Bandai Namco has dropped a One Piece World Seeker trailer showing us some gameplay. Players will assume the role of Luffy as he explores Jail Island while trying to find out why a gigantic underwater installation looms near the island. You’ll be using building-scaling mechanics similar to Spider-Man 2, and fighting enemies in fast-paced, weighty-looking combat, as well as other mechanics that we can see in the trailer. The game will be coming this year on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
World Seeker is the “most ambitious One Piece game so far,” according to Bandai Namco. And they don’t seem to be lying – a lot has been packed into the game’s new trailer, and it gives us an insight into the narrative of the game as well as the mechanics. As a gigantic underwater installation appears and the presence of marine forces grows on Jail Island, Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew arrive to investigate and find out what’s happening. On the way, you’ll be facing a variety of different enemies, like the Vinsmoke family and vice-admiral Smoker, who fans of the One Piece anime will recognise.
To battle them, you’ll have a few different powers at your disposal. There’s the ‘observation haki,’ which seems to operate in much a similar way to Assassin’s Creed‘s eagle vision. The environment shifts to a dark blue colour, and near and far are highlighted in yellow, even through obstacles. There’s also ‘armament haki,’ which makes Luffy’s attacks more powerful. And to navigate Jail Island, there’s the ‘Gum-gum fruit’ power that makes Luffy’s movements faster. This is all compounded with weighty-looking beat-em-up fighting. Just at the end of the trailer, we can also see Luffy hiding in a barrel like Solid Snake in a cardboard box, which suggests there’ll be stealth sections of some kind.
The One Piece World Seeker trailer probably has fans excited. While a lot of the content lore-wise is definitely niche, it does look like there’s also a lot here for people who don’t follow the One Piece anime, like the surprisingly-accessible Dragon Ball Z games. Expect this one in 2018, with an official release date to be confirmed.
