Heading into Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, I was reminiscing about the series as a whole. The Yakuza games are a work of over-the-top situations, hilarious outcomes, and incredibly written and well-defined characters, all while being able to tow a super serious main narrative involving some form of corruption, morality, and togetherness. For the past twenty years, these stories have, in one way or another, involved Kiryu and his ever-evolving relationships. It was only recently, in 2020, that the story started to focus on a new generation of heroes in Ichiban, but still, Kiryu had a big impact on those games.
This is the first game in the series (that I can think of) that has absolutely zero trace of Kiryu. Instead, taking up the mantle is his longtime nemesis/frenemy/best friend—some might even say—Goro Majima. He is the unapologetic anti-hero, and this is also the first game in which he gets so much screen time. Majima has always been a fan-favourite, known for his... Read more