One Piece Odyssey Review

You’ve probably seen a movie or read a book about being stranded on an island. They are numerous, from the hit TV show Lost to Cast Away starring Tom Hanks to the classic Lord of the Flies (The Simpsons even had a parody episode). Video games have also explored this angle; look no further than the enjoyable Ys VIII from Falcom. One Piece Odyssey is the next in a long line of media to explore this setting. Now, take that setting, mix it in with sprinklings of pirates, and soak it overnight in a pot of anime, and One Piece Odyssey would be the result.

This reviewer had never had any experience with the franchise before playing this game, but One Piece Odyssey goes out of its way to make all gamers feel at home, at least with the setting and lore. Luffy, the main character, is part of the Straw Hat Gang who gets stranded on an island after their ship is destroyed. If you love starting an RPG from level 1, your initial fears can be assuaged. Similar to Lufia 1, the powerhouses you control in the first half hour aren’t indicative of how the rest of the game will go, thankfully. Upon being stranded and separated, then, players quickly find that all the powers every party member once had have been sapped, and they are all now level 1 weaklings with no strong attacks.

This is because Sky Princess Lim feared that the Straw Hat Gang is – surprise, surprise – a criminal pirate group. Of course, this ignores the most obvious solution: changing the name to not have “gang” in it; maybe that would help with how people perceive you so they don’t feel inclined to fear you or screw you over. Alas, the group of heroes is tasked with finding scattered cube fragments so everyone can gain their power back. They are usually hidden fairly well, but at the same time, playing with the camera shows they tend to be pretty much in plain sight. It is odd because some characters seem to get cube fragments much quicker than others, some reaching 10 before a different one hits 2. This imbalance pushes the characters with the most cube fragments because they are strongest.

Special attacks look great for the most part, but some are just bizarre. There is no way to skip them, and because of this, they become tedious to watch over the long run. Though there is a way to speed up battles, a skip button would have been welcome for the lengthy attacks. Adio’s special attack where he recklessly fires bullets all around deserves special mention for being one of the most ridiculous attacks in RPG history.

Regardless of a few lame-looking special attacks, the art style is stunning, attacks or otherwise, like a mix between Dragon Quest XI and Ni no Kuni, but unique enough to warrant attention because it is obvious a lot of care went into creating each environment and every character. The island of Waford is an intriguing place to explore with many hideous monsters to whoop. Those squirrels are the cartoon version of a nightmare, but it is an incentive to pulverise them before having to deal with them for too long!

However, and this might be a lack of anime exposure, but those odd-looking faces some of the characters make are hard to get used to. Otherwise, the scenery and towns are gorgeous. Sandals in tow (Luffy), a town by the beach, you get the feeling of a laid-back RPG; this seems like a colourful, inviting world just waiting to be explored.

Cracks start to appear once a little progression is made and you realise you are heavily restricted in exploration. Constantly, a party member will turn Luffy away from going down a path if it’s separate from the one that leads to the main objective. Despite the world being so pretty, it is hard to see it on your terms because this is a linear game that dictates when and where you go.

At times it is downright obnoxious because there are plenty of things to do outside of the main quest. One of the worst offenders is being within meters of a save point and not being able to reach it. The fast travel options are at times confusing too. You can touch signs to allow fast travel, but not every area is immediately available when accessing fast travel from the in-game map. Why make fast travel more cumbersome than it has to be? To get to other areas, you have to camp, talk to Lim, tell her you want to go somewhere strange, watch a cutscene, talk to her again, pick the area, and watch another cutscene. Then potentially you still need to go to the in-game map and fast-travel to a specific place. Why they had to add in these extra steps to get to other areas is strange. Everything should have been accessible from the map to begin with, and it doesn’t inspire completing quests.

Is the game as easy as some claim? In the opening hours, level gains are rapid and with it are some nice power gains. However, that slows down in the second half of the game. Even as experience bonuses seem to roll in more frequently, a ton of experience is required for the next level. If a score of 1 is a game you can beat with your eyes closed, 10 is the hardest game you are ever likely to play, and 5 is simply moderate, One Piece Odysseymight get a 3, perhaps 4. Not bad, but far from the easiest game, with the caveat that some of the late-game bosses pack a punch and can knock out a party member if you neglect healing for too many turns – and while game overs are unlikely, expect some close calls. Enemies are viewable on-screen and are insanely easy to avoid, to the point you may never see foes give up as easily as the ones in this game. Simply run away for a few paces and they stop and turn around.

The battle system is some kind of odd hybrid between a typical turn-based and something you might have seen in a game like Wild Arms 4 or 5. Those two games had the hex system where every character had their own area, of seven in total, on the battlefield, and enemies had another. Sometimes enemies and characters were split across several of these areas, though multiple enemies could share one of the seven spots, and multiple party members could also share the same spot, but party members and foes could not be in the same one. The camera was zoomed out enough so you could see everything.

In One Piece Odyssey, the battlefield is divided into four areas, and enemies and foes can share the same area. Unless you have a multi-area attack, a specific character is relegated to the area they start in at the beginning of battle until the enemies in their area are beaten. Then they can move to a new area. It is jarring to get used to and somewhat confusing at first because it is zoomed in on one area, but in general, the battle system is highly likely to grow on you, and it is fun once you get over its quirks. Other than a few damage sponges in the last quarter of the game, enemies can be beaten with a few precision strikes.

Sometimes One Piece Odyssey presents an in-battle challenge which, if met, nets a huge experience bonus. Beating a specific powered-up enemy before they defeat one of your characters, or beating a specific enemy with a specific character are two of the most common challenges.

Perhaps the most disappointing enemies are the bounties. Usually, these are powered up compared to the current enemies you are facing in any other game with bounties. If you are licking your chops at how high the bounties are set (in the millions), the game has a “gotcha” moment when it’s time to get paid for the first bounty. After all taxes, fees, etc. are taken out, you end up with a fraction of the stated amount. Not a huge deal on its own; after all, what could you possibly do with 1 million when everything costs five digits, six at most? However, the joke grows stale after that because the inflated number is always shown.

Still, there are tons of bounties, and later in the game, even with all the fees, it still adds up the more you engage. Some of them are even easier than most enemies, too. There are other side quests, but nothing should shock any seasoned RPG fan, as they are mostly fetch quests or ask players to track something down. Some have solid rewards, but other aren’t all that worth it. Plus, randomly being closed out of some places at unpredictable times makes completing, or simply ending, other quests annoying.

Some quests offer excellent accessories as rewards, and one of the best features of One Piece Odyssey is the deep customisation that results from equipping them. Each accessory comes in a different shape and size, with the best taking up the most space. Generally speaking, each one fits onto a small grid that each character has. At first, the grid is 4×4, eventually expands to 4×5, and finally, towards the end of the game, to 5×5. Therefore, like Tetris, you have to fit in the various accessories. If you want to make a powerhouse, the option exists to simply equip accessories that increase attack. Others improve defense, increase HP, or offer protection against certain elements, while others increase the likelihood of critical hits, and so on. Later on, the chance to combine accessories arises, but even with limited use of this, steady progression towards the end game can be made. It is easy to get lost in the accessory screen because the music is so relaxing.

The same composer who has worked on several Tales games did the music here, and it certainly has similar vibes, with tracks that are enjoyable to listen to. However, it’s disappointing not to have English dubs for the cutscenes, as it is harder to fully immerse in the most serious moments.

One Piece Odyssey is a decent game that could have been so much more with some tweaking. It is easily accessible for non-fans, but with that said, fans are likely to feel stronger connections and perhaps be more forgiving of some of the flaws. The most vexing aspect is just how linear the game is and, beyond that, restricting alternative paths or ways back to prior areas, at times. The biggest area you will find, the desert, is smaller than some of the smallest places in other games. For an island that could have been a blast to uncover and explore (just look at Ys VIII as an example), this game disappoints. Still, at just around 40 hours, there is enough to like to at least give it a shot.

Cubed3 Rating

One Piece Odyssey is a decent RPG with a beautiful world, enjoyable combat, great music, and surprisingly deep customisation. Sadly, its overly linear exploration and some tedious design choices keep it from reaching its full potential.

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