REVIEW: ‘One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 Legendary Edition’ is a Strong Revival

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 – Legendary Edition, the latest installment in the Musuo/hack and slash series, debuts as a new DLC pack developed by Koei Tecmo in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game, initially released in 2020 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC, has been updated with new features and characters, and is being ported to the latest and greatest generation of consoles: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. 

The premise of One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 – Legendary Edition is similar to that of its predecessors, with the game adapting several story arcs from Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga series. Players can play the single-player primary story mode, Dramatic Log, where they can play through story missions with various characters that span across the Alabasta to Wano Country arcs.

Having previously played Pirate Warriors 4 on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 years ago, the difference in playing the game on the PlayStation 5 (PS5) is pretty visible. The game’s graphics and features seem to run much smoother and crisper on the PS5’s enhanced processing power, making the gaming experience very satisfying.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 Legendary Edition makes much-needed upgrades for current-gen systems like the PS5.

If previous owners of Pirate Warriors 4 are indecisive about whether to get the game on their next-gen consoles, the performance improvements alone are worth downloading the game. However, another bonus for previous owners of the PS4, Nintendo Switch, or Xbox One versions is that this upgrade is free for players who already have the game. So it’s really a no-brainer to play and experience the game at its fullest potential on the next-gen console of their choice. 

For players new to the One Piece: Pirate Warriors franchise, the game doesn’t require much, if any, prior experience with the previous iterations to have an enjoyable gaming experience. It is by no means a strict one-to-one retelling of the One Piece series. The game retells and summarizes some major story arcs of One Piece in a way that doesn’t feel too daunting or overwhelming for gamers and One Piece fans of any level to enjoy. 

Although the game’s latest edition does not introduce any new story missions set on Egghead Island, it is a bit of a letdown. Ultimately, it is understandable, as that arc is still ongoing in the anime.

Nonetheless, the game’s new DLC Character Pack No.7 features some exciting faces from the Future Island Egghead Arc, including the highly anticipated Rob Lucci (Awakened Zoan form), the ruthless CP0 agent, Jewelry Bonney, the pirate captain and daughter of Bartholomew Kuma, and S-Snake the Seraphim cyborg designed after Boa Hancock. 

Lucci, Bonney, and S-Snake are key fan-favorite characters from the Future Island Egghead Arc, so it is no surprise that they were chosen to be added to Pirate Warriors 4’s massive roster. The game’s developers did an excellent job bringing each character’s unique characteristics from the source material to life through gameplay. Each character has their own animations, looks, and feels that embody their Egghead Arc, which makes them unique and offers some new fun and battle strategies to explore with each character. 

For example, Rob Lucci will easily be a fan favorite to play. Fighting hordes of enemies as Lucci is thrilling, especially now that his awakened Zoan Devil Fruit powers are a part of the game. Lucci was already a threat before introducing his awakened form and powers, but now, with this addition, players get to see how the game incorporates the characters.  

Pirate Warriors 4 Legendary Edition stands out for how thoughtfully each character has been adapted to the game.

Lucci’s character also presents the fun challenge of incorporating Sky Type’s fighting style. Characters with Sky type have specific attributes that non-Sky types do not have. Becoming invincible during the Power Dash, for example, can give players an advantage against certain enemies and situations.

It is also interesting to see how the game’s animators and developers worked on Lucc’s awakened forms features, and even included his Sky Walk sounds. These may seem like minor details, but they make a significant difference in the character’s design when included at this level. 

In contrast, I would have assumed S-Snake also to have been a good pick for Sky Type, but she is not in the game. S-Snake, however, is excellent for players who love quick, sharp attacking characters that pack a big punch. It is especially fun to play around with her various combo moves on the ground and in mid-air attacks. She is a character who offers players a unique blend of melee and ranged laser attacks that can combine into a formidable, destructive force when fighting hordes of enemies. 

Jewelry Bonney is also an interesting character who combines her age manipulation, devil fruit powers, and utilizes both buff and debuff styles with a decent mid-range hit. Playing with Boney definitely requires a bit more strategy, since she does not deal as much damage or move as quickly as the other characters. However, she remains a delightful character to play.

When you are playing through the primary story mode, it is essential to beef up your characters with the Soul Map. The Soul Map is a system that allows players to develop their skills and stats for all characters. By using the game’s currency on the Soul Map, players can unlock new stat increases and build up skills that help increase the characters’ fighting power over time. 

Another quick tip for new players eager to play as Gear 5 Luffy, but might be confused why his form isn’t included under the Straw Hat Pirates, is that to play with Gear 5, you need to go to Additional Characters 2 in Character Select and specifically choose Luffy (Onigashima Battle).  

Gear 5 Luffy is there, but you gotta dig into the menu a little.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 Legendary Edition is not just an endless hack-and-slash/musou game, although some parts of the game initially feel that way, especially during the longer levels. However, the game’s developers know how to keep fans coming back for more, and one of the ways they do this is by offering various modes that allow players to test their skills. In addition to the primary story mode, Dramatic Log, there are also Free Log, Treasure Log, and Special Log game modes.

For new players seeking more variety and different challenges from the constant hack-and-slash gameplay in the primary story mode, I highly recommend checking out Special Log. Special Log includes three episodes that feature Yamato’s Adventures, Koby’s Combat Chronicle, and Path to the King of the Pirates.

These episodes still incorporate the Musuo gameplay style, but also feature one-on-one fights and special missions that players can explore throughout each episode. The Special Log episodes offer a nice break from the Dramatic Log, helping players avoid game burnout. 

Surprisingly enough, for a game that came out five years ago, the One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4: Legendary Edition has a decent replay value, especially with the upgrades that were made for next-gen console players. One of the biggest appeals of Pirate Warriors 4 Legendary Edition is its vast character roster. It allows players to explore One Piece lore through its traditional Straw Hat Pirates, or to mix things up and play with new additions like Bonney, Lucci, S-Snake, or any other character they wish to play as.

Even for players who have beaten the game or haven’t touched it in years, experimenting with the new characters to fight against different enemies, challenges, and bosses may reenergize their experience with the game. The new character playstyles and strategies can offer some variety and new reasons for returning players to return to Pirate Warriors 4. 

Although the considerable selection of fan-favorite characters is a great appeal, the roster can only do so much. It will be critical for the game’s future to see if and when the developers introduce new stories and missions from more recent arcs in the source material, such as Egghead, Elbaph, and God Valley arcs. Given the current timing of these arcs, it is not likely that we will see those additions anytime soon in Pirate Warriors 4.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 Legendary Edition is much more than a basic musou. 

Nonetheless, players like myself, who love playing through the primary story mode, are eager to see if those arcs will ever be included in Pirate Warriors 4 or if we should just wait to see if there will ever be a Pirate Warriors 5. 

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 Legendary Edition is great for fans, both new and old. The game succeeds by bringing new life to a four-year-old game with some much-needed upgrades for next-gen consoles (like the PS5 I played it on), resulting in a smoother and higher-quality gaming experience.

The latest character pack adds appeal for veteran players to return to the game, especially for those eager to try out new playstyles across the various game modes. The lack of new story missions is disappointing, but understandable given the current timing of the anime and manga. This latest installment of Pirate Warriors 4 makes it worthwhile for newcomers and day-one fans alike. 

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4: Legendary Edition is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.