One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 Beginner's Guide - Tips and Tricks

Know Your Warrior Type

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 keeps things pretty much in line with the previous entry in the series. This means each character (including the many new additions) will have a very specific type of fighting. That doesn’t just mean fighters in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 have different powers (they do), but the way they are handled in the midst of battle is important.

For instance, a character like Monkey D. Luffy is an attacker. Playing with him means going directly towards your target and facing them head-on. On the other hand, characters like Trafalgar Law and Nami are more technical. Their abilities require more of a setup and a much less direct approach at times.

No two characters in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 are exactly the same, so make sure when you’re picking that cool looking anime fighter that you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Kizuna Rush

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 contains a new mechanic called the Kizuna Rush. Unlike the stylish support players were able to obtain in Pirate Warriors 2, this rush allows more than one character on the screen as the player opens up a can of Devil Fruit infused violence upon hundreds of unsuspecting opponents.

Filling up the meter will allow players to summon their selected support character (up to four characters as you advance) to fight alongside you. You are also able to trigger a powerful combo attack using all of the fighters that essentially clears the screen.

The Kizuna Rush is perfect for overwhelming crowds that not only have grunts (weak pirates and marine foot-soldiers), but captains and special characters, as well. Make sure to fill up your Kizuna Rush as quickly as possible by using variety in your attacks and going for large combos. Keeping this ability in your pocket will definitely help out when facing near impossible odds.

Level Up Your Favorite Pirate Warriors Fighters

With all of the mayhem, bright lights, and explosions, it’s easy to forget that One Piece: Pirate Warriors has a healthy dose of RPG elements and, by extension, grinding. Every single character in the game can be leveled up to increase their power and speed, as well as unlock new abilities.

Of course, to do so will require playing the game with those characters (although there are other ways to level up characters, but those still require that you play the game quite a bit). Chances are that if you’re looking to purchase One Piece: Pirate Warriors, you are already a fan of the franchise (either the manga/anime franchise or the game franchise). That means you’ll know who you want to use the most since the the game does an excellent job of representing each character from the anime just how you’d expect.

Focus on those characters to make your life easier instead of constantly switching between everyone. Repeat missions to get you to a comfortable level before tackling much more difficult challenges. Use only the support characters you feel will contribute to your mission. As long as you try your best to not waste time on those characters you know you probably won’t use much, you’ll be in a good position come the later, and much more challenging, story arcs. 

Dream Log Is Your Friend

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 brings the series back to its roots by actually following the canon story arcs of the manga/anime. This means you’ll be able to follow Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates from their humble beginnings in the East Blue, all the way to the the attack on Dressrosa and one of the Seven Warlords. But the developers also decided to keep the Dream Log from the second game to provide some extra opportunities for players looking to power up.

The Dream Log can be accessed separately from the main story campaign and it puts players against different combinations of enemies, other huge bosses, and new scenarios. But it’s not just the mixed up gameplay that will make this mode your friend in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, it’s the rewards.

There are a few items that you just can’t obtain in the main campaign, no matter how high you rank in each mission. Dream Log can provide some things that can give you an edge, as well as add some replayability to the whole One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 affair. 

Try Characters Out if You’re New

I know a few pages back, we said to focus on your favorites in order to make the most of your time in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, but that is impossible to apply to newcomers. Some players out there will be entering the franchise fresh and have no idea who is who, and what the heck is a Devil Fruit.

For those players, the best course of action is to try each character out until you find those you’re most comfortable with. Whether it’s speed, power, or range, there is literally a character to support every preferred play style. Some are more accessible, like Luffy, but others require a bit more nuance in exchange for better strategy. You may want to mix it up and use a bit of both, so take the time to learn each fighter as you unlock them.

The game is challenging but fun; keeping these few tips in mind will ensure that you’re able to get through everything, and help Luffy on his goal to becoming the King of the Pirates.