We see games that don’t normally appear on the Switch appear on the system all the time. Sometimes these ports aren’t exactly what we expected. Or you look at it and think it wouldn’t work. Although I was pretty sure One Piece Odyssey would be fine once Bandai Namco releases the Switch version. I was surprised at how well it works. Aside from some visual and framerate compromises, it’s a pretty great way to play the game.
At first I was amazed by the One Piece Odyssey Loading times on the Switch. In this case, however, it was the short loading times. This is a large game with a lot of detail, even in this port. Still, it somehow loads faster than some pixelated or less demanding games I’ve played on the system. I’m not sure if there’s some kind of magic at play, but I expected loading times of at least 20 seconds, and not often under 10 seconds. You do have to load between battles, but after the loading times in a certain other Switch version of an RPG I’ve played, that didn’t bother me.
As expected, the CG scenes all look great. The films that follow up this original, One piece Story Forward doesn’t lose anything in the transition to Switch, even in handheld mode. I really appreciated how clear they were and how little is lost when the resolution drops. The actual character models for allies and enemies in the field, as well as the environmental elements, suffer compared to what I played on the PS5. That’s only natural. The portability made it worth it for me though, as I tested almost exclusively One Piece Odyssey in handheld mode.
The only time One Piece Odyssey Performance on the Switch seemed to stutter when the framerate came into play. I actually didn’t notice this right away, as the FPS issues only seem to be an issue when you’re not reliving the Straw Hat’s experiences. I think it only happens when you’re in certain open areas, perhaps because so much is being taken into account and displayed. But in most fights or areas, I didn’t have too much of an issue. Only occasionally does it seem to drop drastically.
I think affordability is the deciding factor and that One Piece Odyssey The Deluxe Edition for the Switch version seems so good. It costs $59.99 on the system, which gives you access to the additional Reunion of Memories story and three outfit sets. For comparison, on Steam or the PlayStation Store, the standard edition costs exactly that price. The Deluxe Edition costs $84.99 on both platforms, and while you still get Reunion of Memories, it also only includes one accessory set, 100,000 berries, and a Sniper King outfit for Usopp. It’s just a much better deal. The additional scenario pack alone costs $24.99 on Steam or other stores.
Generally, One Piece Odyssey fits surprisingly well on the Switch. I didn’t expect the performance to be this smooth. Yes, it definitely ran and looked better on the PS5. But considering what it does and how much it offers, I didn’t feel like there were too many compromises. Plus, the result is another fun JRPG for the system.
One Piece Odyssey is available for PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X and PC.
