Okami PS2 review

Buy Okami for PS2 here

Okami is also available on the Wii console. Buy Okami Wii here

Okami PS2 Review
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Okami is proof that in an age of sequels and me-toos, there is still room left for originality. Beautiful graphics, innovative gameplay, great storyline, Okami is gaming at its best. In fact, it is best described as a piece of art, I mean, jeez, just look at the graphics; they look like they came straight out from a painting!

Unfortunately, this game didn’t receive the attention it deserved from gamers and as a result, was not a commercial success. Indeed, if I didn’t see the game on the cover of a gaming magazine while shopping, I might have overlooked it as well. An advice for every gamer out there who’s sick and tired of sequels: When you see an original, innovative, game like the one I’m reviewing here, do yourself a favor and buy it, for god sake! Seriously, how many sequels to Call of Duty and Guitar Hero do we need?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I played every single Call of Duty game and enjoyed Guitar Hero quite a lot, but it saddens me when I see talented studios like Clover going out of business simply because nobody played their games. It makes me wonder where the industry is heading… oh, well, I hope that one day gamers and developers realize that gaming is not only about unloading your gun on someone’s chest or playing the latest licensed music. In Okami, you play as Amaterasu, a goddess reborn as a white wolf, who has come back to the realm of mortals to rid medieval Japan from the evil eight-headed serpent Orochi. Along with your bug-sized companion Issun (who claims to be a master calligrapher), you travel lands to restore the balance of nature and purge the curse that Orochi brought upon Japan. The story is delivered in a series of funny, nicely animated cutscenes, and I found myself laughing more than once at the hilarious dialogues. Interesting how a great plot can add so much to a game.

The core gameplay is quite similar to the Zelda series: you explore the game’s vast world, fight demonic enemies, solve puzzles, purify the lands with your special powers, and interact with dozens of NPCs. What sets Okami apart from Zelda is the ability to manipulate your environment using your godly powers, which are represented by the brush techniques. There are a total 15 brush techniques to learn throughout the game, from bringing dead trees back to life-to fixing broken bridges-to slashing rocks (and much more). These abilities are used to solve puzzles and defeat enemies, and they will also help you in the game’s numerous side quests. With such a vast world to explore and so many quests to keep you busy, you can expect to spend more than 40 hours on Okami.

The original, fantastic visual style is where Okami truly shines. Like Shadow of the Colossus before, Okami feels like a living, breathing world: the character design, the environments, the enemies, the special effects, everything looks spectacular. You really feel like you’re in a watercolor painting. Trust me, screenshots don’t do justice to the amazing graphics; they have to be seen in action to be fully appreciated. It’s without question the best-looking game to grace the aging PS2 hardware.

Personally, I didn’t find the soundtrack particularly catchy, but I do think that the mix of traditional Japanese music and modern melodies are good enough to put the player in the game’s magical world. While the sounds are pretty good for the most part, many reviewers complained about the game’s lack of voice acting. Instead, the story is delivered in some kind of unintelligible, vaguely Japanese-sounding language. While I didn’t have a problem with this (actually, I found the mumblings kinda funny), some players will definitely find it annoying after a while.

To take on your demonic enemies, you have a variety of tools at your disposal: in addition to the usual melee weapons, you can also use long-ranged weapons and a variety of special moves that can be learned at the Dojo. Since many enemies can’t be defeated with physical attacks alone, you’ll often need your brush techniques to finish them off as well. Tight controls make defeating Orochi’s demons a breeze, and while most battles can be avoided altogether by dodging the floating scrolls, I recommend not skipping them as they give you much-needed money and experience. As you purge the lands from Orochi’s curse, you win praise points that allow you to increase your stats, such as your health and ink meters. This will be useful as you fight more powerful enemies and acquire new painting moves that drain more of your reserves of ink. Throughout the game, you’ll also find a variety of useful items to help you in your quest, including weapon upgrades and stat-enhancing objects.

In conclusion, Okami is a pure gem, with only Shadow of the Colossus to match its originality and artistic design. If you are a fan of Zelda, don’t hesitate to pick this one up. You’ll find an experience that you’ll remember long after you moved on to the next-gen systems. I’m really looking forward to the recently announced sequel on DS.