One Piece Odyssey Review
Initial release date: January 12, 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Genres: Role-playing video game, Action game, Adventure game, Casual game, Strategy video game, Adventure
Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Publishers: BNE Entertainment, Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Developer: ILCA
Composer: Motoi Sakuraba
"Review Copy Provided By Bandai-Namco"
One Piece Odyssey is a game developed by ICLA and published by Bandai Namco that has an original storyline to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the series. The game follows the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, as he looks for The One Piece, a treasure located somewhere in The Grand Line. If he finds it, he will become the "King of The Pirates". Despite the series having over 1050 chapters and a similar number of anime episodes, 15 animated movies, and a live action series in the works, the treasure has yet to be discovered. The game, which is a spinoff, is a full-fledged JRPG that aims to bring One Piece to new heights in the gaming world. Although the game may have a rough start, it is not a simple cash grab based on the strength of the One Piece IP, but instead it is a well-crafted game that offers superb style, storytelling, characters, and twists that will keep players engaged throughout their adventure.
If you are a fan of the One Piece series, enjoy classic RPGs, and are looking for a well-polished and colorful game, then One Piece Odyssey is definitely worth considering. The game offers a unique story that ties in with the 25th anniversary of the series, and it has a turn-based combat system that is reminiscent of classic RPGs like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. The game also features beautiful graphics, an engaging story, and well-designed gameplay. On the other hand, if you are not a fan of the One Piece series, prefer modern RPGs over classic turn-based style, or may find repetitive fights tedious, then One Piece Odyssey may not be the game for you. The game heavily relies on the series' lore and character development, and the combat system is mainly turn-based, so it may not appeal to players who prefer action-based or real-time combat.
In One Piece Odyssey, Luffy and his crew, The Straw Hat Pirates, find themselves stranded on the remote island of Waford after a crash landing. The island is filled with strange creatures, frozen lightning and pillars of light. As players navigate the island to find their crew members, they will come across two new characters created specifically for the game by the creator of the series, Eiichiro Oda. These characters are Adio, a tattooed man with a mysterious background, and Lim, a young girl who has a dislike for pirates and possesses a power that will challenge The Straw Hat Pirates. As the crew tries to uncover the secrets of the island, they will lose their powers, forcing them to reflect on their past adventures in order to regain them. The journey to regain their powers will be difficult and challenging.
One Piece Odyssey will take players back to some of the crew's previous adventures in places such as Alabasta, Water Seven, Marineford, and Dressrosa. However, players should expect to encounter surprises and variations as the game's storyline might not align entirely with what happened in the original series. The game's development also has a unique advantage of having the creator of the original series, Eiichiro Oda, involved in the process, contributing to the new characters, setting and writing. Additionally, the game features the original Japanese voice cast of the anime, ensuring that each character sounds the same as in the anime.
In One Piece Odyssey, the gameplay is divided into two main sections: overworld exploration and combat encounters. The overworld exploration allows players to control one of the crew members and explore the game's world, switching between characters as needed, each of them have their own unique abilities. For example, as the main protagonist, Luffy has the ability to stretch his limbs and body like rubber, which allows him to reach high places, and also has an ability called observation Haki which allows him to see hidden items within a limited range. Similarly, other characters have their own abilities such as Roronoa Zoro, the crew's first mate, who has great strength and can cut down iron doors and boxes that block the path, Nami, the navigator, has the ability to sense and find hidden piles of cash, and Usopp, the ship's sniper, can use his slingshot to shoot down containers that contain useful items.
In addition to the characters previously mentioned, Sanji, the cook of the ship, can use his "Cook's Nose" to find fresh and rare ingredients for cooking. The crew's doctor, Tony Tony Chopper, not only can heal his allies in battle but also can use his small size to fit through narrow and low passages while exploring the overworld. Nico Robin, the archaeologist of the crew, can use her knowledge to uncover information about the game's world and story. Franky, the cyborg shipwright, can use gathered items to create bridges to previously inaccessible areas, giving the game a metroidvania-like feel. Brook, the skeletal musician, is not yet known to have a specific role in the overworld exploration but will not be joining the crew until he gets his body back. Unfortunately, Jinbe, a fan favorite, is not included in the game.
As players explore the overworld, they may encounter enemies or creatures that they must fight. Upon touching the enemy, players will be transported to a battle stage where they can use turn-based combat to defeat the enemy, similar to classic RPGs such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. The game uses a triangle strategy of weapons, similar to Fire Emblem games, where power beats speed, speed beats technique, and technique beats power. Therefore, it's important to use the right crew member for the right fight, and players can switch between characters during battle as needed.
In addition to basic attacks, players can also use special skills unique to each crew member such as multi-target attacks, attacks that hit enemies in different zones, attacks that cause status ailments, and Chopper's healing abilities. These skills use Tension Points (TP), which are similar to mana from other games. Each crew member has a limited amount of TP, but it can be restored over time by using normal attacks. As the story progresses, the crew members will grow closer and stronger, eventually being able to use a tag team attack that deals more damage to enemies.
Another aspect of the game is the camp-site, where players can set up camp and use the items they have gathered. At the camp-site, players can talk to Usopp, Sanji and Robin. Usopp is able to create trick balls that can lower the stats of enemies, Sanji can cook food using ingredients found, which can be used in battle to buff and heal allies.
The graphics of One Piece Odyssey are visually stunning, with a cartoonish style that is fitting for an anime-based game. The landscapes are vibrant and lively, whether it be the forests and beaches of Waford, the deserts of Alabasta, or the city of Water Seven. The sound design is also noteworthy, with atmospheric and uplifting music during exploration, and a harsh tonal change during combat that keeps the players engaged. The game's creator, Eiichiro Oda, was involved in the process, contributing to the new characters, setting and writing, which makes the game feel authentic to the series. Overall, One Piece Odyssey offers a rich and immersive experience that fans of the series and RPG players alike will enjoy.
One Piece Odyssey runs well on various platforms such as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC/Steam. On Steam, the game runs at a custom graphical setting with a locked 30fps, but players can lower the graphics settings to improve performance. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game runs at 60fps at 4K resolution. On PS4 and Xbox One, the game runs at 900p with a locked 30fps, and on Xbox Series S, the game can run at 1440p with a locked 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. Overall, the game offers good performance on all platforms and players can adjust the settings to fit their preferences.
One Piece Odyssey is a well-crafted game that is full of charm, and it was made with love and guidance from the series creator, Eiichiro Oda. The game is perfect for both long-time fans of the series and for those looking for a new RPG experience. The characters are well-portrayed, the story is engaging, and the gameplay is well-designed. The overworld is filled with vibrant scenery, while the combat is fast-paced and balanced. The game is polished to a high level and the developer did a great job in terms of bug fixing, I didn't find any bugs or glitches during my gameplay. Overall, One Piece Odyssey is a game that I can see myself playing for a long time, it's a game that was made with a lot of love and attention to detail.
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