Many fans are excited about the upcoming release ofLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, with the game offering a promising premise that is quite wacky even by the usual standards of the long-running franchise. Players will finally get to see more of the iconic series character Goro Majima in a protagonist role, with the seasoned figure washing up on the shores of Hawaii with a bout of amnesia.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiwill act as a spin-off title to the recently releasedInfinite Wealth, using the same Hawaiian setting and a lot of the game’s locational assets, but that is not to say that the title does not have its own brand-new areas. From the early trailers and information released aroundPirate Yakuza, one new location stands out above the rest due to its similarities to a popular area fromLike a Dragon: Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. This indicates a clear trend between the two titles, and it seems likely that this will continue forward to whatever spin-off titles come in the future for theLike a Dragonfranchise.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Madlantis Location Shows a Clear Trend For the Franchise
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiisees Goro Majima wrestle with the lost memories of his past while on foreign shores, taking the tropical land by storm as the captain of his very own pirate ship. Fans have not seen Majima in such a prominent role since his fan-favoriteappearance as one ofYakuza 0’s two protagonists, and hopefullyPirate Yakuzawill give even more depth to the character in the same way that the 2015 title did.
While the widerYakuzafranchise has historically included many spin-off games, most of these were removed from the mainline narratives and were non-canon, but this has recently changed in a big way with 2023’sGaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.Gaidenfilled in some extremely important gaps in the arc oflong-time franchise protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, showing how spin-offs can be used to supplement the main story while still offering interesting breaks from the standard gameplay of the mainline titles.
Pirate Yakuzawill continue this trend with Majima at the helm, with the upcoming game andGaidengiving crucial swansongs to some of the most important and beloved characters in the entire franchise. The focus on more seasoned figures with returns to classic combat gameplay are two obvious connections betweenPirate YakuzaandGaiden, but two key locations from each game share a more implicit link that may be more important than it initially seems.
Pirate Yakuza’s Madlantis is a Spiritual Successor to Gaiden’s Castle
Of all therevealed locations forLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, the one that stands out the most is Madlantis, an area where all of Hawaii’s pirates gather for illicit pleasure and naval warfare. It was also confirmed that Madlantis is owned by one of the major antagonists ofPirate Yakuza, Queen Michele, meaning the location is set up nicely to hold a lot of narrative value as well as being the go-to place for some unique mini-games and side activities.
The concept of an off-the-books pleasure island headed by an antagonist is something taken straight fromThe Man Who Erased His Name, which featured the iconic Castle area. The Castle was home to the likes of casinos, cabaret clubs, and the franchise’s famous coliseum, with its bright lights and dazzling decor providing one of the most unique overall locations that the franchise has ever seen. From the promotional images of Madlantis, it seems that the upcoming location is set to replicate this inPirate Yakuza, consolidating a clear trend that futureLike a Dragonspin-off titles would be wise to carry forward.
