The first draw of many Western gamers to the world of Yakuza was the prospect of ‘GTA in Japan.’ The series promised gritty crime dramas with tattooed gangsters smashing skulls. When I finally got to dive into the series some years later,

Speaking of sea battles, the coup de grâce of Pirate Yakuza is the inclusion of full-on naval battles. While sailing the high seas, Majima can chart a course to uncover hidden treasure on enemy pirate-controlled islands and engage in multi-layered nautical battles while ducking hazardous whirlpools and lightning.