One Piece Odyssey Appeals To More Than Just Fans Of Anime & JRPGs

The One Piece franchise has a long history in the video game industry. Popular manga and anime series have grown into multimedia behemoths over the years, expanding into the world of video game spin-offs. Although it belongs in the Japanese role-playing genre, we've never really seen it there. The release of One Piece Odyssey next month will change that. As a major fan of the series and a lover of role-playing games, I thought One Piece Odyssey was a step in the right direction when I first saw it. What other television show is better suited to follow the JRPG format than the manga that constantly has that vibe to it? I discovered that my suspicion was correct after having the chance to play One Piece Odyssey and speak with its producer Rei Hirata. Odyssey is not simply another anime-spinoff JRPG looking to make a quick buck. It aims to advance the genre in the same way as its manga and anime equivalents have for their respective media. One thing about One Piece Odyssey that sticks out right away is that it's chasing the series' vision more than any game before it, like playing through the manga's panels. I was happy to discover that the Straw Hat Pirates were shown using the best 3D models they've ever had when I started the demo. Each character had an outlandishly exaggerated attitude that made them seem to have jumped right out of the manga. This was one of the most crucial phases of the game's development for the team, according to producer Rei Hirata. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="220"] Picture Credit:  Wikipedia[/caption] I was astounded by the level of character attention to detail, which has never been seen in a One Piece game. I love characters like Nico Robin, so this is nothing new for me, but I was more enthralled by the rest of the ensemble than usual. Thanks to the cinematic aspect of JRPGs, the action, scene composition, and intensity of battles in One Piece are transferred flawlessly into a game for the first time here. It has never felt more satisfying to watch a rubberman pump up his blood and unleash a barrage of powerful punches at enormous crabs. You can be sure that the series' trademark adventure will be present in full form here. I came into a wide variety of hitherto unseen characters from the One Piece Universe, including enormous ice walruses and strange, monkeys who attacked me. After the demo time restriction had passed, I didn't want to leave because it had completely engulfed me in Eiichiro Oda's expansive world. Jumping ahead to the game's more dramatic sections, the plot starts with the crew landing on an island and being cut off from their ship. After they have regrouped, they encounter two enigmatic individuals with murky motives. The search is on after they misplaced the extensive move kits they had acquired throughout the series as a result of one of the two's mysterious powers. While discovering the mysteries of this island, which contains references to a previous island explored in the series, Skypiea, they must uncover cubes that preserve their memories. Because it might as well be one, the storyline sounds fantastic for a One Piece movie. I would put the controller down so frequently and just watch the TV, briefly forgetting that I was meant to be playing a game. There are the outrageous character antics, dramatic twists in the story, heartwarming situations, and of course, Luffy's fierce battle scenes. And the fact that it never stops only makes it greater. In and out of battle, the Straw Hats are always interacting with one another and letting their personalities emerge. The discussions may consist of one-liners, a brief quotation, or an actual passage from a story. This can also be observed when specific characters assist other characters in battle, like as when Sanji offers Nami supplies and calls her by her famous nickname, "NAMI SWAN!" I was enamored with everything it had to offer, and it just oozes with One Piece style and affection. Each section allows players to have up to four party members, who may be changed out at any moment. This includes a continual strategy and a battle system that is easier to understand than in other JRPGs. For instance, I really like pitting Luffy against foes because he can deal and receive a lot of damage. After taking out the lesser foes, I kept my healer, Chopper, and two ranged fighters, Nico Robin and Usopp, at a distance to assist. Other times, because the game allows for such a wide range of tactical options, I would just worry about who would look the coolest battling what together. It's great that there isn't a need for an excessive number of these confrontations. By offering players more opportunity to level up and face tough adversaries in addition to being overleveled, the creators hoped to eliminate the grindy character of JRPGs, according to producer Katsuaki Tsuzuki. Characters can party and receive an experience point bonus for the subsequent 10 battles, in classic One Piece manner. Usopp has a variety of debuff techniques that are tough to employ against powerful adversaries, giving the team a significant level bonus. There is no need to rotate everyone onto the field for grinding because, like Pokémon, everyone levels up at the same time.