One Piece: Unlimited World Red Reviews
While its adventure mode is lacking, its Coliseum mode highlights the great fun of battle that is a staple of the series.
Overall, One Piece Unlimited World Red is a game that on a surface level is great because of the fan-service it provides, however, falls flat once you sink your teeth into it. You’ll be taken back to numerous events throughout the One Piece series and the game definitely hooks you in for the nostalgia. From Luffy kicking Captain Wapol’s ass to saving Robin from the Marine government, the game definitely delivers on reliving classic stories. Sadly the fan-service isn’t enough to make the game great, and I’d advise to stick to the Manga or Anime to get your fill of seeing the Straw Hat crew find the ever elusive One Piece.
A groggy barrel full of laughs, despite the minor glitches.
Helping to wash away the act of piracy that was One Piece: Romance Dawn and Unlimited Cruise SP, Unlimited World Red presents an elegantly realised universe full of colour and series charm, held together with fun fights and rewarding tasks. The repetition of said features, plus the lack of the Wii U's strengths being put to use is unfortunate, but dedicated One Piece fans and patient newcomers will find a lot to love.
One Piece: Unlimited World Red is easily one of the best anime tie-ins ever developed. Fantastic fan service, satisfying combat, deep town creation and crafting, dozens of hours of content and exquisite visuals make for a compelling lengthy experience that's more Grand Line than Grind Lane.
There's plenty of fun to be had in this exciting new adventure. The game looks and feels great. The story is solid and fun at the same time. There's very little not to love if you're a fan of the series. From fighting your favorite enemies to building a town from nothing, there's plenty to do in One Piece Unlimited World Red.
One Piece: Unlimited World Red is good. Although the combat is quite messy when facing waves of normal enemies, the excitement of the boss fights more than makes up for it. There's some nice variety to the adventure in terms of things you can undertake, and the additional Battle Coliseum mode is a nice bonus for those who want to extend their time with the game without resorting to the available DLC. The great presentation goes a long way toward pleasing fans of the long-running series, but for those just getting into it, this game isn't a bad place to start.
A few minor annoyances aside, the developers should be commended for not just putting together any old licensed pap and waiting for the One Piece fans to lap it up. A lot of effort has clearly gone into capturing what people enjoy about the anime, coupled with some strong gameplay and you have a worthy package for fans of the series.
The lack of a Wii U function let this down for me. If I was playing the PlayStation version I would have less complaints. But overall One Piece: Unlimited World Red is a fun game, has loads to offer and any One Piece fan would love it.
Hopefully that time will come, but for the latest One Piece video game, there is enough here to feel like you've had your worthwhile, you'll just wish that the final product was more masterfully crafted than what's on offer here.
Next to games like Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle, Unlimited World Red is a real disappointment.
Overall, One Piece: Unlimited World Red feels like a game made for fans of the series, and ultimately, they're the only people we can consider recommending this game to. Anyone unfamiliar with One Piece will have a tough time completely understanding what is going on and who every character is, and this really hinders its accessibility. While the character models and the variety in locales are real high points for the game, the combat and repetitive level structure make the game a complete bore to play through by the halfway point. Fans of One Piece may get a kick out of One Piece: Unlimited World Red, but newcomers should look elsewhere.
Ultimately, One Piece Unlimited World Red is a game for the fans. It's let down by repetitive combat and weird design decisions, but those looking to join Luffy and crew on a fun romp through some uncharted waters will find a lot to like here, even if it is a little stretched out.
[F]ans have a reason to rejoice.
One Piece Unlimited World Red is a decent action-RPG. It has a solid fighting system intact that leads the way, though it does need some work, and a building/gathering element to it that will add some longevity to the overall gameplay. One Piece fans will appreciate it, but newbies might want to give it a rent before jumping at it.
Overall this game is a must have for fans of the series and newcomers will enjoy how easy it is to jump in and play. I would advise newcomers to keep up with the anime in order to get the full experience but since the game has an original story, it isn't much of a requirement. Aside from the Coliseum Mode, this has to be one of the greatest One Piece games I've played yet.
Unlimited World Red is a good example of a licensed game done well. If you're a One Piece fan, you'll be in high-seas heaven; the gang's all here, they look and sound great, and the gameplay — while it has its issues — provides a solid foundation for the adventure. Poor camera controls and some repetitive design dampen the experience, and will be harder to swallow for non-fans, but even players who can't tell a Straw Hat from a straw hat can enjoy the the bright, high-energy action and colourful characters.
Once you grow tired of the story, there's the Battle Coliseum Mode, featuring exciting match-ups with even more familiar faces and a growing challenge as you increase in rank. There are different types of matches to choose from including special matches where characters are often predetermined, 1v1's, all-out brawls and more. The coliseum is a great place to get used to each character, especially since there are no penalties for losing or surrendering.
For fans of the series though, it's not a difficult recommendation — the game is passable on it's own merit, but filled with many nods to established characters and events that One Piece enthusiasts will love. Overall, this title goes some way to take the series away from some of the mis-steps in its past.
Overall a decent game, but fails to distinguish itself in any particular area.