One Piece Odyssey Review

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Fast Facts

One Piece Odyssey is Bandai Namco’s first great game in 2023 and a title in which fans of Eiichiro Oda’s work have placed great confidence, and in general terms, I think they will not be disappointed. In command of this new adventure for Luffy and his friends is the hand of ILCA, who had already done a great job with Dragon Quest 11, a game that draws a lot from it in all the right aspects.

An Original Story

In One Piece Odyssey we will see the Straw Hat Pirates in a completely original adventure that, it seems, will find its place in the canon of history. In it, we will have Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, Robin and Franky navigating the dangerous waters of a very strange island called Waford. Near this place, very intense storms of dubious origin occur that cause the shipwreck of the pirates and the subsequent exploration of the island.

A Technical Section at the Level of the Series

Let’s start with the highlight of the title at first glance: the graphics. I think that of the games based on the Bandai Namco licenses that I was lucky enough to play, this is the most successful of all. Each of the characters is represented in exquisite 3D with all their details and main features in stained glass. In turn, the scenarios are very well achieved, and although they may be a bit empty in some cases, let’s agree that the same thing happens throughout the more than 1000 chapters of the manga and that it makes perfect sense considering that the characters spend a lot of time exploring semi-deserted islands and fighting in seas.

In terms of sound, those who have seen the series with original audio in Japanese, will notice that the voices of the characters are the same as those found in the anime – something that fans will be infinitely grateful for and that is a detail that denotes the care of developers for production, and the power of licenses.

A Gameplay That Doesn’t Disappoint

If you’re a regular at JRPGs, the One Piece Odyssey combat formula doesn’t stray too far from the traditional, almost strictly following the turn-based combat system of a lifetime with special emphasis on positioning your group, whose members you can change depending on your needs in the fight. A feature that, in my opinion, is very good but that perhaps the purists of the genre can take as a lack, is that the random combats were eliminated and replaced by more thoughtful confrontations where we can even surprise the enemies by his rear, increasing the chance of landing a critical hit at the start of the brawl.

As in any role-playing game, the characters can be equipped with different elements that enhance certain offensive and defensive characteristics and we can even obtain extra experience by fulfilling certain mini objectives during battles.

It’s important to consider that each character represents a characteristic, in this case divided into speed, technique and power, each one being stronger against the other. Thus, strategy plays a fundamental role in combat to establish which character is best.

Duration Worthy of the Adventures of Our Pirates

Without advancing the combats and with minimal exploration, the main story can take more than 30 hours without hesitating, since completing the secondary missions and doing a more intense sweep of the scenarios, we are talking about almost double the time, and I think that I fell short. If you’ve been waiting for an adventure that demands your schedule, congratulations, you found it.

Final Thoughts

One Piece Odyssey is, for me, the best game in the saga made to date; with a very good story that brings many new elements and characters to an IP that seems to have a machine for constantly generating creativity. In its narrative innovations, it doesn’t leave out some of the most iconic plot arcs of the strip as a nod to the fans so that they can relive, with certain and interesting differences, some of the stories that marked the lives of these pirates.

If you are a One Piece fan, treasure this game because it was made for you. Don’t expect an ode to originality in terms of combat, exploration, or general JRPG structure, but be prepared to experience an adventure like you’ve read about in the manga or seen in the anime with all the right seasonings for it. You can be dazzled with this definitive representation of The Straw Hat Pirates and all their great world.

Rapid Reviews Rating

4.5 out of 5

4.5

You can buy One Piece Odyssey in the Microsoft Store