January 13 is set to be an especially big day for fans of anime video games, as that’s the dayOne Piece Odysseyand the next-gen update forDragon Ball Z: Kakarothit the scene. Video game adaptations of popular anime franchises have been happening for decades now, but just as video games have become bigger than ever before, so too has the scope of these games increased. However, it seems most anime video games tend to be fighting games, which can get repetitive, to say the least.
Shonen anime often finds itself adapted into fighting games, with countless fighting games based onDragon Ball,Naruto, and more released over the years. More recent examples include thefighting games based onDemon Slayer,My Hero Academia, andOne Punch Man. Some of these anime fighting games are quite good, but it’s always refreshing when an anime adaptation tackles a different genre instead.
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For example, theNarutovideo games from Ubisoft, while featuring fighting game elements, are otherwise action-adventure titles that made great use of theNarutoIP. There haven’t been many anime video games released since then that have really captured the spirit ofNaruto: Rise of a NinjaandNaruto: The Broken Bond, but a pair of titles have a chance to do so come January 13 in the form ofOne Piece Odysseyand the next-gen update forDragon Ball Z: Kakarot.
One Piece Odyssey Could Be the Best One Piece Game Yet
One Pieceis one of the longest-running and most successful anime/manga franchises of all time, with video game adaptations dating back to the year 2000. Even with 23 years ofOne Piecevideo games to check out, though, the franchise has yet to have its big hit. Many of theOne Piecevideo games released over the years have earned mixed reviews at best, from its various fighting game adaptations to the2019 action-adventure gameOne Piece: World Seeker.
Despite this, hopes are high forOne Piece Odysseyto be the definitiveOne Piecevideo game experience. Developed by ILCA and published by Bandai Namco,One Piece Odysseyis an ambitious turn-based RPGthat has looked incredibly impressive so far. Notably,One Piece Odysseywill mark the franchise’s debut on new consoles, so it should be the most technically-impressive game based onOne Pieceyet.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot’s Next-Gen Update
As far as anime games go,Dragon Ball Z: Kakarotis definitely one of the more popular ones in recent years. LikeNaruto: Rise of a NinjaandNaruto: The Broken Bond,Dragon Ball Z: Kakarotdrummed up interest for being an action-adventure game instead of yet another fighting game release. Unfortunately,Dragon Ball Z: Kakarotearned somewhat mixed reviewsat the time of its release, but perhaps the next-gen update dropping on January 13 will paint it in a better light.
TheDragon Ball Z: Kakarotnext-gen updateboasts improved visuals and 60 frames per second, which means it will look and perform better than its counterpart on older consoles. Better yet, those who already ownDragon Ball Z: Kakaroton PS4 or Xbox One can upgrade to the PS5/Xbox Series X version for free.
MoreDragon Ball Z: KakarotDLC and updatesare still in the pipeline, so January 13 should be the perfect time to check the game out for those that have yet to do so.
