One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 Review

For all lovers of anime, the name One Piece and Omega Force is of course no stranger. For those who are interested in the story but don’t have the patience and time to watch nine hundred twenty-five minute episodes, the One Piece: Pirate Warriors series of games and the latest installment, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, are a good solution.

You will get a good summary of the most important moments in the story, which are necessary to really properly follow the main storyline. One Piece: Pirate Warriors combines that storyline with the musou-style gameplay developed by Omega Force that we know from Dynasty Warriors and Hyrule Warriors.

Does One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 follow that same format, or is it just another musou-style video game? Here is my One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 review for PlayStation 4.

EVEN LUFFY IS NOT THAT STRETCHY

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 was released in 2016 and is still known as one of the best musou-style video games around. That gives One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 the difficult task of surpassing its predecessor. The biggest gains can still be made in the field of storytelling, since One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 handled this part of the game just a little too rushed. They wanted to put too many episodes in one game.

This latest installment by Omega Force tries to improve this by taking a smaller part of the story and spreading it over 34 story missions. Because yes, even Straw Hat Luffy is not that stretchy. I noticed while doing my One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 review for PlayStation 4, the result of this is a lot of extra cut scenes and boss battles that go deeper into the story.

This is certainly an improvement over the game’s predecessor. Visually, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 has also been nicely improved. There is no huge difference, but the way in which they combine animation with the manga drawing style is just a bit better.

For loyal anime followers, playing this game is pure nostalgia, while for newcomers it’s a great way to get a little into the series and catch the big storylines. Also in terms of audio, the game remains true to the series. When you have the audio in Japanese (because why wouldn’t you?), you can hear all the famous voice actors perform their roles proudly.

MORE ATTACKS? NO PROBLEM!

The developers clearly put a lot of effort into creating the abilities and attacks of the more than forty playable characters in the game. These characters are not only taken from the part of the storyline that is covered in the game, but also from earlier seasons of the series. What is also striking is that the gameplay has a bit more depth than in previous games of the franchise.

I noticed while doing my One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 review for PlayStation 4, that in addition to button mashing and thus being able to move forward for hours in the game, there are now more ways to fight effectively. For example, in addition to the standard heavy attack of a character, you now have four different special attacks. You can only use those special attacks when the meters are filled for this, so you cannot constantly spam them.

In addition, you can now also use the Power Dash, with which you can easily move through crowds to reach the next area faster. Of course, jumping in the air and performing air attacks is also always a good way. The new options now give you more ways to create all kinds of cool and separate combos. This gives the game just a bit more dimension, and this makes the action feel more dynamic.

You will especially feel the latter when you get involved in a one-on-one boss fight that is generally at least three times the size of your character. The further you progress in the game, the more different moves and transformations you unlock, so the possibilities are really endless.

DON’T PUT SANJI IN FRONT OF THE WOMEN

The most important element of the gameplay is the fact that each playable character has its own move set. This ensures that the game remains interesting for much longer. Luffy and Sanji mainly gain their strength in terms of speed. Zoro and Big Mom deal heavy blows that deal more damage. The characters who are a bit slower feel a bit disadvantageous when thrown into the fast-paced combat of One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4.

As in the previous games in the series, in the fourth part you can choose from different game modes: Dramatic Log, Free Log and Treasure Log. Dramatic Log is the storyline, which is divided into story arcs. This game mode does not really give you a moment to catch your breath, but you do get the most important points in the story. In Free Log mode you can replay all levels and choose the characters you want to take with you.

This can make a level easier or more difficult. For example, when you put Sanji against female opponents, he quickly becomes distracted, as we are used to, making him less effective in combat. In the Treasure Log you have to make full use of the skills of your chosen characters, as each level is different and gets more and more difficult the more you complete it. This mode is perfect for playing in offline co-op, which is an instant plus to the game.

CONCLUSION

The gameplay in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 has become a lot more interesting thanks to the new special moves that the developers added. This allows you to keep making combos endlessly, rather than just button mashing, which as a novice player, you tend to do quickly in these games.

There are over forty playable characters in the game, each with their own move set, their own strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, some people have become less fun to play as the gameplay has become faster and more dynamic. They just can’t keep up with this level. Unfortunately, with the gameplay getting faster, the loading screens have slowed down. It’s not that disturbing, but this really should be quicker.

The storyline is well developed and you get the important outline of the story, because Omega Force has chosen to put a smaller part of the series in the game this time. A big plus to the game is the possibility of offline co-op, which is missing from many PlayStation 4 games nowadays. Apart from a few small points, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is a great successor!

Do you want to try Omega Force’s One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4? What do you think of my One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 review for PlayStation 4? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Are you a big fan of Omega Force and their series of games? Check out our reviews for Persona 5, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, Warriors All-Stars, and Attack on Titan.