Access all of our TGS 2018 coverage here!
Even outside the anime and/or manga community, One Piece should make for a familiar name. Formerly considered as part of Shounen Jump’s Big Three (along with Bleach and Naruto), the long-running series has continued to please fans with well fleshed-out characters, humourous moments, and a healthy serving of emotions.
All of these are, of course, credited to creator Eiichiro Oda, so it’s definitely a good start that the original story of its upcoming video game counterpart One Piece World Seeker fell under the supervision of the man himself. Slated for release in 2019, it will head to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms, with a synopsis that reads:
One Piece World Seeker finds Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates marooned on Jewel Island. The island was devastated by war several years ago and has begun to be rebuilt under the watchful eye of the Navy. The residents of the island are split into two groups; the “Pro Navy” group, which welcomes the control and modernization, and the “Anti Navy” group who values the traditions of the island.
Sporting the familiar themes of teamwork, never-say-die attitude, and camaraderie, the title features two new game-only characters: Jeanne, the young leader of the “Anti Navy” group, and Issac, the warden of the massive prison built that casts its shadow across all of Jewel Island. Despite that, only One Piece‘s protagonist Luffy remains playable, and fans, in his shoes, are tasked to work together with the former to overthrow the latter.
Both drawn by Oda himself, this new duo comes decked out in a colour palette that aptly reflects their roles in the narrative. Jeanne, as the deuteragonist, is all bright, vibrant hues, while Issac takes on the darker shades, with a white obligatory bad guy-cape to boot.
While gameplay specifics remain vague at this time, the political overtones of One Piece World Seeker are bound to add an extra layer of intrigue into the story. With Luffy being in the limelight all the time, perhaps it’s time for the two new characters to shine instead – in both on the battlefield, and off it. No cliches, hopefully?
Access all of our TGS 2018 coverage here!
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Gerald
Natalie
