Many fans of One Piece are excited for the upcoming JRPG One Piece Odyssey, but given that developer ILCA, Inc.’s prior major project was Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, there are reasons to approach the new game with skepticism. Unlike the recent Game Freak developed Pokémon games for the Switch, Pokémon BDSP featured graphics that tried to recreate the style of the Nintendo DS originals, where the Pokémon: Let’s Go games, Game Freak’s current-gen remakes of the original Game Boy’s Pokémon Yellow, look much better in comparison. The gameplay is also an area of concern, as Pokémon BDSP lacked some of the quality-of-life improvements of Pokémon Sword and Shield, much less Legends: Arceus’ user-friendly additions. With only one divisive game developed primarily by ICLA, One Piece fans might want to temper their enthusiasm for Odyssey.
On the surface, Odyssey looks like the RPG One Piece fans have been waiting for, but ILCA’s history might cast doubt on that assessment. In addition to Pokémon BDSP, the studio is also credited with the development of Pokémon Home. This product requires a paid subscription to unlock certain features and offers nebulous functionality in terms of which Pokémon games it can interact with, and how. Prior to these two Pokémon-related projects, ILCA’s best-known work has been as a “support studio,” not as the primary developer. Some of these games include big names like Yakuza 0, Dragon Quest XI, and NieR: Automata, but ILCA notably acted in a support capacity, not the main developers. One Piece Odyssey is certainly ILCA’s biggest game as the “headlining” developer, but it is hard to say whether the franchise is in good hands.
Those who follow the One Piece anime and manga may question why Jimbei is not in One Piece Odyssey as a playable character, but there are bigger concerns for the JRPG based on ILCA’s history and Pokémon BDSP. A remake project is certainly a different endeavor from an original game based on an established IP. Both carry the responsibility of doing justice to something with an established fandom, however. Pokémon and One Piece both carry massive fanbases, and many Pokémon fans were disappointed with Pokémon BDSP. The remakes currently carry a 73 percent average on Metacritic, lower than any of the Game Freak-developed Pokémon games for the Switch, including the Pokémon: Let’s Go games. The positive reviews of Pokémon BDSP tend to praise its nostalgia and authentic recreation of Game Freak’s titles from two gaming generations ago. This leaves ILCA’s actual work on the game appearing as potentially looking low effort, failing to establish the studio’s own identity or capabilities.
One Piece Odyssey Can Still Rise Above ILCA's Pokémon BDSP
The visuals of the new One Piece JRPG are at least a step above Pokémon BDSP. One Piece’s creator said Odyssey is movie quality in terms of presentation, an evident improvement on the Roomba-like walk cycles of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. ILCA’s support work on Dragon Quest XI could suggest a more hopeful future for Odyssey, as the studio did contribute to one of the best JRPGs of its generation. The studio’s work on Pokémon BDSP, a flawed and unambitious remake, presents a less optimistic future for Odyssey, and licensed game adaptations do not generally carry high expectations.
One Piece is a major cultural touchstone right now, and the intersection between fans of the anime and manga, and gamers who enjoy Japanese RPGs, provides it built-in interest, but for every breakout success like Batman: Arkham there are many more mediocre, tedious products like One Piece: World Seeker. The coming months will reveal whether ILCA delivers a quality JRPG that resonates beyond hardcore fans, or if One Piece Odyssey will be another disappointment like Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.