One Piece: Burning Blood

No anime worth its salt would be complete without a healthy number of arena brawlers, and One Piece is no exception. Though the franchise has seen its share of fighting games, you'd be hard-pressed to find one as comprehensive (and "up to date") as One Piece: Burning Blood.

Set at the height of the Dressrosa arc, Burning Blood sees Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, along with a good number of friends and foes from One Piece's history, duking it out in 3D battles. The gameplay is full of the quirks and special powers you've come to expect from the series, with the added horsepower of modern consoles.

For someone who stopped playing One Piece games around the time One Piece: Grand Adventure came out, Burning Blood was certainly a pleasant surprise. But does it live up to the gold standard set by games like Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm?

Fights for Days

Though the game tries to follow up the events of the Dressrosa arc as closely as it can, the story is never a top priority in Burning Blood. If what you want is a comprehensive One Piece game that follows the plot of the anime, you'd be better off playing One Piece: Pirate Warriors instead.

While the storyline component might be missing, the gameplay itself is one of a kind. Sure, it's your usual anime arena fighter, but each character's special abilities make sure no bout ever feels the same.

Legends from the Grand Line

As you might expect, the game collects characters from throughout One Piece history, with a clear focus on the Dressrosa arc. Still, even though the game pays close attention to Donquixote Doflamingo and his cronies, you can expect to see some familiar faces from iconic moments in One Piece lore.

In terms of the overall presentation, the visuals in Burning Blood are actually great. While the game mimics the style of the manga and anime, it doesn't rely as much on cel shading techniques, making it look considerably different from games like Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm.

A minor complaint I have with the roster comes from the number of repeat characters available. I don't think we need over four different versions of Luffy for the game to be complete. It's better to leave things like that to games like Dragon Ball Budokai Tenkaichi.

Rewarding Progression

There's something uniquely rewarding about unlocking secret characters in anime fighting games that's hard to explain to anyone who's never played one before. In One Piece: Burning Blood, that rewarding feeling is well intact.

Rating: 9/10

Outside of the core roster of pirate fighters, you'll also need to unlock supporting characters that can give you the upper hand in some encounters. For One Piece fans, Burning Blood remains the ultimate fighting game in the series – even if it's a bit outdated by now.

Pros

• A healthy selection of characters to choose from
• Great visuals that don't rely on cel-shading techniques
• Satisfying gameplay with unique characters

Cons

• Some repeat characters to pad out the roster
• Minimal story

One Piece Burning Blood is a fighting game based on the popular One Piece manga. The game attracts fans of the franchise with its dynamic fights and recognizable characters. The game follows the storyline of the original anime, focusing on the Marineford arc. Epic battles between pirates and marines, as well as battles for freedom and justice await you.

Features:

• Detailed character models and impressive special effects
• More than 40 playable characters from the One Piece universe, each with their own unique abilities and fighting styles
• Different storylines and alternate endings
• Simple controls that make the game easy to learn