A new developer diary showcases One Piece Odyssey gameplay

One Piece Odyssey was revealed just a few months ago as a brand-new JRPG set in the world of the popular anime and manga series. Bandai Namco Entertainment gave us a closer look at it’s gameplay earlier this month, and now, developer ILCA is giving us a bit more information on One Piece Odyssey in the form of a developer diary.

The One Piece Odyssey gameplay demonstration comes from producer Katsuaki Tsuzuki and composer Motoi Sakuraba, as well as the One Piece editor-in-chief at Weekly Shonen Jump, Ken Takano. The video goes over some exploration and platforming gameplay, as well as a first look at the game’s turn-based combat system.

Some interesting tidbits include the fact that the game began development five years ago while One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 was being marketed. Scenario production started around the time the Whole Cake Island arc was ongoing in the manga. After creating the framework, the team contacted manga author Eiichiro Oda to ask if he could consult and provide art and character designs for the project. Oda ended up creating Adio and Lim, in addition to new animal characters like the Dry Penguin and Leviathan.

A lot of love and care is going into One Piece Odyssey

The team behind the game seems to care a lot about the project and it shows. Tsuzuki discussed making an adventure that captures the adventure and drama unique to the series, and that there is a hidden meaning to the “Let’s travel to the heart of memories” slogan seen in the reveal trailer. The studio also paid attention to minute details, such as what clouds look like in One Piece and how to accurately represent its world for an immersive, authentic experience.

In the game, players can switch between different members of the Straw Hat crew at will, explore environments, and enter battles with enemies that roam around. Characters have unique abilities, such as Luffy being able to stretch his arms to reach high platforms and Zoro’s ability to cut through obstacles in his path.

Finally, turn-based combat features systems like Scramble Area Battles. This system randomly assigns allies and opponents to different combat zones and tasks players with making use of battlefield positions and characters’ unique skills. There’s also the Dramatic Scene system. Players will have to adapt to unexpected problems, such as Vinsmoke Sanji becoming incapacitated as women surround him.

Tsuzuki ended the developer diary by teasing that there is plenty more news to come about One Piece Odyssey. One Piece Odyssey is due to release on PC later this year.