A One Piece fighting game - Usually 3v3 but you can use the systems and make it be like 2v2 or 1v1.
Aside from having fighter characters, you also got support ones that can provide you with specific buffs or even tide turning tactical moves. The characters boast mostly from those up to that time (Dressrosa arc). Play the story, which will last around 3 hours at most, depending if you need to grind - since the game does have a small levelling system (PvE relevant, not as much in PvP). The cap is lv10 but the difference is noticeable, as you would hit harder and take less damage.
If you want a full single player experience and a deep story, this game won't provide it to you. You play through Marineford arc in 4 different perspectives and that's it. You can do Wanted posters to level yourself up and earn Beli to buy characters (fighting and support).
Simply said this game is more carried by its gameplay so how does that hold up? The gameplay is weirdly unbalanced. Certain characters can simply break the game in half while others are near useless. Does it mean it's an awful game? Not exactly. It suffers a lot in terms of balancing and the game's support barely lasted a year, but that's mostly Bandai Namco's and the dev team's responsibility for basically green lighting a half-finished product.
Art style is actually not bad. Looks very fitting to the show and characters play as you expect. For example, Whitebeard hits hard but isn't as fast while Boa is swift and elegant.
To be fair this game has great nods to One Piece as a whole. Luffy for example, is immune to Boas Mero Mero abilities and Sanji is useless against women. There are plenty of nice Easter eggs even in the introduction at the start of the fights. You can get your characters crap talking each other or being happy/mad that they have to team up with each other.
The support characters give you different buffs. Some will give you buffs via manual activation. Others will activate if you reached a certain health threshold, or your opponent's (e.g. below 50%). Those can help you find your own flow and playstyle and benefit from it more.
It really shows how much potential it had but was likely pushed forward too early. The game will keep you busy and playing against your friends, and it's definitely is a blast. The tutorial is really off putting but once you get used to it, you should be fine as you will learn how to work around the game.
Either way, objectively speaking, it's an OK game at best. For a One Piece fan, it's worth being part of the collection even if you just get a few hours of entertainment. You will appreciate the details they placed in here. So, grab it and preferably, grab a friend and go at it for a bit.
-The Mega, 6/10
