Okami

9.5
Excellent

Gameplay	9.0	"Breathtakingly beautiful and an absolute “must have”."
Graphics	9.5
Sound	9.0
Value	9.0

By Emily Buxton

Every now and then, a game comes along which restores my faith in the joy of gaming. Some are titles I’ve been expecting, some not, but none so far have been as unanticipated as Okami. In this particular case, the game hasn’t been built for the next gen consoles, and isn’t vying for online multiplayer supremacy. The graphics are blatantly unrealistic, the characters squeak in place of voice acting and the hero’s name is annoyingly difficult to pronounce.

At a glace, this would be a game that passes under the radar and quickly makes its way to the bargain bin. Instead, Okami has taken the gaming world by storm, receiving praise and approval from almost everyone who’s played it. IGN.com named Okami their September 2006 Game of the Month, and then later went on to award it the 2006 Adventure Game of the Year, 2006 Best Artistic Design, 2006 Best Story, 2006 Most Innovative Design and finally (and not surprisingly after that bevy of awards) their Overall Game of the Year.

Players take the role of Amaterasu, a sun god in the form of a white wolf, sent to a cursed and dying land to try and restore life and hope. In a stunning (and slightly lengthy) introduction, you learn how the magnificent land of Nippon has once again fallen under the poisonous hold of a hideous eight-headed monster, Orochi. What was once a lush and peaceful country has become an evil, decaying land filled with beasts and demons.

In a very Aslan-ish nod, Amaterasu has the job of restoring the colour and life to the world, turning twisted black Guardian Saplings into glorious pillars of strength and destroying the monsters that now plague the land. Alongside the more conventional abilities of biting and head-butting, Amaterasu is also gifted with the power of using a Celestial Brush to interact with the environment. This unique feature allows you to freeze the frame and use a giant Japanese painting brush to modify or add to the game details. Boulders can be broken apart with a quick slash of the brush, a sun can be painted in the sky to turn night into day, and broken bridges can be mended in seconds with the addition of a few handy strokes. Enemies can also be trifled with here, using the brush to inflict extra damage mid-battle.

If one word was used to sum up the appearance of Okami, it would be lush. The graphics look stunning, both in-game and when using the Celestial Brush. The environments are rich with colour and the swirling splashes of paint draw you effortlessly into a living, breathing paint box world. Given the intensity of the visuals, this game is akin to a slice of devil’s food cake – decadent, sweet and enjoyed in moderation. Happily, that last part is a load of nonsense. Slices of cake which are so good shouldn’t be rationed, and neither should Okami. The next generation of consoles would do well to sit up and take notice of how great a humble PS2 game can look.

The soundtrack is a pure pleasure to listen to. A collection of traditional Japanese instruments weave a haunting spell into the adventure, interrupted only when a flurry of drum beats join in for battles. The absence of any voice-acting leaves the story to be told via written dialogue. Characters squeak as the words appear on screen, ensuring you concentrate more on what’s being said rather than how it’s delivered. Though the effect can be unsettling at first it doesn’t take long to get used to.

But there's even more good news to report from the gameplay front. At around 30 hours of single player entertainment, the lack of any multiplayer features seems unimportant. The pace of the game is unhurried and relaxed, encouraging as much exploration as possible. The loading times are quick and quite often the areas feel seamless, leaving you with plenty of desire to go out of your way searching for hidden treasures and curious items. The use of light humour combined with a rather sombre storyline makes for a touching and unusually emotional experience. An adventure game revolving around destroying evil demons may seem hard on the outside, but Okami is 100% soft in the middle.

Games surely strive to achieve the goal of being so enjoyable that you start to consider how to gain extra time in your day so you can play a little more. Okami manages to hit that mark, making hours pass in minutes and leaving important chores like eating and sleeping a tiresome detail of the day. Most importantly of all, Okami isn’t just a game that has nothing wrong with it; it also has almost everything right with it. Don’t let anyone persuade you otherwise – this game is worth every cent.

Okami will be available in New Zealand for the PS2 on the 16th of February.

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Posted by Wozza on 11 July 2008, 08:54PM

Beautiful game, one of the best I have played. :)