classes before venturing off to the dungeons below. The story takes a back seat to this dungeon crawler where loot is the main objective. It can be enjoyed alone or with a friend and effort has been made with fan translations.

5

Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

Team Up With Friends To Look For Treasure

Systems

Released

July 15, 2009

ESRB

t

Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies was the only main entry on the DS and it was also the first to release on a handheld. It was also the first to incorporate multiplayer into the core design. Players could create their character and then recruit three others to follow them on this turn-based adventure, switching out classes, or Vocations, as they went along.

Players could take their characters online with up to three other friends in co-op was a nice feature but not as fun as getting treasure maps. The service for these maps has long been discontinued but fans still holding onto their copies can help keep this treasure-hunting RPG alive.

4

The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Flooding Hyrule And Turning To Cel-Shading

Systems

Released

March 24, 2003

ESRB

E For Everyone

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker bucked the trend in the series in two ways. First, the art style used a cel-shaded technique that to this day helps it stand out among the entries that tried to be groundbreaking graphically on a polygonal level. It also removed the big open plains of Hyrule and replaced them with open waters.

Even with these changes, the game was just as fantastical as every entry that came before it, and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii players will appreciate this special episode in the long-running saga. Both the GameCube original and HD remaster are worthwhile.

3

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

From President To Bodyguard

Released

March 23, 2018

ESRB

t

Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom begins audaciously with the U.S. President, Roland Crane, witnessing an explosion and then warping into a fantasy world, Isekai style. Here, President Crane helps a young prince, Evan, try to rebuild his kingdom after it was taken over.

2:48

Related

7 Best Open-World Pirate Games, Ranked

Pirates as an open-world sub-genre are a bit of an untapped gold mine, but there are still games worth checking out regardless of the slim pickings.

Beyond the action-based gameplay, players can travel the open-world overworld to look for NPCs to place in Evan’s new kingdom. They can be assigned tasks like manning shops or building new additions which will help the war effort. It’s similar in design to the recruiting system in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii which is used to fill out the ship.

2

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4

Luffy’s Latest Musou

Action

Adventure

Beat ‘Em Up

Released

March 27, 2020

ESRB

t

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is the latest game in the series which spun off from Dynasty Warriors. Like the main Musou games, players get to control a wide array of characters each with their own unique set of skills and weapons. For example, Luffy can stretch his body like rubber to pummel enemies with his fists and Zoro uses three swords to slash enemies to ribbons.

Fans of the anime will be delighted in this game’s selection of heroes beyond the Straw Hat Pirates although newbies may be lost on the arcs this one adapts. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii fans should give it a try as it’s one of the best examples of a pirate anime out there.

1

Persona 5

The Phantom Thieves Strike

Persona 5

RPG

Dungeon Crawler

Adventure

Systems

Released

September 15, 2016

ESRB

m

Persona 5 is not about pirates but thieves instead. Specifically, The Phantom Thieves are a group of teenagers who gain special powers via entities called Personas. Their region in Japan is corrupt by local politicians and business owners and they have the power to change their hearts.

To do it, they have to infiltrate their metaphysical Palaces in Persona 5, fight monsters, and the twisted version of the leader at the end. Even though it’s a turn-based RPG instead of an action-based one like Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, it’s still a good recommendation, especially for fans of Sega/Atlus.

Released

February 21, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol