Koalaty Critics: One Piece Odyssey (Australian Reviews)
Koalaty Critics is back in 2023, kicking off with a game based on one of the longest-running and most popular anime of all time: One Piece. Released as part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary, One Piece Odyssey is developed by ILCA, whose credits include Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, and Yakuza 0.
The game is a turn-based JRPG starring the Straw Hat Pirates, stranded on a mysterious island in the middle of nowhere. With a brand-new story, you’ll explore the island of Waford and revisit key moments in One Piece history.
Our Koalaty Critics roundup mixes longtime fans and newcomers. Most praised the story and lore—fans enjoyed reliving iconic arcs while newcomers found it approachable. Combat landed well, with some fresh twists on genre staples. Common gripes included an antiquated checkpoint system, uneven pacing, and— to a lesser extent— the lack of an English dub. Overall, it’s a strong recommendation for fans and a viable entry point for first-timers.
Here’s what Australian critics are saying about the game.
KOALATY CRITICS — AUSTRALIAN CRITICS
Ani-Game — 9/10 (Joel Gralton)
“There hasn’t been a One Piece game yet that looks and plays this great. The characters themselves act true to their individual quirks and motivations, even though they’re thrown into a brand new adventure, and the banter between each of the members of the crew and taking the time to speak to each member or NPC you come across results in some of the most heartfelt and hilarious moments the game has to offer.”
Checkpoint Gaming — 8/10 (Charlie Kelly)
“The turn-based RPG genre has been so well-tread these days that it’s not often you see innovation. I didn’t expect to see that in One Piece: Odyssey of all things, yet here we are. In any given battle, four party members make up the fight. Fights are made up of several ‘areas’ on the plain of the battlefield, meaning some can battle it out on one end while others are on another… Entirely brain-wrinkling at first, though once mastered, I found this mechanic deeply rewarding.”
GamesHub — 5/5 (Courtney Borrett)
“Having the opportunity to play as every crew member at almost any point in the game is One Piece Odyssey’s biggest draw card, and this feature extends outside of battles as well. In the overworld, each member of the Straw Hat Pirates has their own unique ability that lets you explore the world of Waford in more depth… Needing to think about puzzles and how to use your crew to solve them makes for an engaging experience.”
Maxi-Geek — 8.5/10 (Luke Henderson)
“One Piece Odyssey is an extremely welcoming and well put together RPG, one that long time fans of the series and even newcomers will be able to enjoy. The pacing of the story does suffer, with the game constantly trying to get in your way to explain things, but when it does let you play, the fun is just incredible.”
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MKAU Gaming — 9/10 (Shane Fletcher)
“Revisiting a location from Luffy’s past, Alabasta… was hilarious and nostalgic… This is truly a beautiful game and I would highly recommend running this on ‘performance’ mode over the ‘graphics’ mode for the smoothest experience possible.”
PowerUp Gaming — 7.5/10 (Adam Mathew)
“One Piece Odyssey is a little at odds with itself… a clever, entertaining battle system… [but] groan-worthy measures in the overworld, and quest design, that reek of arbitrary runtime extension… bosses are shamelessly reused… Some cruel checkpointing exists there, too, coupled with not enough agency to let you respec or rethink your end boss(es) approach.”
Aggregator Score
