One Piece is one of the most successful anime and manga franchises of all time, celebrating a massive 25th anniversary in 2022. To help celebrate the milestone Bandai Namco has announced an ambitious-looking new game, One Piece Odyssey. The new project included brand new characters designed by series creator Eichiro Oda and tells a brand new original story, similar to the previous game, One Piece World Seeker. Of course, any One Piece fan will want to know when they can get their hands on the Straw Hat Pirates’ latest adventure, so here’s everything we know about One Piece Odyssey.
What is the One Piece Odyssey release window?
One Piece Odyssey is set to release sometime in 2022 on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Although Bandai Namco’s reveal didn’t provide a firm date, it’s important to keep in mind that “One Piece Day” happens on July 22, along with the anniversary. We could see a release sometime around that date or at the very least an announcement of a release date during the festivities.
Is there a trailer for One Piece Odyssey?
One Piece Odyssey has a rollicking reveal trailer, showing a bit of the new environments and characters. While it’s mostly made up of cutscenes, there are a few interesting details to glean from the trailer. Motoi Sakuraba, the composer behind Dark Souls and Tales, will be doing the soundtrack for the game.
It looks like Odyssey may take place sometime before the Wano Country Arc, as we see all of the core Straw Hat members besides the newest one, Jinbe. Unlike in World Seeker, players will actually be able to play as the other members of the crew.
Who’s developing One Piece Odyssey?
One Piece Odyssey is published by Bandai Namco, but the main development is being handled by a studio named ILCA. The studio has previously assisted in the development of games like Dragon Quest XI and Code Vein, although most recently it’s best known as the main developer of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. ILCA definitely has experience working on massive JRPGs, which is likely why it was chosen for One Piece Odyssey.
What is One Piece Odyssey’s story?
One Piece Odyssey starts with Luffy and the others getting swallowed by a huge storm while at sea. The crew wakes up separated on a mysterious island filled with nature, dangerous beats, and locals. It’s up to Luffy to reunite the members of the crew and unravel a mystery that pops up along the way.
In an interview translated by Gematsu, the game’s producer Katsuaki Tsuzuki said “I have been thinking that one of the most fascinating points about One Piece is the ‘adventure,’ so I thought that a ‘JRPG project offering a One Piece adventure experience like never before’ would be very interesting. So with the question of, ‘What should a One Piece adventure offer?’ and the concept of an ‘epic adventure to experience the One Piece world’ in mind, we collaborated with a development team that held the know-how for creating a full-blown RPG. The fruit of this long-term collaboration is One Piece Odyssey.”
One Piece Odyssey’s gameplay details
The biggest unknown about One Piece Odyssey is currently its gameplay. While we know you’ll be able to control the whole Straw Hat Crew, it’s not entirely clear if the combat will be action-based or turn-based. The trailer shows a few very short clips of special attacks during combat, which makes it look turn-based, but it’s hard to tell at this point.
Past that, there appears to be a decent amount of exploration, as the trailer shows Luffy exploring massive open areas, climbing vines, opening treasure chests, and more. Still, fans will have to wait a bit longer to get a full lock at what One Piece Odyssey’s gameplay will entail.
