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Despite its original 2023 release date, One Piece Odyssey is ready to welcome new pirates into its perilous waters, but this time, on the Nintendo Switch. While many players might be skeptical about Nintendo’s latest console running a semi-open world game properly, I must tell you: the port is surprisingly great. While there are a few issues that might be related to the hardware, it is completely playable and a fantastic way to take Luffy and his crew on the go any time you want.
Down Memory Island
I will not delve too much into One Piece Odyssey‘s story because, by now, many know what transpires. However, for the uninitiated, here’s a quick rundown. In what seems to be a filler episode for the long-running show and manga series, Luffy and his crew arrive at a mysterious island. After losing their powers, they have no choice but to scour this dangerous area to look for them. However, each power they recover is tied to the characters’ past memories, which will take players back in time to iconic moments of the series.
Since this is only a port for the Nintendo Switch, many issues of One Piece Odyssey remain, such as its pacing. Thankfully, that’s one of the only major issues in the game. The other elements remain fantastic even a year after the game’s original launch on other platforms.
Speaking of fantastic things, I can’t help but feel excited to experience One Piece Odyssey‘s combat on the go. I’ve always thought the game’s combat is terrific. While it has the usual turn-based elements and the rock-paper-scissors-like mechanics, how it implements them is what makes the game shine. Your party members can engage in a fight and face enemies in different arenas. You have skills that allow you to swap combat areas or even attack from afar. This is a welcome layer of difficulty and tactical choice that I always liked and it feels great to experience this on a handheld console.
On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch release of One Piece Odyssey does not offer any new fancy features. Yes, you can play it in handheld mode or docked, but that’s it. There are also no notable Joy-Con additions or anything else that makes it stand out from the other versions. Still, I feel this is the best way to enjoy this game. Since the gameplay is the aspect I like the most in Odyssey, it is now the perfect pick-and-play game that can scratch that JRPG itch on the go.
A Few Issues Can Rock The Thousand Sunny
Since many might be wondering if it’s worth buying One Piece Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch, let’s delve into performance. As a whole, it isn’t bad, most of the time. When you are exploring and watching cutscenes, everything is flawless. Most story-related encounters are smooth and have zero issues, which is great for those who focus only on that. However, due to what I imagine are hardware limitations, there are sadly many long load times. These are even more apparent when facing random encounters. It takes a lot of time to start a fight, which makes the process of getting from point A to point B a bit tedious.
On the flip side, the visuals are great. The only inconsistencies I found were related to shadows and how they were rendered. In certain areas, they take a while to appear. But it isn’t too evident and never becomes jarring. Also, for an anime-themed game, everything looks as if it were ripped out from the show. All character models, expressions, and combat moves are perfectly done. Even the flashiest moves don’t take a toll on Nintendo’s latest hardware, which is great. Since I played One Piece Odyssey on my Nintendo Switch Lite, the console’s temperature rose quickly, but that’s largely a problem with many Switch games nowadays. Still, I feel like it’s worth noting.
The Straw Hats On The Go
Undoubtedly, Bandai Namco has done another fantastic port. While I was skeptical at first, I was happy to see how smoothly the game ran. And while it has a few performance issues, they never stopped me from playing. Yes, longer load times might be a downside for many, but you get used to them quickly. Also, something I praise is how great the visuals look. Some other Nintendo Switch releases have many texture issues, but Odyssey had none.
Ultimately, my only issue with the game is the same as when I played it a year ago: its story. Its pacing is not great, and instead of bringing something new for the Straw Hats, it takes everyone down a road brimming with fan service. Nevertheless, fans of the series will likely love this, but newcomers may find the story and characters a bit too hard to connect with, especially if this is your first foray into One Piece. Still, JRPG players will find a solid combat system and intricate mechanics that will hook you quickly. Overall, this is one of the best modern ports on the Nintendo Switch in a while and an excellent way to experience Luffy’s new adventure.
One Piece Odyssey is out now for the Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
