Pokémon BDSP Shows How Bad A One Piece JRPG Could Be
Many fans of One Piece are excited for the upcoming JRPG One Piece Odyssey, but given that developer ILCA, Inc.’s prior major project was Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, there are reasons to approach the new game with skepticism. Unlike the recent Game Freak developed Pokémon games for the Switch, Pokémon BDSP featured graphics that tried to recreate the style of the Nintendo DS originals, where the Pokémon: Let’s Go games, Game Freak’s current-gen remakes of the original Game Boy’s Pokémon Yellow, look much better in comparison. The gameplay is also an area of concern, as Pokémon BDSP lacked some of the quality-of-life improvements of Pokémon Sword and Shield, much less Legends: Arceus’ user-friendly additions. With only one divisive game developed primarily by ICLA, One Piece fans might want to temper their enthusiasm for Odyssey.
On the surface, Odyssey looks like the RPG One Piece fans have been waiting for, but ILCA’s history might cast doubt on that assessment. In addition to Pokémon BDSP, the studio is also credited with the development of Pokémon Home. This product requires a paid subscription to unlock certain features and offers nebulous functionality in terms of which Pokémon games it can interact with, and how. Prior to these two Pokémon-related projects, ILCA’s best-known work has been as a “support studio,” not as the primary developer. Some of these games include big names like Yakuza 0, Dragon Quest XI, and NieR: Automata, but ILCA notably acted in a support capacity, not the main developers. One Piece Odyssey is certainly ILCA’s biggest game as the “headlining” developer, but it is hard to say whether the franchise is in good hands.
Related: D&D Character & Campaign Ideas For One Piece Fans
Read more on screenrant.com
