The first reviews for One Piece Odyssey have appeared ahead of the game's release on January 13. One Piece Odyssey is arguably the first big release of 2023, starting off a strong year of RPGs with a fully realized One Piece JRPG adaptation. The game has been in development for over five years and releases at a point where the over 25-year-old manga franchise is continuing to boom in popularity.
Developed by ILCA, the studio behind Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl that has also assisted development on titles like Dragon Quest 11 and NieR: Automata, One Piece Odyssey has been marketed as a love letter to the long-running anime and manga series while also making for a fun adventure for newcomers that are fans of the JRPG genre. With character designs and writing from manga creator Eiichiro Oda, there is a lot to be excited about heading into One Piece Odyssey.
Thankfully, it seems that the game is set to meet players' lofty expectations, as the first round of reviews indicate that One Piece Odyssey is a success, bringing the beloved anime and manga world faithfully into the JRPG genre. Here is what some critics have to say:
One Piece Odyssey Reviews
Push Square (Liam Croft)
"No matter whether you're a hardcore One Piece fan or a complete newcomer, One Piece Odyssey is an utter joy of a JRPG. Its combat system remains incredibly enjoyable throughout, and new mechanics provide depth and strategy in droves. Most certainly the highlight of the experience, but with fun exploration to boot, you're always assured of a good time. One Piece Odyssey plays a lot like Dragon Quest XI, and it's not that far off being just as good as it."
Score: 8/10
TheSixthAxis (Miguel Moran)
"One Piece Odyssey is the ultimate adventure for a diehard One Piece fan. It's touching to be able to revisit the people and places making up some of the series most iconic story arcs in a way that feels rich and immersive rather than skimmed-through and streamlined. Some quirks in the overworld exploration and a few combat design flaws might make this a but of an unpolished RPG on paper, but if you've spent the last two decades with Luffy and his crew, then the shine and charm of One Piece Odyssey is undeniable."
Score: 8/10
Twinfinite (Keenan McCall)
"Fans of One Piece and turn-based RPG lovers alike will be more than pleased with what One Piece Odyssey has to offer. Its combat offers a great new spin on the genre’s trademark battle systems, and is far deeper than one would expect from an anime-inspired title. Even if it isn’t perfect, the game takes chances in the best way possible and could very well lay the groundwork for much more promising One Piece games in the future."
Score: 4/5
Screen Rant (Natasha Martell)
"One Piece Odyssey is a success in storytelling, animation, and combat style. With a satisfying conclusion, One Piece Odyssey opens up a new world of potential storytelling in the One Piece universe. It's also proof that, if done correctly, games adapting iconic or expansive manga can be strong - if not groundbreaking - entries in the JRPG genre."
Score: 3.5/5
While this is just the first round of reviews, they at least indicate that One Piece Odyssey is a good time for fans of the manga and succeeds as both a JRPG and an enjoyable One Piece game. The only major criticisms of One Piece Odyssey that prevails through the reviews that are currently available is that the game's combat fails to offer too much of a challenge to keep non-One Piece fans engaged through the 20-30 hour long adventure. That said, the game's story seems to do a good job bringing newcomers up to speed on the adventures of the Straw Hats, retelling the events of Alabasta, Water 7, Marineford, and Dressrosa.
Players looking to give One Piece Odyssey a shot before dropping the full $59.99 asking price for it will be happy to know that Bandai Namco and ILCA have released a demo for the game for PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. The demo covers the first two hours of the game and save data will transfer into the full game upon its release.
One Piece Odyssey will release on January 13 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
