While One Piece Odyssey is set to tell a mostly original story, previews of the game have also shown that it will be delving into story arcs from the original manga. While One Piece games have been common throughout the series' almost 20-year-long run, Odyssey is a departure from more action-oriented adaptations, and is instead set to take the form of a turn-based JRPG, complete with an original story penned by series author Eiichiro Oda.
With One Piece Odyssey releasing in early 2023, developer ILCA and publisher Bandai Namco have released a steady stream of promotional footage showing off the game's story and gameplay. Taking a page from long-running RPG series like Dragon Quest, Odyssey takes the Straw Hats on an expansive adventure to the mysterious island of Waford, a setting original to Odyssey, and features the entire Straw Hat crew as a party in turn-based combat. However, alongside the game's more original setting, characters, and story, pre-release material has shown that the game will also spend a fair amount of time revisiting areas and stories from the original manga.
One Piece Odyssey Revisits The Manga's Most Beloved Stories
Within the story of One Piece Odyssey, the Straw Hat crew is set to revisit "memories" of several of One Piece's most popular stories, including the arcs of Alabasta, Water 7/Enies Lobby, Marineford, and Dressrosa. While, as seen in hands-on previews of One Piece Odyssey, these memories entail fully-realized sections of the game complete with unique NPCs, it remains to be seen how narrative twists will affect the retellings of various One Piece arcs. With Odyssey's memory sections comprised of many of One Piece's most well-regarded arcs, it may turn out to be a tall task for the game to successfully adapt them.
Odyssey's Memory Arcs Will Add New Twists to One Piece Storylines
Although Odyssey's memory sections have seemingly been carefully selected from the best and most popular of what the manga has to offer, covering such beloved material could potentially backfire, especially as the game seems poised to make significant changes in how the stories play out. However, while potential changes to well-regarded storylines could be concerning to some fans, they may also prove to be a needed addition, potentially helping Odyssey rectify issues in One Piece's manga. Straight retellings would also have nothing new to offer longtime fans, while simultaneously being hard-pressed to provide space for later additions to the Straw Hat crew.
As Odyssey is quickly approaching its release date, fans of One Piece won't have to wait long to see how the game's memory sections play out. With promotional material already pointing to significant shake-ups in the retellings of past arcs, the game is certainly looking to provide a mix of iconic moments and dramatic changes that will show the manga's most popular arcs in a new light. Whether One Piece Odyssey can stick the landing, however, is something that remains to be seen when the game releases on January 13, 2023.
Source: BANDAI NAMCO Europe/YouTube
