One Piece: Romance Dawn

“A Real Treat for Fans”

One Piece: Romance Dawn

Preface: This is still a Japanese-only title. I know Japanese, so this presented no obstacle to me in playing the game, but for the purposes of this review, I will assume that you also know Japanese or are using a translation patch to make the game’s text legible to you. Wandering in the dark, language-wise, will obviously produce a very different gaming experience that I would estimate would warrant knocking at least three points off the score, unless you enjoy such strange challenges.

Romance Dawn, taking its title from the first chapter of the ongoing, decades long manga, One Piece, is the first full-blown turn-based RPG to cover a sizable portion of the series’ actual storyline (and not a non-canon story, as with real-time RPGs Unlimited Adventure and Unlimited Cruise). The gameplay elements alone make for a rather shallow RPG, but the One Piece coat of paint does its job well, and assuming you’re a fan of the series, it is that aspect that makes playing Romance Dawn worthwhile.