JRPG One Piece Odyssey is a major letdown for One Piece fans

One PieceIt is one thing. The pirate-centric manga and anime series’ branding can be found in films, bath bombs, deodorant, and commercials for Indeed.com. To its detriment, One Piece Odyssey, the new JRPG from developer ILCA, tries to capitalize on that ubiquity by appealing to everyone, and as is often the case with this approach, it doesn’t feel geared toward anyone. It’s composed of tailored moments for both casual and longtime fans, but the end result is a garbled adventure. You will find a great RPG somewhere within. One Piece Odyssey, but it’s obstructed by numerous baffling choices.

One Piece centers on Monkey D. Luffy’s journey to becoming King of the Pirates. Luffy sets out to find the One Piece, a treasure that is legendary, with the Straw Hat Pirates as his team.

One Piece OdysseyOn Waford, an island named Waford was marooned by the Straw Hat Pirates. There are only two people on the island: Adio, an explorer and Lim, his surrogate girl. Like most rational people, Lim doesn’t trust pirates. Upon spotting the crew, Lim preemptively uses her abilities to remove the group’s memories of how to fight. To regain their skills, the Straw Hats need to explore the mysterious “world of memory.” This functions as an excuse to lead players through re-creations of iconic moments from One Piece’s 25-year history.

Image: ILCA/Bandai Namco

Thus, OdysseyThe story is original, but it borrows haphazardly from other sources without fleshing them out. When the manga is adapted via “memories,” it’s almost like watching the world’s worst clip show. The entire thing has been cut down. The famous beats remain intact, with very little buildup. Despite this abbreviation, the Straw Hats act as emotionally charged as when the events first occurred, causing a rift between the writing and the emotions it’s trying to extract. It’s difficult to feel invested when none of it ultimately matters.

It’s unclear what audience was in mind during Odyssey’s development. You can also experience this as a way to get over your grief. One PieceTo dive in to its universe for the first-time. For long-time readers, these stories will not be new. Dressrosa — the most recent arc included in Odyssey —It was published originally in 2013-2015 and appeared in many recap specials. It’s outdated. Conversely, OdysseyFeatures too much information about each arc, making it difficult for fans to find the right one without context.

Odyssey doesn’t respect the player’s time in the design sense, either. Levels are tedious, filled with mundane, mandatory fetch quests, like locating a desert bandit who has stolen the crew’s food or defeating an unnamed outlaw to claim their bounty. Bad optimization makes this monotonous design even more frustrating. Sometimes, the loading screens are too short and can impede progress at critical points. They’re especially prevalent during puzzle sections in which you have to quickly go between multiple areas. They can cause a halt. Odyssey’s momentum at nearly every turn.

Image: ILCA/Bandai Namco

OdysseyIt is also difficult to navigate its world, as it fails to provide clear guidance. The map doesn’t show you where to go unless you’re in the same zone as your objective: If you reach your destination in Zone A and your next objective is in Zone A, a bright red exclamation point will mark your ultimate destination. However, if you complete an objective in Zone A and need to go to Zone B, there will be no indication of how to reach Zone B. What’s more, tracking is almost entirely absent for side quests, requiring players to rely on verbal cues to ascertain the next step.

Bright side: Odyssey’s art direction does a great job mimicking the source material. The environments and characters are the best they’ve ever looked in any One PieceDressrosa Town and Marineford Town are two standout spots. The animal designs are a clever mix of savage and camp elements. There’s a gargantuan squirrel enemy with a malicious smile that sticks its tongue out like a goofball. Side quests are also filled with silly scenes, like the one in which Sanji — the series’ resident flirt — fields affections from a horse. It’s great. Odyssey’s vivid take on the One PieceThe challenges of navigation and pacing in the world are more difficult than ever.

The game excels at combat despite its technical shortcomings. Odyssey’s developers understand the appeal of One Piece’s many brawls, and it shows during Scramble Area Battles. In a turn-based rock-paper scissors system, characters fill in roles. Your party is spread out across several distinct areas in the combat zone, and you need to consider how you’d like to match up crew members with enemies. It’s important to determine when your party members are in need of assistance. Every skirmish feels, like the original series’s, like part of a team effort.

Image: ILCA/Bandai Namco

However, be aware: Odyssey’s combat isn’t designed for those seeking a challenge — by the mid-to-late game, your team will likely be overpowered. Thankfully, as you progress, you’ll unlock beautiful attack animations of the Straw Hats’ most powerful techniques, including Luffy’s Gum-Gum Red Hawk or Zoro’s Charming Demon Sleepless Night Onigiri. Combat is easygoing and more welcoming than intimidating. This speaks to the canon — Luffy and his friends often tear through foes — but it won’t give rise to any major difficulties. It’s more focused on spectacle than depth, and it works.

It’s clear, both in Odyssey’s thrilling combat and colorful art direction, that ILCA harbors a lot of love for its source material. But these fleeting moments of joy make their counterparts — hapless storytelling, terrible pacing, and stilted navigation — all the more exhausting by comparison. Within this kernel is the core of any good RPG. Odyssey’s framework, but it’s surrounded by so much muck that it can’t shine through. One Piece is a well-known and long-storied game with a rich history. I’m not sure if it has been remastered. OdysseySoon, they will be gone.

One Piece Odyssey The game was launched on January 12th on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC. Bandai Namco provided a prerelease code for the game. The review was done on PS5. Vox Media also has affiliate relationships. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions for products sold via affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.