One Piece: Romance Dawn Reviews

One Piece: Romance Dawn is ranked in the 2nd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
4.8 / 10.0
Feb 18, 2014

One Piece fans might be able to enjoy what's on offer here, but even they could struggle to get through this.

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4 / 10.0
Dec 2, 2013

Newcomers and veterans alike will scratch their heads at missing plot points or elements that are simply glossed over leaving only hardcore fans knowing what exactly is going on. The presentation is acceptable, but the surprising lack of stereoscopic 3D and some weird animations will make it not all exactly tick. The open sea of 3DS software has a bevy of good games to explore but sadly, Romance Dawn isn't one of them.

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Dec 12, 2013

If I haven't made this clear enough - this is a bad game. And yet, I couldn't stop playing it. Perhaps because it's so simple, it's easy to tune out to while I'm playing it. Like a bit of pulp fiction (or, indeed, the typical manga), Romance Dawn is a "page turner" without being remotely memorable.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
3 / 10
Feb 12, 2014

One Piece's 3DS debut in One Piece: Romance Dawn sets sail but is quickly sunk under monotonous fights, endless corridor roaming that would put Final Fantasy XIII to shame, and a recurring reminder that it is merely a slapdash port adapted to none of the 3DS' strengths.

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D+
Feb 24, 2014

Romance Dawn is a misfire all around that only the absolute most completist of One Piece fans should give it a look. It’s a shame, because One Piece is normally something quite wonderful. Such a waste.

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GamingBolt
Top Critic
5.5 / 10.0
Mar 21, 2014

If you're a One Piece fan and you want to relive the story, this game's as good an excuse as any; however, One Piece Romance Dawn is not recommended for just about anyone else.

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2 / 10.0
Mar 3, 2014

It’s a simple, slow turn-based title that reminds us writers how much work other developers put into making something fun.

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6 / 10.0
Dec 24, 2013

Overall: If you’re a One Piece noob, it’s a 6/10. It plays fine but suffers from a ‘this is for the fans’ attitude. This of course could also be a positive thing, and if you’re a huge fan of the series it’s probably going to be closer to a 7 or even an 8/10.

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2.5 / 5.0
Feb 11, 2014

One Piece: Romance Dawn is a great idea that was poorly executed. While fans and newcomers will appreciate the story, the gameplay feels like an afterthought. It becomes bland after mere hours and starts to feel like you’re going through the motions. This is not the reaction you want in an RPG, especially a long one like Romance Dawn.

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RPG Fan
Top Critic
65%
Apr 15, 2014

Only recommended for those who read this review and still want to buy the game anyway.

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3.2 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2014

It’s my understanding that previous One Piece video games have established a positive reputation both among the series’ fans and the gaming community. If that’s the case, it’ll be better for both parties to ignore this title and hope outsiders will do the same in hopes of preserving that standard.

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3 / 10
Dec 5, 2013

Frankly, it’s difficult to ascertain who would glean any semblance of enjoyment from One Piece Romance Dawn. Any ardent fan of the Straw Hat Pirates’ escapades will only find themselves angered by how little effort has gone into this tawdry misadventure, whereas this paragon of poor design will do nothing to bring new fans into the flock. Namco Bandai has published a number of surprisingly solid titles tied to their Shōnen Jump properties in recent years, but they've indisputably missed the boat on making One Piece Romance Dawn anywhere close to worth playing.

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Unscored
Mar 9, 2014

Ultimately, "Romance Dawn" provides a quick pirate RPG fix for One Piece fans but doesn't come close to dethroning Skies of Arcadia.

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Examiner
Top Critic
Feb 11, 2014

There isn't much left to say about One Piece: Romance Dawn. This port is a lazy, borderline insulting cash-in on a popular franchise.

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Feb 27, 2014

If nothing else, Three Rings could have put in the extra man hours to salvage Romance Dawn from the germinating trash heap of poorly actualized One Piece games by at least paying tribute to Oda's spirited creation. Yet, since they abstain from doing so, apparently with almost every fiber of their being, they've put forth a product so systematically undercooked as to make even the most unflappable One Piece zealots question their faithfulness.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
4 / 10.0
Feb 21, 2014

While I hoped that Romance Dawn would remind me why I was ever interested in One Piece in the first place, it instead cemented the idea that this series and game just isn’t for me. It’s not worth the time of all but the most hardcore of fans.

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4.9 / 10.0
Feb 11, 2014

One Piece: Romance Dawn has some potential, but the long drawn out cut-scenes and lack of difficulty in the combat drags it down.  Every level feels like it’s five to ten minutes of wandering around and fighting, then the same amount of time with the cut-scenes.  Unless you’re a huge One Piece fan, you might want to think twice before picking this one up.  It’s not terrible, but it definitely has its flaws.

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39 / 100
Feb 18, 2014

Sailing the seas, encountering strange and weird enemies and boss battles, and seeing Luffy’s strange rubbery elastic body, One Piece: Romance Dawn had the potential to be a fun, action filled turn-based RPG, but instead Three Rings Inc. has developed something that is a complete wreck.

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40 / 100
Mar 1, 2016

One Piece: Romance Dawn probably won’t be the worst anime based RPG you play, but it will certainly be one of the laziest designed. The combat system may be engaging enough for fans who are already familiar enough with the story to know what to expect, but for newcomers this game is a disservice to the fun of the series. Someday, when a better title takes its place, Romance Dawn will have a respectful position for where it all began. But for now, this is just a dud of a game in the box of a collectible import.

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GamesBeat
jmosley671
Top Critic
50 / 100
Feb 19, 2014

One Piece: Romance Dawn is easy to summarize: It just isn’t any fun. I have no doubt that it could have been fun. As an outsider to the series, I was excited to see what it was all about. I had grand ideas of exploring the seas, fighting rival pirates, and experiencing a great story. All of those elements are here (kind of), but it’s surprising how lame they become thanks to terrible design. Ultimately, this game isn’t worth the time of anyone but the most devoted and patient fans of the series. The 3DS has several RPGs that are far more entertaining.

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