In Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, building the perfect pirate crew is crucial for advancing through the game's narrative swiftly. During Chapter 2, as Goro and his crew venture into Madlantis, a Pirate Sanctuary hosting Naval Colosseum battles, you'll delve deeper into the backstories of Jason and Masaru, learning about their disbanded crew due to a betrayal in the arena. To progress, Goro must upgrade his ship and recruit additional crew members, facing the challenge of earning $10,000 and assembling a team of five to move forward in the main storyline. Here are the top crew members to recruit early on to expedite your progress:
Nickelle Kidman
Nickelle Kidman, a playful nod to Nicole Kidman, can be found lounging near the beach in Honolulu. To recruit her, your Goro Pirates need a two-star rating, which you can easily achieve by completing the main story missions up to this point. If you haven't reached this rating yet, you can quickly earn it by finding treasure, fighting thugs, and engaging in naval battles.
Hammerhead
Located on the second floor of the shopping center in Honolulu, Hammerhead can be recruited by defeating him in a fight. This method is one of the fastest ways to add members to your crew, and given Hammerhead's manageable health, you should be able to recruit him swiftly.
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Kenzo
Kenzo, found at the dock area of the beach in Honolulu, can be recruited by either giving him raw materials you've collected during your journey or paying him a few thousand dollars. With the resources and money you've likely amassed from treasures and sea exploration, recruiting Kenzo is quick and straightforward.
Lucas
In Madlantis, Lucas can be recruited through a fistfight. His interaction with Goro is amusing, leading to a battle that, while slightly more challenging due to his melee weapon, should be manageable given your experience from previous boss fights.
Obispo
To recruit Obispo, dine at his restaurant in Honolulu. By engaging in battles to lower your health and then purchasing meals, you'll need to repeat this process five times. While slightly more tedious, it's still easier than recruiting other members with more complex tasks or higher rating requirements.
While Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii offers numerous other crew members with potentially higher stats, these five are the most efficient for early-game recruitment, allowing you to progress through the story quickly. As the game advances and more challenging battles arise, you can focus on recruiting members with better stats that require more effort.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is now available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.