Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest 2022 livestream was packed to the brim with announcements, including several unexpected but familiar faces. One surprise appearance was from Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates, the main characters of popular long-running manga and anime series One Piece.
Luffy and the crew brought with them a new trailer for upcoming Japanese role-playing game One Piece Odyssey, which stars the Straw Hats as they visit a mysterious, previously unexplored island on the Grand Line. Players will get to take control of the ship Thousand Sunny and its unique crew, including Sanji, Zoro, Robin, Nami, Chopper, Brook, Franky, and, of course, Luffy himself. Playable characters will have a variety of powers based on the various Devil Fruits they have eaten, including Luffy’s trademark ability to stretch out his limbs like rubber. Characters will also be able to perform aerial maneuvers taking place over and on top of the Thousand Sunny, as shown in the trailer when the Straw Hats are menaced by threatening storm clouds.
The brand new island setting of One Piece Odyssey will feature all-new characters to encounter, mysteries to solve, and enemies to fight, ranging from wild creatures like giant monkeys to crafted golems made from stone and metal. The design of both the world and combat have already drawn comparisons to other popular Japanese role-playing games such as Persona and Dragon Quest. Gameplay reveals that multiple characters will be playable, with short featured sections showing players controlling Zoro and Chopper, with the latter using his tiny size to access areas that may not be available to other characters.
One Piece Odyssey is currently scheduled to release in late 2022. It will be available for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S. The game is co-developed using Unreal Engine by Toei Animation and Bandai Namco.
