Games Happy

Being a fan of One Piece most likely implies that I used to be prone to both be extra-critical of its RPG adaptation or alternatively extra lenient with a private attachment to the characters. Now after having performed One Piece Odyssey, I believe I’m leaning on the “extra important” aspect. Odyssey is the primary main turn-based RPG for the collection, with the mega-hit Shonen manga extra typically tailored into motion titles as a substitute. I used to be fairly enthusiastic about this recreation, with my solely concern being that the principle improvement group ILCA, was largely solely recognized for his or her assist work and extra not too long ago the Pokemon Pearl and Diamond remakes which acquired a combined reception. I haven’t minded their work on the Voice of Playing cards collection, although.

The setup, and story general, is fairly fundamental. Captain Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates spots a wierd island and calls for they land there, earlier than being pulled in by a storm. Shipwrecked, a wierd woman known as Lim separates the pirate crew from their powers, which is represented on this RPG framework by being set again to stage one and having only a few abilities. The crew quickly fights the island guardian Collossi and travels to Memoria, dream-like lands made out of their collective recollections to be able to regain their scattered powers. Although the occasions in these recollections aren’t at all times precisely the identical as what truly occurred up to now.

By way of the place this story sits within the One Piece timeline, Odyssey is mainly like a lot of the movies – in that it isn’t truly canon and solely exists someplace between arcs the place it may by no means make good sense. It on the very least is after Dressrosa, however primarily based on some issues Sanji says it may nearly be after Entire Cake Island, if it weren’t for a lacking crew member. For One Piece followers, you’d know that the crew briefly splits up round that a part of the story, so it technically doesn’t cleanly match anyplace.

Personally, I discover it tough to suggest One Piece Odyssey to those that aren’t already followers of the collection, and never simply because it’s a largely bland RPG. For these probably curious about One Piece, Odyssey isn’t actually a great way to get into it, as a result of even should you don’t thoughts spoilers and figuring out arc plot factors effectively forward of time, the minor variations that happen in Memoria could effectively confuse you. Lim does view some slideshow-esque flashbacks to remind individuals of what occurs throughout these tales, as every journey to Memoria solely covers a part of the occasions for every arc, nevertheless it’s not fairly ample for the uninitiated.

I discovered the fight to be largely painless, and that’s primarily as a result of it’s fairly fundamental. The battles use a paper-scissors-rock system with character sorts. Being at a sort drawback means you’ll deal hardly any injury, and take quite a bit in return. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to freely change your characters round their location on the battlefield (with some exceptions) and from the reserve get together, with out taking any penalty, so there’s completely no motive not to take action to be able to make the most of sort weaknesses. The battles are break up up into small groupings of your get together and enemies, and to be able to be a part of one other space, you’ll both want to wash up who’s in entrance of you or use a long-ranged assault. There’s an possibility to vary your formation which mainly units up the probabilities of characters being additional away from enemies or nearer to 1 one other, however I hardly used it. One factor you’ll discover is that you would be able to’t transfer again to freed-up areas, as they mainly not exist. So the one technique I actually employed was throughout boss fights I attempted to maintain Chopper away from the boss for so long as I may.

Expertise use technical factors (TP) that are simply restored through the use of your fundamental assault. After all, there’s additionally a small variety of parts to which sure enemies could also be immune to, and some standing results (with bleeding being probably the most annoying). All through fight encounters, you might be given a bonus goal, comparable to taking down a all of a sudden powered-up enemy earlier than a celebration member faints, or taking them out with a selected character. Doing so offers you bonus exp however there’s no penalty for failing, which was good when it wished me to make use of Brook to avoid wasting Robin towards an enemy he may barely scratch. I believe the funniest of those is once you get bonus factors only for therapeutic a low HP get together member. Whereas that system does encourage you to do issues otherwise, your technique stays largely the identical. There’s definitely no must grind and finally I ultimately ended up skipping each different fight encounter.

Every character’s individuality is represented effectively inside the fight system. Usopp is the one one capable of do his fundamental assault from distant and Chopper is your solely healer. Particularly, Luffy can go into his second gear for 3 turns (although there’s not a lot aside from TP stopping you from doing it once more instantly) and Chopper can use Monster Level turning him into an enormous tank, however then restricts him from utilizing his therapeutic abilities. Virtually each transfer characters use within the supply materials is finally current within the recreation, and they’re very effectively animated.

The boss fights are maybe the most important disappointment of Odyssey, successfully being merely barely stronger enemies that don’t make you differ your techniques or have phases within the slightest. Until a part for you is combating them midway down, after which their well being refilling with them now being barely stronger. They’re additionally prone to gadgets that scale back their protection, that means the one powerful encounter I had (partway by way of the sport) was instantly diminished.

Outdoors of the fight, there’s some minor exploration and crafting methods (for gear, meals, and different gadgets). There are additionally just a few dungeons in recreation, providing some fundamental puzzles to unravel. Whereas exploring you’ll want to modify to Chopper to get by way of tight areas, play as Usopp to shoot an merchandise down, or change to a personality like Sanji who has noticed an additional ingredient. You’ll largely run round as Luffy since he’s the one one who can grapple hook himself round sure spots on the earth. Exploring is quite essential, as inside the world you’ll purchase character-specific cubes that are ability factors, with additional development permitting you to stage up extra abilities. Facet quests are additionally fairly fundamental, however the bounty hunts generally is a little enjoyable because the enemies you struggle model themselves after actual villains the Straw Hats have fought earlier than.

I discovered no points operating the sport on my Ps 5, barring one softlock (simply after a save level). I did discover one odd factor in that after I missed an assault it could say “assault ineffective” even when I had used it earlier than. The one time an assault was ineffective it mentioned “miss”, so that they have been doubtless positioned within the unsuitable spot, however which will simply confuse gamers at the very least momentarily. The gear system is grid-based however there’s an auto-equip possibility permitting you to avoid wasting your self the difficulty of making an attempt to suit issues in ideally. I did use the auto equip for protection possibility as soon as after which the enemy I used to be going through may knock me out in a single hit as a substitute of two so I’m unsure how good the non-balanced choices are.

The sport appears fairly good, simply becoming into the artwork model of the unique materials. Personally, I didn’t like how a lot of the new enemy creatures seemed, however not all the things in One Piece is made to look fairly. The 3D model made me assume Nami seemed a bit paying homage to the Useless Island Riptide Particular Version bust (although much less gory). Luffy’s eyes additionally didn’t alter very effectively as a 3D mannequin, wanting only a bit odd. I’ve already talked about the animations, however for One Piece followers, they’re an actual deal with. Even when I do want the fast-forward possibility was a bit sooner. Robin will get her signature seize assault which is enjoyable to witness, however even in her massive assaults, you’ll be able to see the a number of limbs turning into one large one earlier than touchdown the hit.

After all, the dub solid of One Piece is behind the Japanese airing, so it’s maybe no shock this recreation doesn’t function them as an possibility, nonetheless, it’s disappointing. Outdoors of in-battle dialogue (comparable to enemies swearing on defeat), each different factor mentioned is subtitled. One factor I actually appreciated was the soundtrack, they aren’t fairly of the playlist-worthy stage, however I’m prone to take heed to the tracks on occasion. The songs all labored very well for the setting with the assorted devices working effectively so as to add to the adventurous aptitude.

One Piece Odyssey sadly matches the “it takes twenty hours to get good” shoe, which for a simply barely over forty-ish hour recreation, isn’t well worth the effort. Asides from the introduction phase, the primary Memoria you journey to is Alabasta, which consists of large desert tracks and plenty of backtracking. At nearly any level the place it’s important to backtrack, the sport will disable quick journey. This complete journey feels prefer it has a tonne of missed alternatives, particularly in relation to the usage of crew members. Franky and Brook don’t be a part of your get together till very near the top, that means you miss out on getting their response to some locations they haven’t been to. And within the circumstances of Robin in Alabasta, and Usopp in Water Seven they keep away from the get together for many of that journey, making the alternate expertise not that completely different ultimately. It additionally took a bit too lengthy for the character’s personalities to shine by way of, however as soon as it, did the group dynamic was current by way of each minor piece of dialogue.

I used to be additionally disenchanted that sure moments weren’t made into cutscenes, and even playable segments. Resembling one level the place you save Princess Vivi it, merely tells you in textual content what you probably did. This particularly agitating after on a regular basis spent combing by way of the sand for minor issues as a substitute of taking part in what may have been a extra enjoyable rescue mission. Afterward, these kinds of occasions shook issues up a bit extra, and there was one distinctly enjoyable half (for a fan) in Dressrosa, they usually simply didn’t do sufficient of that.

Via the animations alone I can see there was quite a lot of care put into creating this recreation, with some severe consideration to element (even right down to Sanji refusing to wreck the only real feminine enemy within the recreation). However there are some very fundamental design choices, particularly relating to recreation development that hamper the expertise enormously. The backtracking continues all through even all the best way to the very finish, to the purpose that I actually puzzled what the additional padding was for. I’m not even within the post-game quest of combating more durable opponents since all of the boss fights prior have been so fundamental. The nice solid simply isn’t sufficient to not make sure elements of the sport really feel like a chore. For the One Piece fan who can deal with a little bit of tedium and lackluster bosses, I can suggest it, for anybody else I wouldn’t recommend it.

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