Okami

Okay, I admit I've been a little scarce lately. Most of the blame for this can be laid at the feet of this lovely lady:

 

Meet Ōkami Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and the main character in the game "Okami", now available for the Wii.

Okami is an absolutely beautiful game, with the aesthetic of a Japanese print. Even better, the play value is topnotch. Originally developed for the PS2, Ōkami was one of those games that received critical acclaim, but didn't sell well. The game has now been ported to the Wii, and the Wii version may well jumpstart Okami's popularity, because the gameplay in this title is absolutely tailor-made for the Wiimote. Specifically, much of the action centers around the use of the "Celestial Brush", with which Amaterasu changes the world (goddess, remember?). Different brush strokes create different effects, from a power slash, to a gust of wind, to high explosives. Using the Wiimote to "paint" with the brush is absolutely intuitive, to the extent that I can't imagine trying to play Okami with a conventional controller.

You might be forgiven if you think you've seen this game before. With the main characters being a wolf and her sarcastic sidekick/guide, comparisons to Link/Midna from Twilight Princess are inevitable. There are also ocean sequences later in the game that are eerily reminiscent of Wind Waker. But Okami has a greater depth of story AND better gameplay than either of those Zelda titles. I'm about 38 hours into it, and don't want to put it down to sleep. The pacing is so smooth, with each sequence leading quickly to the next, that there are virtually no obvious stopping points. And with the huge world of the game, and the many sidequests, there is a lot to do.

I picked this game up new for $20. I would easily pay 2 1/2 times that for such an enjoyable gaming experience. Your mileage may vary, of course, but for this price, why not pick it up and try it?

I'll leave you with a trailer showing some of the gameplay:



Posted by PAgent on Wed Jun 4, 2008 @ 12:04 pm EDT | 2 Comments