2025 has already been a fantastic year for great PC games, especially if you’re of an RPG persuasion. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, Citizen Sleeper 2, Avowed, Tails of Iron 2, and the PC launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth mean we’re spoiled for choice. But if you’d rather strip back the stats and opt for something a little shorter, stylish action game Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an easy recommendation. A powerful, emotional, exhilarating romp that clocks in at a much more manageable 20-30 hours, you can snag it at an early discount right now on Steam via Fanatical.
Our Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review is filled with praise for the newest action game in the beloved series. “Every aspect feels deliberate, with no feature bloat to speak of even in a sprawling RPG with so many moving parts,” Ashley writes, calling it “The best in the studio’s brawler lineup.” It’s a true love letter to protagonist Goro Majima, who has always been a fan favorite but shone particularly brightly in prequel Yakuza 0, where he split the limelight evenly with long-time lead Kazuma Kiryu. Now, Majima finally has the solo game he deserves, and it’s a real winner.
Where RGG Studio’s main-series games have transformed into sprawling, turn-based affairs that could easily run you 100 hours or more for a single playthrough, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a more bite-sized offering akin to 2023’s Like A Dragon Gaiden. It lets you fly into battle with Majima’s classic Mad Dog fighting style, pairing grace with brutality, or switch to the new Sea Dog, which embraces the one-eyed antihero’s newfound lifestyle with a pair of cutlasses, a flintlock pistol, and a grappling hook for ultimate crowd control.
Of course, in true Like A Dragon fashion there’s plenty more on offer here. The main side activity has you voyaging on the high seas to take out a series of dangerous crews known as the Devil Flags on board your ship, the Gorumaru. This combines the on-foot action with weighty but approachable naval combat, and you can expect ample ways to customize and upgrade your new home on the waves.
There are plenty of other ways to spend your time, from gloriously over-the-top karaoke performances to heartfelt side stories that let you spend time with individual members of your entourage. Then you could stop off at the bars and arcades around town for anything from pool, darts, and mahjong to fully playable versions of Sega arcade classics such as Virtua Fighter 3 and Fighting Vipers 2, or put your series knowledge to the test at the returning Vocational School.
You can get Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii at a 12% discount on Steam through Fanatical, meaning you’ll pay $52.79 / £48.39 for the standard edition, or $65.99 / 57.19 for the digital deluxe edition. Simply click the box above, or head straight to Fanatical, to grab it while you can.
For even more oceanbound frolicking, turn your captain’s wheel towards the best pirate games on PC. We’ve picked out the best single-player games in 2025, too, so there’s a true bounty to choose from.
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