‘Like A Dragon’ sequel almost focused on tuna fishing

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii is the next instalment in the long-running franchise, but the game almost focused on tuna fishing.

• READ MORE: ‘Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’ review: Hawaiian adventure offers everything under the sun

The Like A Dragon series began with 2005’s Yakuza, which went on to spawn a number of sequels and spin-offs. A TV adaptation Like A Dragon: Yakuza is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video later this month.

The Like A Dragon games have toyed with a number of different styles over the years, including beat ‘em up, role-playing and action-adventure, but the storylines have mostly revolved around the criminal underworld of the fictional district of Kamurochō.

However next years Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii will see players embark on an “over-the-top, modern-day pirate adventure with an ex-yakuza, now pirate captain & his crew” as they hunt for lost treasure. If that wasn’t different enough, at one point the spin-off was going to focus on fishing.

Towards the end of developing 2024’s Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, series executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama started toying with a number of different ideas for spin-offs that would feature a different protagonist. “It was almost as if we were creating a blown-up sub-story for Infinite Wealth,” he told the PlayStation blog. “For quite some time, I wanted to make a game called Like A Dragon: Tuna, where Kazuma Kiryu, as a tuna fisherman, sets off to sea to fight against fishing boats.”

“Long story short, it never came to fruition. But keywords like ‘ship’, ‘sea’, and ‘fighting’, which had since then been engraved in my head, evolved into the concept of pirates,” he added.

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii is due for release February 27, 2025 for PlayStation, Xbox and PC.

Speaking about the difference between the main Like A Dragon series and its various spin-offs, Yokoyama said: “The Like A Dragon series is like an all-you-can-eat restaurant where you can choose from meat, seafood, and anything else you want and eat however much you like. But as you mature, you start to appreciate well-balanced, good-proportion meals. Spin-offs are like that.”

In other news, Red Dead Redemption is finally coming to PC later this month, alongside the Undead Nightmare expansion.

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