Well, although the universe has tried to conspire to prevent the word from getting out, I have showed the universe whose boss. The news must be heard! Okami is one of the greatest games you’ve never heard of/played!(unless you have/did)
I’m getting ahead of myself(and the review). Let’s start with a a quick wiki history lesson. Okami was developed by clover studios(The people behind the awesome, but hard, Viewtiful Joe series) for the PS2 and published by Capcom in September 2006, it was later ported to the wii in april of 2008.
Okami is an Action RPG, which draws from Zelda in some aspects (dungeons, how you get new powers in said dungeons, and how it will help you on the boss of said dungeon)
Now that that’s out of the way, on with the review…
Cover~
Story
100 years before the game a demon named Orochi plagued the land. Once a year it would demand a maiden from Kamiki village to be offered to him. When a girl named Nami was chosen to be sacrificed to the beast, the swordsman Nagi stormed orochi’s lair to slay the beast. But he could not beat the beast alone. When things looked bad for Nagi, a white wolf called Shiranui came to is aid. The combined power of the two of them was enough to seal the beast away. But not without sacrifice, Shiranui was struck down by orochi before the beast was sealed away.
The game flashes forward to the now, and some fool accidently releases Orochi from his prison. All is lost! But wait! Sakuya, the wood spirit who watches over Kamiki village used her power to bring Shiranui the white wolf back to life, so that she may once again defeat the demon orochi. But Shiranui is not just a wolf, Shiranui was actually a god. Her name is Ōkami Amaterasu. She wields the powers of the Celestial Brush, which allows her to use the different Celestial Brush Tecniques(13 in all). But she no longer possess them all(only 1 remains), so while on her journey she must track down the 12 other Celestial Brush gods and regain her powers.
Oh and that’s just the beginning of the epic 60 hour long quest. Oh and don’t think the story is always serious. Be prepared to laugh you lungs out, as this game can be moving one moment, and funny the next. Oh, and if this game somehow doesn’t affect your emotions at least once, you are a robot! (This game is one of the few games to actually make me cry in sadness and in joy)
Gameplay
The game is an action rpg(as I said), but it deviates from most traditional rpgs. First off, enemies are not random encounters per say. On the over world you will see floating demon scrolls, should you get close the scroll will chase you and should it catch you, it will engages a group of enemies in combat.
Combat is always in an enclosed area. You have 1 weapon and 1 sub weapon. You can switch these at any time you want, even in combat. You have 3 types of weapon. You have the Reflector, the Rosaries beads and the Glaive(sword). If you are playing the PS2 version I recommend the reflectors and beads for your main and for wii just use the beads.
This game also does a number on exp. You have 4 states, health, ink, money, and “stomach”. To levels these up you spend praise on them. What is praise? That is your exp. But you don’t get it from slaying monsters. You get it from helping villagers, feeding animals, restoring nature, and………slaying bosses(okay, so there are times you get exp from killing monsters…..). What is awesome is that you choose what states you want to increase. I personally maxed out my ink really quick, worked on my health as the game went on, only increased money 2-3 times and “stomach once. This is one game where the NPC’s are very important.
Controls
Okay, the controls on both the wii and ps2 are fine. With 1 minor hiccup on the wii, The drawing on the wii has a learning curve. And it hates circles! There will be times where you will keep failing the “quick time event” cut scenes (don’t worry, it makes sences. None of them are just “press x to not die” They are you doing things for people unbeknownst to them, like slashing monsters, blooming plants, etc.) Because the game was picky on your circles! But don’t worry, there aren’t that many quick time event cut scenes(although it seems like a lot at the beginning of the game)
Graphics
This game proves that high polygon count, HD, and realistic graphics mean NOTHING! This game is one of the best looking games out there. It uses a water color style meets calligraphy style. And this is one of Okami’s best selling points.
Characters
This game is full of quirky characters. There were times I thought I was playing earthbound because of how funny the dialog is from characters. Oh and just saying, you will hate Issun at first as he will make you relive the horrors of navi. But trust me, by the time the credits roll, you will love the little wandering artist.
Music
I’m going to say this right now; I love the music of this game! The music is just pure concentrated awesome. You might not like it if you’re not a fan of Japanese instruments, but trust me. The music is awesome!
Conclusion
If you own a PS2 or a Wii go get this game. GET IT NOW!!!! This game is worth the $10-20 you will spend to get a copy used. If you had to pick a version; the wii version is better looking with wide screen support and brighter colors, but a few control hiccups. Yet the PS2 version has a more “papery” feel with its washed out look and doesn’t have an controls issues(at least that I ran into). So I say it’s up to you, both version are amazing. Just get this game!
Now I’m off to learn how to paint with a divine paint brush, because I need to teach those imps a lesson. And remember, It's Dangerous To Go Alone!
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