Okami

"Artistic Evolution"

An ancient evil, a daring hero, and a wolf bestowed with the power of God. Okami is an artistic adventure on an epic scale. The setting takes place in beautiful Kimiki village, where an evil creature lurks and wreaks havoc. To subdue this threat, a sacrifice of a beautiful girl is made. Then one day, a hero has enough and decides to confront the beast. The best of his effort seems to be in vain, till the wolf comes swooping down to his rescue. The 2 heroes battle the demonic creature till the bittersweet end, where the monster is subdued. 100 years have passed, where the legendary story is all but a distant memory. The Gods are no longer a belief, but more of a myth. The ancient creature returns, and with that, the awakening of the God to restore order. This is the adventure.

The Sword, The Brush, The Stroke

Each brush stroke, each stride, and each cinematic scene makes Okami one of a kind. Okami at heart is a nice blend of action and exploration. This action/adventure may not reinvent the wheel, but the amazing visuals and the unique brushstroke technique makes this game stand out over many. Although the brushstroke technique may not be as fluid as I would have liked, its uniqueness is enough to bring a satisfying feeling towards the game.

The action in Okami for the most part feels solid. You can mix and match between attacks and brushstroke techniques, which makes the game feel distinct. One issue however, is the game's challenge. Okami is too easy for its own good. During battle, Okami transforms the world into a darkness filled battlefield. To make matters worst, a barrier is raised to prevent any escaping.

Okami's fictitious world is large and allows for plenty of exploration. There will be plenty of areas for you to explore this beautiful world. The characters presented in this game also feel quirky and unique. In a way, this game feels a lot like an rpg. The characters were a huge part in my enjoyment of the game. Although the world feels large, the poor placement of enemies detracts from the experience a bit. There will be areas in the game, where it enemies will be few and far in-between.

The game's lack of difficulty ultimately hurts it the most. The game is too easy. Players can pretty much go through enemies without the worry of any resistance. Even with that said though, Okami is a game that is so artistic and unique that it's hard not to find something to like. But it makes one wonder how great Okami could have been if it had fixed some of these issues.

The brushstroke technique in this game is unique in a sense that it allows you to utilize it to solve puzzles. By using it to draw certain shapes, it gives room for you to try different things. For example, if you press a button it is preprogrammed with something specific, but with the brushstroke you can draw something with the brush, which allows it to be more open. The brushstroke does feel sluggish at times. The controls could have used some tightening during some of these techniques. For the most part though, it works extremely well. It is also easy for one to mix between attacks and brushstroke techniques. This blend gives the combat much more depth.

The boss battles for the most part felt unique. Although the bosses were still pretty easy, the challenge was to determine the type of brushstroke that could be used to defeat the boss. The boss battles felt epic at times, but it fell just short because of the lack of a challenge. Had the bosses been a bit more challenging, it would have given Okami much more depth.

From a visual standpoint, it is hard to find fault in Okami. The beautiful cell shaded graphics are something to behold. The artistic style behind it only magnifies the gorgeous world that the developers have brought to life. The animation was also crisp and flowed well. Character models were highly detailed and glowed with life. Okami's biggest strength is its incredible style, high production value, and loveable world. When you bring these factors together, the fault behind the game isn't as bad.

Although the musical soundtrack wasn't quite as good as its graphical department, it flowed quite nicely for the most part. The musical soundtrack for the most part did a good job at setting the pace for the game. It also did a nice job of emphasizing certain points in the game. In the end, the musical soundtrack may be overshadowed by the game's graphical prowess, but as it stands, the soundtrack offers plenty for the player to enjoy.

30 hours later...

Okami has its flaws. But through the 30 hours or so that I spent with this game, I have never felt so alive. I was apart of something unique and special. If only the game had tougher enemies and better enemy placements, then this game could have been the game for the ages. As it stands right now, Okami is a very good game, with plenty of likeable characteristics. Anyone who has a PS2 should definitely consider getting it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/07