Oni
11-07-06, 05:22 AM
Okami is a rare thing, I think. It is the perfect blend of story, graphics, emotion, battle, and discovery all rolled into one. It is a gem among it's genera, and I think it is going to be overlooked by quite a few people, which is unfortunate to say the least.
The game is an RPG based in the fictional world of Nippon (yes, I realize that is Japanese for Japan, but we're talking about the game here), where a long time ago, a great warrior sealed away a great evil with the help of a wolf god, rather than seeing the love of his life sacrificed to to it. For 99 years, the village of Kamiki has enjoyed peace . . . Until the evil is released once again into the world.
Enter you.
Okami Amaterasu the wolf god is the character you'll be playing as. With your trusty weapon, a bottle of sake, and your sidekick Issun (an artistic bug that rides on your head), you enter the world of Nippon to once again, help seal the evil of the land.
The entire game is done in cel-shading, and it looks absolutely phenominal! From the animals that frolic in the meadow, to the flowers and grass that blooms at the feet of Amaterasu as she runs and jumps, it's a stunning visual treat. The world seems vibrant and alive, full of growing things. From the lushness of the country side to the dank, shadow-filled caves, this game seems alive.
The play is fairly tight. From running across the field to battle, it's very interesting. Part of the game is done with brush strokes. Now, this may sound kinda gimmicky. I thought it would be, too. But in reality, it works very well in the game's favour. At certain times, it may become necessary for you to pull out your calligraphy brush. You can do all kinds of different things with the brush, including attacking, making things grow, controlling the winds and making cherry bombs appear out of nowhere! It takes a bit of getting used to; using the brush with the analog stick, but after a few attempts it becomes second nature and is very, very necessary to advance in the game. As you progress, you'll learn up to 13 different brush strokes that you can use to aid you in your quest. You must learn them and use them whenever the time comes.
Combat is handled very stylishly, I think. Only rarely do you absolutely need to engage an enemy, as there's no real thing as experience points, but I'll get to that later. Enemy encounters are started by approaching what looks to be a floating tapestry with different kana on it. Once you touch the tapestry, the battle begins, and you are temporarily transfered to the demon realm to do battle. Battle is free-form in a circle. Various enemies pop up, and you can dispatch them with both your equipped weapon or your brush. The goal being to stun the enemy first, then use the brush to apply the finishing blow. After the battle ends, you collect your Yen and your other spoils, then you're transported back to Nippon to continue your journey.
You can also encounter gates in the fields of Nippon. It's always good to attack these and get them cleared up, 'cause when you win the battle that lies within the gate, the gate disappears from the field and you earn praise. Praise is what you use to level up in this game. The more praise you collect, the beefier you can make Amaterasu. You can spend praise to upgrade your health, your ink bottle (very useful) your astral pouch or your wallet. There are lots of different ways to earn praise. You can earn it by closing gates, impressing people, or feeding animals or by destroying bosses
The people in the game are quirky and interesting. There are Princesses, Priests, Warriors and Sake Brewers. All with interesting things to do and tell you. Some of them just think you're a white wolf (the Sake Brewer will actually pet you and kiss your nose), but others can see the markings that are upon you and know that you are the wolf god re-incarnated. The only real thing that bothers me in this game is the way the people speak . . . or rather don't speak. All the vocals sound like the backwards talk of Cthulu Cultists. Or, have you ever played Animal Crossing on the GC? Yeah, they all sound like that. It takes some getting used to, but with all the good this game has to offer, it's a really minor thing to nitpick about.
Over all, I'm very impressed with this game. And I do mean very impressed. Games that literally jump out of the screen and shake me and shout 'I am one of the best things you have ever played!' are rare. I don't think I'm easily impressed by just the pretty things anymore. Luckily, Okami has both the pretty things and the story to back it up.
Go buy Okami. If you have a PS2, there is no reason for you to not own this game.
The game is an RPG based in the fictional world of Nippon (yes, I realize that is Japanese for Japan, but we're talking about the game here), where a long time ago, a great warrior sealed away a great evil with the help of a wolf god, rather than seeing the love of his life sacrificed to to it. For 99 years, the village of Kamiki has enjoyed peace . . . Until the evil is released once again into the world.
Enter you.
Okami Amaterasu the wolf god is the character you'll be playing as. With your trusty weapon, a bottle of sake, and your sidekick Issun (an artistic bug that rides on your head), you enter the world of Nippon to once again, help seal the evil of the land.
The entire game is done in cel-shading, and it looks absolutely phenominal! From the animals that frolic in the meadow, to the flowers and grass that blooms at the feet of Amaterasu as she runs and jumps, it's a stunning visual treat. The world seems vibrant and alive, full of growing things. From the lushness of the country side to the dank, shadow-filled caves, this game seems alive.
The play is fairly tight. From running across the field to battle, it's very interesting. Part of the game is done with brush strokes. Now, this may sound kinda gimmicky. I thought it would be, too. But in reality, it works very well in the game's favour. At certain times, it may become necessary for you to pull out your calligraphy brush. You can do all kinds of different things with the brush, including attacking, making things grow, controlling the winds and making cherry bombs appear out of nowhere! It takes a bit of getting used to; using the brush with the analog stick, but after a few attempts it becomes second nature and is very, very necessary to advance in the game. As you progress, you'll learn up to 13 different brush strokes that you can use to aid you in your quest. You must learn them and use them whenever the time comes.
Combat is handled very stylishly, I think. Only rarely do you absolutely need to engage an enemy, as there's no real thing as experience points, but I'll get to that later. Enemy encounters are started by approaching what looks to be a floating tapestry with different kana on it. Once you touch the tapestry, the battle begins, and you are temporarily transfered to the demon realm to do battle. Battle is free-form in a circle. Various enemies pop up, and you can dispatch them with both your equipped weapon or your brush. The goal being to stun the enemy first, then use the brush to apply the finishing blow. After the battle ends, you collect your Yen and your other spoils, then you're transported back to Nippon to continue your journey.
You can also encounter gates in the fields of Nippon. It's always good to attack these and get them cleared up, 'cause when you win the battle that lies within the gate, the gate disappears from the field and you earn praise. Praise is what you use to level up in this game. The more praise you collect, the beefier you can make Amaterasu. You can spend praise to upgrade your health, your ink bottle (very useful) your astral pouch or your wallet. There are lots of different ways to earn praise. You can earn it by closing gates, impressing people, or feeding animals or by destroying bosses
The people in the game are quirky and interesting. There are Princesses, Priests, Warriors and Sake Brewers. All with interesting things to do and tell you. Some of them just think you're a white wolf (the Sake Brewer will actually pet you and kiss your nose), but others can see the markings that are upon you and know that you are the wolf god re-incarnated. The only real thing that bothers me in this game is the way the people speak . . . or rather don't speak. All the vocals sound like the backwards talk of Cthulu Cultists. Or, have you ever played Animal Crossing on the GC? Yeah, they all sound like that. It takes some getting used to, but with all the good this game has to offer, it's a really minor thing to nitpick about.
Over all, I'm very impressed with this game. And I do mean very impressed. Games that literally jump out of the screen and shake me and shout 'I am one of the best things you have ever played!' are rare. I don't think I'm easily impressed by just the pretty things anymore. Luckily, Okami has both the pretty things and the story to back it up.
Go buy Okami. If you have a PS2, there is no reason for you to not own this game.