We are big fans of One Piece: Pirate Warriors games. We think One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 is the best of the bunch, and we'd even go so far as to say it's one of the best Warriors titles on PlayStation 4. Naturally then, we had high expectations for One Piece. : Pirate Warriors 4, and while it doesn't do enough to blow its predecessor out of the water, it still offers a huge amount of hack and slash.
Once again, it's the charming cast of One Piece who carry the action. With so many weird and wonderful powers at their disposal, the characters continue to be a perfect fit for the tried-and-true Warriors format. From the rubbery recklessness of Luffy to the immensely powerful ice abilities of Kuzan, each playable character brings something unique and entertaining to the table.
A number of new heroes - and villains - have been added this time around, most of them ripped from the manga and anime's Whole Cake Island arc. Speaking of which, Big Mom and her pirates are at the heart of the game's new story mode, which covers five key arcs: Alabasta and the fight against Crocodile, the rescue of Marineford and Ace, Sabaody and the struggles of the Straw Hats, Whole Cake Island and the terror of Big Mom and, finally, Wano Country and the tyranny of Kaido.
Needless to say, if you're familiar with One Piece, you've already realized that this mode misses out on a lot of the original story. As such, newcomers will be completely lost. There are intro cutscenes that attempt to outline the plot, but if you're not already familiar with One Piece's characters and concepts, they're basically inscrutable. You will also wonder why everyone is sobbing so hard all the time.
Anyway, we're not really here for the story - if you want to, you're always better off checking out the source material. The game's limited adaptation will take you about ten hours to complete, and it's mostly enjoyable while it lasts. Some stages are better than others – the dedicated boss fights feel like kind of button slogging because your opponents always have so much health – but you can try out different characters and prepare for some real Pirate Warriors 4 meat. .
Indeed, the “Browsing Log” is where you will spend most of your time. In this mode you will find over 100 somewhat random levels. They don't have cutscenes, or a real story to tell, but it's all about the action. Choose your favorite fighter, crash stage after stage after stage, collect coins to upgrade their abilities, repeat. As long as you can handle the inherent repetitiveness of the gameplay, the browsing log will keep you busy for ages, especially if there are multiple characters you want to try out.
Which brings us neatly into combat. Honestly, it's about what you'd expect from the Pirate Warriors series at this point, but it does feature a few new gimmicks. As always, you hit combinations of squares and triangles to trigger standard combos, while the circle acts as a dodge button – at least in part. You can use the circle to dodge incoming attacks, or you can integrate it into your combos to make them last as long as possible. The downside is that dodging now temporarily consumes a stamina bar, so there's nothing to be gained by spamming it.
The introduction of a more versatile dodge mechanic, along with a stamina bar, means combat is more combo-based than ever. Additionally, each character now has access to a throwing attack, allowing you to carry your enemies into the air for even more damage. The result is a combo system that actually takes some practice and timing if you want to get the most out of your moves. All of this creates a rewarding learning curve.
That said, some characters play much, much better than others. We're not looking for a perfect balance of characters in a Warriors game, but a few cast members feel severely underpowered to the point where playing them on harder levels can be an exercise in frustration.
On top of that you have characters like Gear Fourth Luffy, who moves so fast and erratically that he's just a pain in the ass to use. We found ourselves drawn to slower or more stationary fighters simply because the camera struggles to keep up with anyone zipping.
Still, find the right pirate for you and the game offers more than enough action. And if you want to bring a friend, online and local co-op is available. In fact, the stuff online is quite interesting. The aforementioned sailing log mode features a set of levels that allow you to team up with three other players (these can also be played alone with AI partners) either to rack up points in an all-out battle, desperately defend a base , or to knock down a giant enemy. When the connection is not noticeably delayed, playing these stages online can be a pleasure.
Conclusion
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 struggles to top its fantastic predecessor, but it's still great fun smashing through hordes of enemies alongside such a colorful cast of characters. The game's delicious and diverse roster is truly its greatest strength, and thanks to its focus on combo building, the combat system can be surprisingly rewarding, despite its repetitive nature. The fairly standard story mode will leave non-fans completely lost, but those who love action will find an almost endless supply of it in the title's other offerings.
- Incredibly fun character roster
- Colorful and varied scenes
- Focus on cool combos
- Addictive character progression
- Wonky camera can't keep up sometimes
- Story mode is just ok
Good 7/10
Scoring policy
Review of copy provided by Bandai Namco
