The theme for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is, of course, pirates. One of the things that pirates do is sail the seas, so you’re going to be spending a lot of time on your boat. It goes without saying that there will be ship-on-ship combat, too. Overall, the ship combat in Pirate Yakuza isn’t too complicated, but you still might get a little confused on some things. This page will give an overview on ship combat, including how to change equipment and assign characters.

Ship Combat Basics¶

When you first get your ship, it is outfitted with the very basics. There are cannons on either side, as well as a machine gun on the front. The machine guns can only be fired to the front, and there is a heat gauge next to the targeting reticule. Once it fills up, then you’ll have to wait for it to cool down before you’re able to fire again. As for the cannons, each side is assigned to a specific button, and you actually need to have that side facing an enemy ship before you fire at them.

Specifically, wait until you see the target light up on the enemy ship before firing the cannons, as that will almost guarantee a hit with them. After firing the cannons, you’ll need to wait for the cooldown to dissipate before being able to fire them again. While not technically a weapon, the boosts you have are also very important to combat. When the meter is filled, you can initiate a boost to get some speed, then use the brake to drift some. This is a good tactic to use, as it can help get you out of the way of enemy attacks, as well as allow you to create an opening for attacking with the other side of your ship. Don’t forget that you start with two extra charges of boosting, in case the gauge isn’t full (hold the button to use them).

Smoke Screens¶

Leaving the helm will allow you to freely explore the deck of the Goromaru, but the ship will stop moving, meaning you will be defenseless. If you press R1/RB while on deck, then you’ll create a smoke screen that will hide the Goromaru from enemy vessels. During this time, you’ll be less likely to be attacked, and any damage taken by enemy fire will be greatly reduced. Note that you only have a few Smoke Screens on hand, but you can easily replenish them at safe areas.

Rocket Launcher¶

While on the deck, you can aim the rocket launcher with L2/LT and fire it with R2/RT. The rocket launcher can’t be fired again until the reticule gauge refills. The ship only carried a limited number of rockets, which will be restocked when you enter a safe area. You will be able to upgrade to different rocket launchers at a later point, which might have different properties and can be stronger.

Repairing the Ship and Rescuing Crew¶

While you’re out sailing the seas, you will undoubtedly be taking damage from enemy vessels. Any time you enter a safe area, like a lighthouse or an island that isn’t home to enemies, your ship will be repaired, and all special ammo will be replenished to full. However, there is another way to repair the Goromaru, which is done by pressing the Square/X button. Doing this will order your crew to repair the Goromaru and restore its health.

This can be quite dangerous during a battle, though, as all hands will be occupied, so your ship will be unable to attack. The amount of durability restored during a repair is increased with more crew members. Also, repairs will complete more quickly depending on the crew’s Ship Upkeep stat. As with the Smoke Screens and Rocket Launcher, you only have so many repair opportunities. Thankfully, those will be restock whenever you enter a safe area.

Upgrading the Ship in Pirate Yakuza¶

Unfortunately, when you first gain access to the ship, there isn’t anything you can do to actually upgrade it. It isn’t until about halfway into Chapter 2 that you will gain an upgradeable version of the Goromaru. Whenever you enter the menu that allows you to travel to different areas, you will see options to both Change Equipment and Upgrade Performance. One thing to know is that you can craft some new weapons at a certain garage, which can then be equipped from the Change Equipment menu. This menu will also allow you to purchase stronger versions of the base weapons, like the Machine Gun and Cannons.

The other option here, Upgrade Performance, is where you go to improve the Goromaru’s durability, which is its health. You can also add more cannons and even expand the number of boarding squads when you board an enemy vessel. Lastly, you can increase the number of repairs, fuel tanks, and smoke screens, so make sure you always check to see what you can improve. These upgrades will simply cost you money, so you want to get as much as possible.