One Piece: Burning Blood

One Piece: Burning Blood is enjoyable even for those unfamiliar with the anime, but the game is at its best for those who already have some knowledge of the story's events.

One Piece: Burning Blood presents a huge roster and great care for story details, but it's dragged down by important flaws like a too limited story mode and uninteresting game modes. Combat gameplay needs some adjustments too, especially in the balancement department. A good start for a new One Piece beat'em up franchise, but still needs lots of work.

One Piece: Burning Blood understands what makes the pirate life so compelling in the source material, and is fairly successful in channelling that roguish spirit into its chaotic fights. That flashy, firm commitment to action will feel welcoming to One Piece's biggest fans, but confusing to everyone else.

For fans of the popular anime show I'm sure that this title will undoubtedly be a big hit; however, for those who have absolutely no idea what One Piece: Burning Blood is about, they will most likely find it a shallow, confusing, and somewhat lackluster experience.

The game itself does work as an introduction to the series, giving the briefest of glimpses as to why it’s so popular, and piling on the fan service with countless playable and support characters. Neither good nor bad, it exists. That will be enough for many fans.

Maybe one day an anime brawler with drop-dead gorgeous visuals and solid fighting mechanics will materialise, but until then, only the most dedicated and patient One Piece fans will find any long-term fun with One Piece: Burning Blood.

Burning Blood is pure fan service through and through, and there’s nothing wrong with that. People who don’t watch/read the source material are going to remain thoroughly confused, but there’s still some enjoyment to be had in its wacky fighting and over-the-top style. If you’re not a manga fan and are looking for a fighter with tight mechanics, accurate hitboxes and a deep bench of combos, best keep looking.

One Piece: Burning Blood is an unremarkable adaptation of one of the franchise’s most popular story arcs, and may not even appeal to diehard One Piece fans.