You might argue that Bandai Namco's One Piece Odyssey is the first major release of 2023 on Xbox, and so we've been pretty intrigued to see how it'd shape up with the critics. Today, those first reviews have finally dropped, although unfortunately there are only a couple of Xbox scores in the wild — the rest are for other platforms.
So, what are the critics saying? Here are some early One Piece Odyssey reviews:
Push Square (8/10)
"No matter whether you're a hardcore One Piece fan or a complete newcomer, One Piece Odyssey is an utter joy of a JRPG. Its combat system remains incredibly enjoyable throughout, and new mechanics provide depth and strategy in droves. Most certainly the highlight of the experience, but with fun exploration to boot, you're always assured of a good time. One Piece Odyssey plays a lot like Dragon Quest XI, and it's not that far off being just as good as it."
Digitally Downloaded (4/5)
"I had a wonderful time with One Piece Odyssey. The best way to summarise it is as a breezy, easy-playing JRPG that you can knock off over several weeks and a few solid sessions."
GamingBible (7/10)
"Despite the drawbacks, Odyssey has my attention, and that’s no easy feat in a world that’s more saturated with games to play and ways to play them than ever before. There are fun places to explore and the main cast are a pleasure to be around, I just wish the world was a bit more developed and allowed for more creative traversal."
God Is A Geek (6.5/10)
"One Piece Odyssey is an RPG that fans of the anime may appreciate, but it isn’t without its issues. The combat is a blast with plenty of nuances to master, but the pacing of the game is painful, and exploration gets old fast. If you’re really into the subject matter it might be worth playing, but otherwise there are plenty of other JRPGs I’d recommend first."
One Piece Odyssey currently has a Metacritic rating of 74 for PlayStation 5 based on 21 reviews, while the PC and Xbox Series X versions haven't yet received enough reviews to generate an average. Not a bad score so far!
Don't forget that you can actually start playing One Piece Odyssey right now courtesy of a free demo on the Xbox Store for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Better yet, your progress will transfer to the full version!
The game itself is available to pre-order on the Xbox Store as well, with a release date of January 13th.