Every once in a while we get a video game that redefines the genre. A game that is fresh, innovative, exciting and lets us all know that Japan still has what it takes to create those special games.
Okami was a joy to play. 40 hours of unique and unbelievable story-telling, characters, vistas and gameplay equaled one spectacular game.
I felt so attached to both Issun and Amaterasu throughout the game. You cared about both the wolf and its sprite as they forged on their adventure. Issun was a character that you enjoyed. You never knew what colourful comment he was going to say next. His role in the game to Amaterasu as guide, friend and confidant helps the game and the story move.
Cel-shaded graphics are a favorite of mine and these were the best ones yet. The vistas are gorgeous and there is so much detail. Rivers, towns, dungeons, forests; they are all beautiful and the game is alive. The Emotion Engine lives up to its name here. This was the first RPG in which I felt I was in a vibrant world. The enemies and bosses were incredible. Orochi especially was a show-stopper.
Of course, the innovative brush techniques added a lot to the game. You are always looking for an opportunity to use them on anything. It certainly beats the age-old fighting engines of RPGs past.
There were plenty of memorable characters in this game. You had the drunkard Susano, the prophet Waka, the busty Rao and the wacky Mr. and Mrs. Cutter. All these characters were carefully crafted by Clover. You cared about them and you didn't see them as just NPCs. The dialog was excellent, too. Issun takes the honors, of course. He is honest in his observations. He certainly thought the Cutter's home smelled awful! I also loved the running joke where some characters think Ammy is a dog or mutt instead of a wolf.
The music is outstanding. This is real Japanese music. No J-Pop or 80's heavy metal here. I liked how the music would only play in the day, too.
There's also lots of hidden stuff. You can try to find all the Stray Beads, feed all the animals, find all the treasures, catch all the fishes, etc. You can also look for hidden treasures with your new powers.
The game isn't perfect. There's no voice acting; everybody sounds like a character from Animal Crossing. Still, as an AC fan it didn't bother me. I liked it. The camera gave me occasional problems at times. There is some slowdown when the action gets hectic. The load screens appeared a little too often, although they serve a purpose. The game is also easy. I didn't die once. You'll eventually have so many bones and golden peaches along with a killer weapon that you'll win all your battles through attrition.
When it's all said and done, Okami is a masterpiece of a game. These are the kinds of games that the PS3 will have in its future and I can't wait to see what the power of the console will offer. In a day of the same-old same-old, Clover Studios and CapCom offer up a game that blows away anything Nintendo did with Zelda. Cancel your Halo 3 pre-orders and get this game and see for yourself what a real video game should be like. See a game that offers a beautiful, interactive world. Play a game that offers good clean fun and a unique battle engine and when it's all said and done, a game that actually will get you into studying Japanese culture. This is as good as PS2 gaming gets!
Okami was a joy to play. 40 hours of unique and unbelievable story-telling, characters, vistas and gameplay equaled one spectacular game.
I felt so attached to both Issun and Amaterasu throughout the game. You cared about both the wolf and its sprite as they forged on their adventure. Issun was a character that you enjoyed. You never knew what colourful comment he was going to say next. His role in the game to Amaterasu as guide, friend and confidant helps the game and the story move.
Cel-shaded graphics are a favorite of mine and these were the best ones yet. The vistas are gorgeous and there is so much detail. Rivers, towns, dungeons, forests; they are all beautiful and the game is alive. The Emotion Engine lives up to its name here. This was the first RPG in which I felt I was in a vibrant world. The enemies and bosses were incredible. Orochi especially was a show-stopper.
Of course, the innovative brush techniques added a lot to the game. You are always looking for an opportunity to use them on anything. It certainly beats the age-old fighting engines of RPGs past.
There were plenty of memorable characters in this game. You had the drunkard Susano, the prophet Waka, the busty Rao and the wacky Mr. and Mrs. Cutter. All these characters were carefully crafted by Clover. You cared about them and you didn't see them as just NPCs. The dialog was excellent, too. Issun takes the honors, of course. He is honest in his observations. He certainly thought the Cutter's home smelled awful! I also loved the running joke where some characters think Ammy is a dog or mutt instead of a wolf.
The music is outstanding. This is real Japanese music. No J-Pop or 80's heavy metal here. I liked how the music would only play in the day, too.
There's also lots of hidden stuff. You can try to find all the Stray Beads, feed all the animals, find all the treasures, catch all the fishes, etc. You can also look for hidden treasures with your new powers.
The game isn't perfect. There's no voice acting; everybody sounds like a character from Animal Crossing. Still, as an AC fan it didn't bother me. I liked it. The camera gave me occasional problems at times. There is some slowdown when the action gets hectic. The load screens appeared a little too often, although they serve a purpose. The game is also easy. I didn't die once. You'll eventually have so many bones and golden peaches along with a killer weapon that you'll win all your battles through attrition.
When it's all said and done, Okami is a masterpiece of a game. These are the kinds of games that the PS3 will have in its future and I can't wait to see what the power of the console will offer. In a day of the same-old same-old, Clover Studios and CapCom offer up a game that blows away anything Nintendo did with Zelda. Cancel your Halo 3 pre-orders and get this game and see for yourself what a real video game should be like. See a game that offers a beautiful, interactive world. Play a game that offers good clean fun and a unique battle engine and when it's all said and done, a game that actually will get you into studying Japanese culture. This is as good as PS2 gaming gets!