Summary
Every now and again, a piece of art from the anime industry generates so much fanfare that it gains interest on an international scale. In the past, anime used to be a pretty niche entertainment genre, but the Japanese culture-based series have expanded behind the performances of the Big Three;Naruto,One Piece, andBleach.Attack on TitanandDemon Slayer’s seasons also helped push anime’s reach, especially during lockdown, and interest in the category has grown exponentially since.One Pieceis riding a wave off the back of one of the most groundbreaking events in its nearly 20-year-long history in the unveiling ofLuffy’s highly anticipated Gear 5and the Netflix live-action series, and the time has never been more perfect for the gaming world to receive a large-scale MMORPG.
WhileOne Piecehas had the distinction of being one of the undisputed greatest anime of all time, its influence hasn’t really transcended from the series into a classic video game likeNarutodid with theUltimate Ninja Stormfranchise. There have been attempts by indie and more established developers in the past, but it wasn’t until ILCA’sOne Piece Odysseythat the anime hit the ground running. Given the hype surroundingGear 5 as one of the best Shonen transformations, developers have the perfect opportunity to deliver an MMORPG that fans have wanted for years.
An MMORPG Offers Endless Possibilities for One Piece
The pirate trope is hardly a new phenomenon in media, but what makesOne Pieceso special is the pure likability of its characters and eccentric Devil Fruit abilities. Not many series can boast ofOne Piece’s enduring fan base, even after 1,000 episodes and counting, which is a testament to the anime’s stellar storytelling.One Piece Odysseytook advantage of the popularity earlier in the year with aturn-based RPG, but MMORPG dynamics may be the way to go for aOne Piecegame.
One Pieceas an MMORPG is the most immersive way the franchise can be represented in a video game, due to its expansive list of pirate crews. An MMORPG can give players the chance to hunt Gol D. Roger’s legendary treasure against others like Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates in the race to become the Pirate King. Instead of being restricted to missions with the jovial crew, gamers can begin their journeys in the villages of East Blue, fighting NPCs and making their way to the Grand Line and the New World.One Piecehas a bevy of iconic locations, and exploring its numerous islands with a custom crew holds an almost irresistible appeal.
Apart from the ultimate goal of finding theOne Piecetreasure, players can also live out the dreams of some of the anime’s characters in real time. Sanji is determined to find All Blue to see the various fish the mythical sea has to offer, and a developer can create a similar experience where fans of the love-struck cook focus on accomplishing his goals in a video game. Similarly, to achieve the lofty ambitions of characters like Zoro, an MMORPG could feature distinctcharacter classes and specializations likeBaldur’s Gate 3, offering gameplay depth.
Zoro’s dedication to becoming the best swordsman could inspire gamers to emulate his path in a character class, wielding three swords like the Straw Hat Vice Captain or a single blade like the legendary Hawkeye. Each character class' path would need a generous helping of progressions to give players different abilities, and the added draw of finding and harnessing the power ofOne Piece’s Devil Fruits could become popular very quickly. Crafting an MMORPG that satisfiesOne Piecefans would not be easy, but the benefits of giving gamers the chance to achieve ultimate power in the New World outweigh the risks for developers.
