On paper, One Piece Odyssey feels like the game One Piece fans have always wanted. And thanks to a new gameplay trailer at Summer Game Fest, we got to see a fresh look at One Piece Odyssey in action. The trailer can be viewed below.
One Piece Odyssey tells an original story written by One Piece manga author Eiichiro Oda. The game will also have the backing of a soundtrack composed by Motoi Sakuraba of Dark Souls fame. It’s the latest of many One Piece video games that are based on the long-running anime and manga franchise.
However, while most prior games were focused on fast-paced brawls, One Piece Odyssey is a JRPG with turn-based mechanics. The game is being developed by ILCA, which recently worked on the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes, and it’s being published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Taking inspiration from the right places
One Piece Odyssey will let players take control of various members of Monkey D. Luffy’s Straw Hat crew. The new trailer depicts the team being flung into the sky by a Knock Up Stream. When they eventually make their way out of the clouds, they find themselves on an unknown island filled with mystery.
The One Piece Odyssey trailer then shows some quick glimpses of controlling characters like Zoro, Luffy, and Tony Tony Chopper, as they explore the island. We get to see some of the monsters we’ll likely have to fight, but there was no actual combat shown during the trailer.
One Piece Odyssey feels like it’s taking a better approach compared to previous games in the series. The open exploration is reminiscent of One Piece: World Seeker, but the JRPG mechanics, such as turn-based combat, should hopefully set it apart. At a visual glance, it looks to be taking cues from other JRPGs like Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, and that’s no bad thing.
One Piece Odyssey is set to release later this year on PC.
