For fans of the long-running One Piece anime and manga, the Pirate Warriors series has always been a way to relive the epic sagas and unleash the power of their favourite characters. But with the fourth instalment, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, Omega Force and Bandai Namco have truly delivered a Musou game that feels as grand and bombastic as the source material it’s based on.

If you’re new to the “Musou” or “Warriors” genre, the premise is simple: you are a one-person army, and your goal is to mow down thousands of enemies with a single character’s flashy, over-the-top attacks. Pirate Warriors 4 takes this core concept and injects it with the vibrant world and incredible abilities of One Piece.

A Swashbuckling Story, Streamlined for Action

Pirate Warriors 4 takes players through some of the most iconic arcs of the One Piece story, including Alabasta, Enies Lobby, Marineford, Dressrosa, and Whole Cake Island. While the game provides a respectable retelling of these sagas, it does so in a streamlined fashion, focusing on the key battles and moments. For the more recent Wano arc, which was ongoing at the time of the game’s release, the developers created an original story to cap off the game’s main campaign, which is a neat touch for fans who want to see a new take on a familiar setting.

The main story mode, “Dramatic Log,” is where you’ll spend most of your time reliving these moments, while “Free Log” allows you to replay completed episodes with any unlocked character you choose. For those who want a break from the main narrative, “Treasure Log” offers unique, challenging episodes outside of the main story.

A Deeper Combat System (with a Sky-High Twist)

While the core button-mashing gameplay remains, Pirate Warriors 4 introduces some smart new features that elevate the combat. The most significant of these is the ability for every character to perform air combos. This isn’t just a minor addition; it completely changes the flow of combat, allowing for incredibly fluid and exciting aerial assault chains. Characters like Sanji, who thrive in the air, can string together special moves and air dashes to stay aloft almost indefinitely, creating a truly unique and dynamic playstyle.

The game also categorises its vast roster into different fighting types: Power, Speed, Technique, and Sky. Each type has its own feel and a distinct set of abilities, encouraging you to experiment with different characters. And let’s not forget the new “Titan” feature, which allows certain characters to grow to a massive size and literally smash through buildings and legions of enemies. The sense of scale is fantastic and truly makes you feel like an unstoppable force.

A Roster Worthy of the Grand Line

One of the biggest selling points of any Pirate Warriors game is its playable character roster, and Pirate Warriors 4 does not disappoint. The base game alone features over 40 characters, and with multiple DLC character packs released since launch, the total roster has expanded to over 60. From the Straw Hat Pirates and their allies to powerful antagonists like Kaido and Big Mom, the game includes a wide array of fan-favourites.

It’s a joy to try out each character, as Omega Force has done an excellent job of giving them unique movesets that reflect their powers and personalities from the series. Want to tear through a battlefield as the lightning-fast Carrot in her Sulong form? Or maybe you’d prefer to crush your foes as the gargantuan Kaido? The options are there, and the variety is what keeps the gameplay from getting stale.

The Verdict

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 is, without a doubt, a love letter to fans of the series. While it may still carry some of the genre’s familiar trappings—repetitive objectives and a dizzying camera at times—it makes significant strides with its additions to combat and its sheer scale. The updated graphics, the massive roster of characters, and the sheer joy of obliterating thousands of enemies with a single, spectacular attack make this a must-play for any One Piece aficionado. It’s a game that wears its flaws on its sleeve, but its strengths, much like Luffy’s spirit, shine brightly.

Source https://www.bandainamcoent.com/games/one-piece-pirate-warriors-4

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