We can’t get enough of that wonderful Luff in One Piece Odyssey

Well, maybe not too serious - the humour and sheer fun that has made Eiichiro Oda’s creation so beloved through over 100 volumes of comics and more than 1,000 television episodes is very much present and accounted for.

Story-wise, those hopping aboard the good ship Thousand Sunny are in for a bit of old and a bit of new, with Oda involved in the creation, including coming up with two new characters in rugged explorer Adio, and the mysterious Lim. Our intrepid crew – as always led by the rubbery Monkey D. Luffy - encounter the pair after finding themselves stranded on the rather stormy island of Waford, with poor old Sunny in quite the state of disrepair. As the adventure unfolds, memories of the past are explored via various dimensions as each crew member seeks to regain their lost powers.

This is all accomplished while also traipsing about taking on a variety of adversaries who wish to check out your fighting skills. In most areas you’re very much on rails – invisible walls and messages from the game itself prevent you from going where it doesn’t want you to – but more puzzle-based levels do offer a little more freedom, as do some side quests.

"Beyond the exploration, the turn-based fighting is the big draw here."

Beyond the exploration, the turn-based fighting is the big draw here. Battles involve selecting four of your crew members, each of whom have different skills. With standard attacks, items to use and also special moves, there’s a lot of strategy at play – which foe to dispense with first? When to use a special attack? Which type of fighter do you bring in, one keyed to power, technique, or speed?

Progression naturally powers up your crew, which is necessary as battles also arc up in difficulty the further that you delve into proceedings. As long as you apply a little nous it never becomes too frustrating though, with battles usually feeling fairly evenly matched. Keeping abreast of your equipment, which adds yet another layer to strategy, can be the key to smooth progress.

One of the many things to love about One Piece Odyssey is that the voicework is all in its original Japanese, complete with many of the cast from the series revisiting their roles. It adds to the spectacle, and easy-to-read subtitles default to being on for those who aren’t fluent in Japanese. The enthusiastic soundtrack is coupled with some seriously sweet animation – the game looks like a slice of the classic animated take. It makes for a very well-presented package.

If you’re after longevity, then you’ve got it. Just completing the main campaign is going to take a few dozen hours. Tackling all the side projects will likely take as long again. While battles can be intense, the game otherwise takes things at a fairly languid pace. It works, and gives the player time to absorb the story, which really is well worth absorbing.

Perhaps best of all, fans of the series and those new to discovering it should feel just as at home in One Piece Odyssey, with the former reliving some past highlights and receiving a whole bunch of fan service, and the latter getting to experience the wonder of this imaginative, charming and often hilariously funny world for the first time.