Beaten: Original-2009/ HD 04.08.2018
Console(s): PS2, Wii, PS3, XboxOne, Nintendo Switch
Rating: 10/10
I am pretty picky when it comes to games, and the thing is, I avoided playing Okami for the longest time when I was younger because it was so…different. So Okami was developed by Clover Studios and then later published by Capcom. When I first saw the game, it was in a gaming magazine and I was going through my “God of War” phase. In fact, I had seen the game multiple times on the shelves, but could not bring myself to pay full price for something that just did not look ‘realistic’. To me, the game seemed cartoony and really simple- almost outdated compared to other things on the shelf, and I thought it would be boring playing the game as a wolf that sprouts flowers as he runs…I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG!!!
Truth-be-told…I knew nothing about the game and did not even bother to try and read up on it because that first glance did not grab hold of me. But, after watching Cryaotic finish his playthrough of it, and having beaten the sequel not too long ago, I have been going down memory lane a lot. I was lucky to have gone into gamestop when they were having their huge sale and being able to pick up this game for the price that I did, because after I started playing the game, I could not stop and would go on to beat it another five times before I was through.
I’ll go ahead and quote some of the basic information of what Okami is from the Wiki because it would take me too long to try and explain it myself:
Set sometime in classical Japanese history, the game combines several Japanese myths, legends and folklore to tell the story of how the land was saved from darkness by the Shinto sun goddess, named Amaterasu, who took the form of a white wolf. It features a distinct sumi-e-inspired cel-shaded visual style and the Celestial Brush, a gesture-system to perform miracles.
Ōkami was one of the last PlayStation 2 games selected for release prior to the release of the PlayStation 3. Although it suffered from poor sales initially, the game became immensely popular afterwards and received critical acclaim, earning the title of IGN‘s 2006 Game of the Year. The Wii version has earned similar praise, though the motion control scheme has received mixed reviews.
A high-definition port of the game was released on the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network in October 2012 and for retail in Japan in November 2012, supporting the use of the PlayStation Move motion controller. A sequel for the Nintendo DS titled Ōkamiden was released in Japan in September 2010, followed by North America and Europe in March 2011.
So yeah. After I had gotten the game on the Ps2, my friend had bought the version for the Wii. Since Clover Studios closed soon after the game’s initial release, another company (called ‘Ready at Dawn’) had taken it upon themselves to get the game ready for the Wii, and while all the gameplay is the same, whereas in the Ps2 version you bloom Clovers that you find scattered all over the world, the Wii version does not have this (though I am not sure what the substitute is for this).
Anyways, without going into too much more detail about my introduction into this game, I’m just going to go ahead and give you the PROs and CONs so that you can judge this game for yourself if you ever decide to play it:
***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***
- The Story:
—Okami had an amazing story. As the wiki states, the world is shrouded in Darkness. Some type of curse has shrouded the land and it is somehow connected to an ancient legend that took place over 100 years ago. We learn that 100 years ago, a great demon known as Orochi had shrouded the same land in Darkness, and every year during the full moon, he would demand a human sacrifice. Well, a great hero named Nagi ended this curse when he disguised himself as a Maiden, snuck into the moon cave, and with the help of a powerful wolf named Shiranui, the two of them ended Orochi once and for all, and sealed his spirit in the moon cave using Nagi’s Sacred sword.Needless to say we are lead to believe that the whole tale then revolves around the re-awakening of Orochi and that you must once again stop him as a white wolf, but that’s only half the tale and it goes so much deeper than that…going all the way back to the birth of the Gods, their home on the Celestial Plain, and the Dark Lord named Yami who controls all the greater demons and crash landed into this planet from an Ark made by the Lunar Tribe. It’s all very deep with multiple story twists, and while you don’t ever know what is fully going on until the end, you never stop holding on to the edge of your seat, and the story never gets old as you explore the vast lands of Nippon and bloom tree saplings to restore said-land to its former glory.
- Colorful cast of Characters:
—Not only is the story amazing, but the character development is amazing. Unlike most games with the generic NPCs that you could give a care less about, everyone in the Okami universe is unique. Every person has their own story to tell and whether or not they have a quest or something for you, they only deepen the story and the lore, sucking you into this universe. Also, the main characters are so well written that when one is lost or is hurt, you feel that pain, you will shed tears…this game has you by the heartstrings the entire time, and as more plot-lines develop you become even more addicted to this game because it’s like a grand, epic novel that you just can’t put down because you have to see what happens next. From the Death of Queen Himiko to the departure of Bamboo Girl, killing the Water Dragon, and watching Shiranui defend Oki…it’s all so amazing and full of action that you would not expect from such a simple-looking game.Not only is character development amazing, but, the writing in general is just amazing and it keeps you interested the entire time you are playing the game. There is really never a dull moment when it comes to Okami, even when you are just running around getting extra items in the game for the hell of it.
- Game Design/Music:
—The screenshots provided for this game did not do the game justice because this game is GORGEOUS!!!! The colors mixed with the powers of the brush, the fights, and the just the enemy design. It all comes together to give you this ancient-japanese-watercolor look which really takes your breath away. Not only does this game look amazing, but it SOUNDS amazing. From the quirky music from Issun’s dialogue to the action-packed battle music and the music from the digging games // the pipes, the drums, it all comes together to create this beautiful universe which will just make you melt. Even back when it was only on the PS2 I thought it was really beautiful, and my mouth was literally pouring rainbows the minute I saw Cry playing that HD remake. So stunning…so, so, stunning.
- Gameplay:
—The gameplay is another thing that needs recognition in this game. The brush powers was something I had never seen in a Playstation game, and, while it was a little awkward at first, you get used to it pretty fast. I did not like the Wii or the DS way of painting, which is funny considering one has motion control and the other had a touch screen you can draw on, that just goes to show you how amazing this game really was when it was on the Playstation 2. But obviously, as a brush God, you have different powers that you get throughout your adventures. In the beginning it is just the simple stuff like making a sun, and fixing broken bridges…but then it becomes more advanced as you learn to slice through objects, can control wind, fire, lightning, can swing from vines, and can even slow down time. That’s only a few of the powers that Okami gives you, each one having its own unique symbol and a way in which it ties into the puzzles of the games.
Ah yes, puzzles. This game has some really amazing puzzles.
- Combat:
—The combat in the game was another thing that I really enjoyed. You are not limited to your brush powers alone, but, Amaterasu does indeed have some normal combat skills as well. As a wolf you can bite, ram your opponent, and, if you go to the Dojos scattered around the world, you can learn other skills which will help you fight better later on. Not only that but Amaterasu can equip weapons known as “Divine Instruments”. These range from shields to rosaries, and even swords. You can equip a main weapon and then a sub-weapon in order to create deadly combos in battle. While I preferred playing with the double-shield on the Playstation 2, when I played the game in HD via my Xbox, I chose to go for a sword-and-rosary combo so I could used charged slashes and then bead-bullets to damage opponents from afar.
- Favor and Upgrades:
—Amaterasu can be upgraded or can “level-up” by using ‘favor’.
Favor is gained through feeding animals, helping people with their specific needs like quests, and favor can be used to upgrade your health, get you more ink pots for using brush powers, and can do other things like fill your ‘astral pouch’ (for extra lives when you die), and can also upgrade your wallet as well.
Okami also has various extra items that can be equipped and they have multiple effects as well. Some draw money to you, others allow you to gain health when you sleep, others allow you to walk on water or even through fire, and therefore, the way you play is completely up to you. Three of these special items can be equipped at a time. There is also an item called “gold dust” which can be found in the world. This gold dust is used to upgrade your weapons (increase damage and such), and should be used only on your favorite weapons.
- Extras:
—Okami also has a lot of extras in the game after you beat it the first time.
By collecting stray beads throughout the game, you will unlock a lot of extras after the final boss (that you can then use for a second playthrough). Other extras are unlocked via “final score” that tells you how many enemies you killed, how many times you died, your time for beating the final game, and etc.
These extras are concept art pieces for the game, videos, and trailers never shown before. There are also some videos of the game while it was still in development, and even new character skins. From fat Okami, to little dog Okami, to a ‘real’ looking wolf rather than the Japanese painting version, not only do you get to play the game with all the weapons you got in the first run (and all of your stats), the new skins make things really fun, and I replayed my game several, several times.
- Plot Twists?
—I would say that Okami had a plot twist…but then again, it’s not so much a twist. SPOILER ALERT! Orochi is NOT the only thing you are fighting in this game! This game had a lot of twists-and-turns which coincides with the whole “character development”-thing. Nothing was ever as it appeared on the outside with anyone you encountered, and in the end, we got to see people grow, shine, and really take up their mantle. The entire point of the game revolved around “resolve”, and it was a game that constantly kept you on your toes up until that final moment.
In conclusion…there is not really anything that I did not like about this game. There was never a time where a puzzle was too hard or something was too complicated. I never died enough times to get a game over (and in the HD remake I did not die at all), there was never a time where I put down my controller because I was bored, and even when I wasn’t doing the stuff for the main storyline, there was never a time I did not enjoy exploring around the region which was Nippon and/or Kamui.
Even the mini-games had me captivated…and looking for the random things just in order to get some sort of completion bonus, that in itself was really, really fun. So, I really can’t break down Okami in any other way because it just has so much to offer and is such a huge game with so many different features for something that looks so ‘simple’ on the outside. I am so glad I decided to take the chance on playing it back on the day and I smack myself for being so close-minded about it just because it looked a little bit ‘different’ from what I was used to.
Because you CAN get the HD version on the PS4/XboxOne/Nintendo Switch…I would do so because this game never gets old, and whether you have played it before or might be looking into it for the very first time, it is totally worth the buy.
Personally, my only qualms would be over the Wii version of the game which was not really made by Clover Studios and therefore is lacking somewhat in the gameplay. The storyline is exactly the same, but the Wii remote is used in making brush strokes and they tend to be finnicky. Also, because Clover Studios did not publish the Wii Version of the game, there are not random Clovers to bloom, and therefore there is not that extra favor to gain by them which is a little disappointing. The graphics are a bit more low-res as well and they had a bad habit of hurting my eyes…therefore my personal recommendation would be to play it on the Playstation 2 or the HD remakes if at all possible.
One last issue I had was with the HD remakes for the PS4/XboxOne…and it was the bugs for the achievements. There were some achievements that you get just by playing the story, but for some odd reason, they never unlocked. When researching this issue, I learned that a lot of the achievements had bugs in which they would not unlock, and if they did, some of them had a delay. The best course of action was to go back to a previous save-file and keeping redoing the action that got you the achievement until it finally appeared…but because I did not know about the bugs, I never made more than 1-2 save files at a time. So while it is not game-breaking, this was a bit of an issue for me. Also I had a few instances of the game freezing in the remakes which is a problem I never had on the PS2 version. But it only happened a few times, and a quick reset fixed the problem right away.
But, what do you think? Is this a game you feel like you would be interested in? What do you think of the use of brush-strokes and the style of the game? Have you played it before? Who was your favorite character and why? Did any parts of the game really move you? Did you play the sequel yet on the DS?
I’m always interested in hearing peoples opinions, especially when a game gets a perfect rating from me. So let me know your thought/opinions in the comment-section down below.
But, that’s all I have for this one…hopefully this review is good enough because I have been putting it off for some time. There was just so much material to cover, therefore I’m really hoping that I got the gist of it.
Anyways, thank you all so much for reading- and I will see you in the next blog! 😉
[[edited: 04/08/2018]]
- Video:
OMG Girls Game! 
4 Comments