Released in Japan in 2006 and North America in 2007, Okami was one of the last games produced for the Playstation 2. It was also later released on the Nintendo Wii in 2008. The game was developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. Sadly, Clover Studio was closed soon after the game was released due to loss of profit. I believe that, unfortunately, they were a victim to what the gaming industry on a whole has become. Meaning that, if your game is not titled {insert big name FPS or RPG here} it's just not going to sell very well. Gone are the days where making a game was about expression and creating a unique and memorable experience. But, that is an entirely different topic that I could go to great lengths about, so let's get back to Okami!
The story of Okami is amazing in large part due to the fact that it's almost entirely based upon actually Japanese legends and folklore. The legend tells of a village called Kamiki who was terrorized every year by the 8 headed demon known as Orichi. Every year on a full moon, Orichi would choose a maiden from the village to be sacrificed. If the villagers did not comply, he threatened that he would destroy the entire village. One certain year, exactly 100 years prior to the events of Okami, a maiden who was very special to the warrior Nagi was chosen to be sacrificed. Nagi, together with Shiranui, a pure white wolf, attempted to fight and defeat Orichi. While unsuccessful in defeating him, they were at least able to seal the demon away. Now, 100 years later, a clumsy and somewhat foolish descendant of Nagi known as Susano, has somehow accidentally broken the seal thus releasing the demon yet again. Understanding the grave danger the village and the rest of Nippon is in, the wood sprite and guardian of Kamiki village, summons Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, a reincarnation of Shiranui. Set forth with the task of protecting the village and defeating Orichi once and for all, Amaterasu now begins her great journey, along with her pint sized friend and translator, Issun, the traveling artist.
Audio and visual. More then likely, the first thing you're gonna say when you first see this game in action is "wow!". The water colored inspired cel shaded visuals are truly a site to behold. The game literally feels like you are playing a living water color painting. Similar to other well done cel shaded games, everything in Okami breathes and feels alive. You can walk into any given area and there is just so much to see; trees swaying in the wind, leaves blowing, birds flying, rivers flowing, snow falling, different little critters running about or grazing, and so on. And everything is happening in real time, meaning the sun rises and sets every day, and people and animals sleep at night and wake in the morning. Animations in the game, and especially battle animations, are equally fluid and natural. There's nothing I could fault in the visuals department, they are truly flawless.
The soundtrack and sound effects in Okami are equally amazing. The soundtrack is easily one of the best I have ever heard. I found myself more then a few times going to an area, setting the controller down, and just sitting back to the music. Some of the tracks are so soothing and calming they almost have a numbing effect on the senses. And on the other hand, some tracks are so dark they are downright chilling. They did an excellent job of enhancing the story through sound. Adding to the lush and lively visuals, the sound effects do a great job of adding even more realism to the game. They are top notch in quality. From the crack of lightening to the soft splashing of a waterfall, it all sounds shockingly real. Definitely play Okami with surround sound or big speakers if possible.
Gameplay. Well now that you know Okami is a grand feast for the senses, you're probably wondering if it stands up in the gameplay department. To that I will give you a resounding yes! Let's start with the Celestial Brush techniques. Throughout the game you will unlock 13 Celestial Brush techniques which each possess a certain ability. What makes this gameplay element so unique is that you literally "paint" the desired technique in the area you want to use it. Sound confusing? It's actually very simple. For example, you see a tree you want to cut down, simply paint a slash across the tree and down she goes. The techniques can also be used in battle which opens up many possibilities once you learn a few. I should also note that along with the 13 main brush techniques there is also hidden ones which are found by doing side quests.
The game progresses much like the Zelda series which it has been compared to. Throughout the game you will travel across Nippon exploring new lands, battling monsters, curing cursed villages, and traversing through large dungeons. As you might have guessed, learning new brush techniques will allow you to access new areas and treasures. Luckily, though, there is not a ton of backtracking and it never gets tiring thanks to a few forms of "fast travel" which are made available later in the game. In each new village or town you visit there will be a lot to do. Along with the usual shopping for new weapons and items, you can converse with the towns inhabitants and take up many different side quests and mini games. I really enjoyed the side quests because they usually gave a good bit of insight into the lives of npc's which made them actually feel important and memorable. I liked going back through an area and thinking of all the different people I met there and their individual stories. The mini games were also very enjoyable and some were pretty funny {snowball rolling!?}.
Combat could best be described as fast paced and sometimes hectic, although you always feel in control. Defeating enemies and bosses includes using a combination of good old fashioned weapon fighting and brush techniques. Bosses are taken down much like in the Zelda series. You will have to find the bosses weak point and how to expose and access that weak point. Most were fairly easy to figure out but a few of the last bosses really gave me fits, which is a good thing!
I should also add that the camera and controls were almost perfect. There was only a few instances were the camera went wonky at a totally inappropriate time. The controls on the other hand are buttery smooth and precise. If you messed up a jump it was totally your own fault and never the fault of shoddy controls.
Conclusion. Okami is darn near a perfect game, however, it was not without flaws. The most glaring flaw is the hand holding which was so bad at times it was border line demeaning. There was almost never a situation where you didn't know what to because you were always told what to do! I am not even exaggerating that either. For example, you might come to a spot where you need to sit and think about what to do to advance. Well, only after about 10-15 seconds, Issun starts to pipe in and proceeds to give you a "hint" that basically tells you what to do. He also likes to tell you every time you do something wrong which got extremely annoying after a while. Now that's not to say there was not still challenge in the game. It's still plenty challenging, just not as rewarding as it could be due to the hand holding. My other complaint that can get annoying is performing the wrong brush technique. The problem is that a few of the techniques are very similar so sometimes you will be trying to perform one and you get something else, or sometimes you seem to do it right and nothing happens at all. But luckily that does not happen very much. Lastly, the verbal "dialogue" gets annoying after a while and there seems to be quiet a bit of useless text which can't be sped up.
Small complaints aside, Okami is the best game I've played in the last few years. The story is amazing and I promise you that when you beat it you will want to play it again right away. I never once felt tired or bored with the game. Like a great movie, it slowly built up to the final climax and didn't burn itself out too soon. There is an extraordinary amount of stuff to do in the game and you will put in a good 40+ hours on your first play through. It's a bit upsetting that the game sold poorly because we NEED more games like this. Buy not buying this game you are only contributing to the rapid decline of unique and fresh games. So with that said, please, please, please, buy this game! You absolutely will not regret it.
The story of Okami is amazing in large part due to the fact that it's almost entirely based upon actually Japanese legends and folklore. The legend tells of a village called Kamiki who was terrorized every year by the 8 headed demon known as Orichi. Every year on a full moon, Orichi would choose a maiden from the village to be sacrificed. If the villagers did not comply, he threatened that he would destroy the entire village. One certain year, exactly 100 years prior to the events of Okami, a maiden who was very special to the warrior Nagi was chosen to be sacrificed. Nagi, together with Shiranui, a pure white wolf, attempted to fight and defeat Orichi. While unsuccessful in defeating him, they were at least able to seal the demon away. Now, 100 years later, a clumsy and somewhat foolish descendant of Nagi known as Susano, has somehow accidentally broken the seal thus releasing the demon yet again. Understanding the grave danger the village and the rest of Nippon is in, the wood sprite and guardian of Kamiki village, summons Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, a reincarnation of Shiranui. Set forth with the task of protecting the village and defeating Orichi once and for all, Amaterasu now begins her great journey, along with her pint sized friend and translator, Issun, the traveling artist.
Audio and visual. More then likely, the first thing you're gonna say when you first see this game in action is "wow!". The water colored inspired cel shaded visuals are truly a site to behold. The game literally feels like you are playing a living water color painting. Similar to other well done cel shaded games, everything in Okami breathes and feels alive. You can walk into any given area and there is just so much to see; trees swaying in the wind, leaves blowing, birds flying, rivers flowing, snow falling, different little critters running about or grazing, and so on. And everything is happening in real time, meaning the sun rises and sets every day, and people and animals sleep at night and wake in the morning. Animations in the game, and especially battle animations, are equally fluid and natural. There's nothing I could fault in the visuals department, they are truly flawless.
The soundtrack and sound effects in Okami are equally amazing. The soundtrack is easily one of the best I have ever heard. I found myself more then a few times going to an area, setting the controller down, and just sitting back to the music. Some of the tracks are so soothing and calming they almost have a numbing effect on the senses. And on the other hand, some tracks are so dark they are downright chilling. They did an excellent job of enhancing the story through sound. Adding to the lush and lively visuals, the sound effects do a great job of adding even more realism to the game. They are top notch in quality. From the crack of lightening to the soft splashing of a waterfall, it all sounds shockingly real. Definitely play Okami with surround sound or big speakers if possible.
Gameplay. Well now that you know Okami is a grand feast for the senses, you're probably wondering if it stands up in the gameplay department. To that I will give you a resounding yes! Let's start with the Celestial Brush techniques. Throughout the game you will unlock 13 Celestial Brush techniques which each possess a certain ability. What makes this gameplay element so unique is that you literally "paint" the desired technique in the area you want to use it. Sound confusing? It's actually very simple. For example, you see a tree you want to cut down, simply paint a slash across the tree and down she goes. The techniques can also be used in battle which opens up many possibilities once you learn a few. I should also note that along with the 13 main brush techniques there is also hidden ones which are found by doing side quests.
The game progresses much like the Zelda series which it has been compared to. Throughout the game you will travel across Nippon exploring new lands, battling monsters, curing cursed villages, and traversing through large dungeons. As you might have guessed, learning new brush techniques will allow you to access new areas and treasures. Luckily, though, there is not a ton of backtracking and it never gets tiring thanks to a few forms of "fast travel" which are made available later in the game. In each new village or town you visit there will be a lot to do. Along with the usual shopping for new weapons and items, you can converse with the towns inhabitants and take up many different side quests and mini games. I really enjoyed the side quests because they usually gave a good bit of insight into the lives of npc's which made them actually feel important and memorable. I liked going back through an area and thinking of all the different people I met there and their individual stories. The mini games were also very enjoyable and some were pretty funny {snowball rolling!?}.
Combat could best be described as fast paced and sometimes hectic, although you always feel in control. Defeating enemies and bosses includes using a combination of good old fashioned weapon fighting and brush techniques. Bosses are taken down much like in the Zelda series. You will have to find the bosses weak point and how to expose and access that weak point. Most were fairly easy to figure out but a few of the last bosses really gave me fits, which is a good thing!
I should also add that the camera and controls were almost perfect. There was only a few instances were the camera went wonky at a totally inappropriate time. The controls on the other hand are buttery smooth and precise. If you messed up a jump it was totally your own fault and never the fault of shoddy controls.
Conclusion. Okami is darn near a perfect game, however, it was not without flaws. The most glaring flaw is the hand holding which was so bad at times it was border line demeaning. There was almost never a situation where you didn't know what to because you were always told what to do! I am not even exaggerating that either. For example, you might come to a spot where you need to sit and think about what to do to advance. Well, only after about 10-15 seconds, Issun starts to pipe in and proceeds to give you a "hint" that basically tells you what to do. He also likes to tell you every time you do something wrong which got extremely annoying after a while. Now that's not to say there was not still challenge in the game. It's still plenty challenging, just not as rewarding as it could be due to the hand holding. My other complaint that can get annoying is performing the wrong brush technique. The problem is that a few of the techniques are very similar so sometimes you will be trying to perform one and you get something else, or sometimes you seem to do it right and nothing happens at all. But luckily that does not happen very much. Lastly, the verbal "dialogue" gets annoying after a while and there seems to be quiet a bit of useless text which can't be sped up.
Small complaints aside, Okami is the best game I've played in the last few years. The story is amazing and I promise you that when you beat it you will want to play it again right away. I never once felt tired or bored with the game. Like a great movie, it slowly built up to the final climax and didn't burn itself out too soon. There is an extraordinary amount of stuff to do in the game and you will put in a good 40+ hours on your first play through. It's a bit upsetting that the game sold poorly because we NEED more games like this. Buy not buying this game you are only contributing to the rapid decline of unique and fresh games. So with that said, please, please, please, buy this game! You absolutely will not regret it.