Although One Piece Odyssey introduces a new setting on the mysterious island of Waford, it still has tangible connections to the wider world of the One Piece manga. With a story penned by series author Eiichiro Oda, Odyssey has a unique place among One Piece games, not only as a Dragon Quest-like JRPG, but also as an original narrative that still fits in with the overarching plot of the original story.
One Piece Odyssey has been praised for its narrative, taking heavy story cues from the manga, and revisiting several major storylines such as Enies Lobby and Marineford. But the game's main setting is, uniquely, one that is entirely original: the island of Waford, where the Straw Hats find themselves shipwrecked and separated at the start of the game. It's a decision that makes sense for a game trying to tell a story distinct from the original material, allowing for less baggage and more natural gameplay progression. In spite of ostensibly being created for the sake of Odyssey's story, however, Waford still has interesting connections to the expansive world of One Piece.
One Piece Odyssey Makes Use Of The Main Series' Worldbuilding
As is revealed in-game, Waford leans on key worldbuilding details from the original series, being a former Sky Island with further connections to the original manga's Weatheria. Heavily related to new One Piece Odyssey characters Adio and Lim, Waford's history sees it crashing down to the surface hundreds of years prior to the game's story, a catastrophe resulting from a major war involving Adio's ancestors. Further details, like the Weatheria weather vanes spotted throughout the island, also lead to the conclusion that Adio's people experimented with weather technology - potentially factoring into the island's fall.
Waford's History Makes The Island A Genuine One Piece Locale
Although Waford is central to the game's narrative, being the main setting outside of memory arcs, many of its secrets are left outside the main story, relegated to side quests, exploration, and discussions with Robin. As the story of Odyssey is already heavily based around the anime, however, giving the island a full backstory makes it a natural fit in the wider setting of One Piece - with thorough worldbuilding being a fixture of locations from the original series, Waford's connections to Sky Islands and Weatheria make it clear that Odyssey's place in the story given a fair amount of attention and care.
Far from being a careless addition slapped onto the world of One Piece, Odyssey takes careful steps to incorporate the series' extensive worldbuilding into the Waford, making it a setting with a tangible history that slots neatly into the franchise's overarching story. By calling back to the Sky Islands and Weatheria, One Piece Odyssey plays to one of the series' greatest strengths, and gives the island of Waford a real, believable space in One Piece's New World.
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