Since 1997, the One Piece franchise has captivated audiences around the world with Monkey D. Luffy’s quest to become the next Pirate King. For 92 manga volumes and 875 anime episodes, fans have joined the Straw Hat Pirates on adventures across Grand Line, defeating villains like Donquixote Doflamingo and Katakuri along the way. Given the series’ popularity, it’s released 38 games since 2000, 11 of which have made it over to North America and Europe. The following are the best One Piece games released so far, each of which is perfect to play as fans gear up for One Piece: World Seeker on March 15.
Best One Piece games | One Piece: Unlimited World Red
One Piece: Unlimited World Red was made with fans in mind. Players can assume the role of any member of the Straw Hat crew in order to complete a self-contained narrative penned by franchise creator Eiichiro Oda himself. Set on the Forgotten Islands, the action RPG has users take on nearly every major villain featured in the series so far. That’s not to say the Unlimited World Red doesn’t bring anything new to the table, as Oda also created a handful of new characters specifically for the title. These include adorable mascots like Pato, a small raccoon dog that wear a pink raincoat.
The title also allows fans to build the Straw Hat Pirates’ headquarters on the Island of Promises. Dubbed Trans Town, players can add general stores, factories, restaurants, bookstores, pharmacies, and more throughout their stay. While economic development isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when discussing One Piece, actively helping Trans Town prosper as a civilization is a lot more fun than it sounds. Unlimited World Red is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, 3DS, and Switch.
Best One Piece games | One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 is a great refresher for fans who’ve forgotten (or haven’t caught up with) major events in the franchise. Just like its source material, the game starts out in Fuschia Village and gradually crescendos to the Dressrosa Arc, where users are allowed a chance to throw down with one of One Piece‘s most notorious villains, Donquixote Doflamingo.
One of the game’s greatest features is how gameplay revolves around a Dynasty Warriors format. Players are tasked with defeating scores of enemies in order to conquer areas on a map. It’s a natural fit for the franchise, given how frequently the Straw Hat Pirates have to face tons of goons all at once in the manga. Should players find the action too hectic, they can always have a friend join in thanks to the title’s co-op functionality. Pirate Warriors 3 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and Switch.
Best One Piece games | One Piece: Burning Blood
Fans of the Paramount War may love One Piece: Burning Blood, as it fleshes out more details regarding the brutal story arc. This fighting game gives players access to 44 unique characters and features a cel-shaded art style that closely resembles the property’s anime. It borrows some elements from the Grand Battle! series in that users are able to navigate across 3D environments and face opponents via one-on-one battles.
However, Burning Blood stands out from the One Piece games before it in how its combat revolves around Devil Fruit abilities and Haki. Judging when a foe will use his or her powers can be critical in the title’s story mode, especially as fans face characters like Whitebeard. Burning Blood is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One.
Best One Piece games | One Piece: Unlimited Adventure
Seeing as how the franchise has been around for over two decades, it’s no surprise that the world of One Piece is filled with interesting lore. One Piece: Unlimited Adventure evidences this well, as it has players venture across a newly discovered island in search of treasure. Snow-capped mountains, dense jungles, and underground tunnels are available to roam around in, and artifacts like Luffy’s mysterious blue orb are intriguing enough to keep fans wondering what the rubber man and his gang will run into next.
This action adventure title doubles as a survival game. Its versus mode challenges players with defeating 200 enemies of varying attributes within a limited time frame. A friend could jump in and play as the opponent, but he or she may not be easier to defeat. Unlimited Adventure is available exclusively on Wii.
Best One Piece games | One Piece: Grand Adventure
One Piece: Grand Adventure is a fighting game that plays similarly to Burning Blood, though it’s more accessible for curious players who haven’t kept up with Luffy’s adventures throughout the years. It adapts the series’ events up to the Skypiea Arc and is set across memorable locations like Arlong Park, Roguetown, and Drum Castle.
As fans explore the title’s islands and towns, they’ll face important battles that determine who joins their party. Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Nico, Chopper, and more can all be recruited and used in combat later on. Experimenting with fighters is useful when players encounter enemies like Crocodile and Chaser, whose fights are often subjected to special conditions including time limits and permanent power-ups.
This One Piece entry certainly doesn’t let up the challenge as it it nears its conclusion, which is great for fans who are looking to test their hand-eye coordination. Grand Adventure is available on GameCube and PlayStation 2.
In case fans have caught up with all 934 One Piece chapters released so far, the titles above should help them bide time until World Seeker launches. Fighting enthusiasts can recreate one of Luffy’s fun battles with Buggy the Star Clown in Grand Adventure, while those that prefer adventure games can lose themselves in the Unlimited World Red‘s colorful world.
The franchise’s newest release has the potential to join the ranks of One Piece‘s most notable software, seeing as how it’s the first entry to feature open world environments. Whatever the reception may be for this new installment, it’s likely that Eiichiro Oda’s wonderful property will continue to be successful for a long time to come.
