ic-games Review - Okami (Playstation 2) - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

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Okami (PS2)

Okami (Playstation 2)

Information
Reviewer: Dave Lancaster
Developer: Clover Studios
Publisher: Capcom
Reviewed: Playstation 2
Genre: Action Adventure
UK Release: 09th Feb 2007
Article Date: 22nd Mar 2007
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price: £29.99
Price Comparison:
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Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 95%

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Pros

A real treat for the senses

Celestial Brush is unique

One of the great PS2 swansongs

Cons

Too much expository back story/text

Screenshots

22 of 27

Beautiful. Ravishing. Artistically amazing. Soulful. Magical. These are just a few of things you might say to yourself after waiting a hell of a long time to get around to actually playing Okami.

Like the old and wise Japanese masters you need patience kimosabe. Before you can even look around you need to repeatedly press X to cycle through an opening crawl of back story, which is written and not spoken. Actually you get a series of looped mumbles to substitute speech throughout the whole game which is a real shame because the poetic (yet simplistic, fable like) monologues would’ve had much more of an effect if they were spoken. Instead we get a David Lynch-esque mirage of nightmarish mumbles, which, aside from unintentionally making me sleep with the light on, draw attention to themselves as annoying. Surely there can’t be that much of it, you say. Well that’s the thing. It took me (in no exaggeration) half an hour of listening/reading this to get into the actual gameplay, which is a big gripe, especially since I can hardly remember much of the story I was forced to listen to (and couldn’t skip). It is interesting, and perhaps would be nice to read to kids, but it is simply overlong and starts the game off very negatively, especially as you can only read two lines at a time. We are slowly introduced to the artistic side but this seems in vain of its snail pace. I’m sure it would’ve been much more accessible to split this up into chunks throughout the game, therefore plunging you in at the deep end instead of being eased in.

But, like a thirsty Irish pensioner on St Patrick’s Day, good things do come to those who wait and they come in spades. The cel-shaded visuals in this game are simply stunning – and more visually arresting than Metal Gear Acid 2 or XIII put together. We are literally watching a painting, and whereas it felt like you were watching paint dry in the beginning, the game itself gives you the role of the artist. What Clover Studio’s have accomplished (before being recently dissolved into Capcom) is without hyperbole, a work of art.

Ôkami is said to be one of the last major exclusive PS2 releases before the PS3 comes along, and what a swansong it will be. Finally, Sony have caught up with Nintendo by releasing their own Zelda variant. This game will endure. Like Final Fantasy, this is the type of release that the generation below us will dig the dusty PS2’s out of the loft to have a go at in time to come. This is where, I believe, the real beauty of cel-shaded videogames comes into its own. Oft mistook as being simple, they are complex, but have a timelessness of forever looking, as well as actually feeling, good. I think it’s important to remember that is not a retro or kooky comic book look. Art is a theme to be cherished in Ôkami. To me the narrative took a back seat to my wandering eyes and paws… Allow me to explain:

In Ôkami you play a wolf who is a direct embodiment of the Sun God, and the only four legged friend capable of restoring a town which is under a plague of evil. You are called Amaterasu – the strong silent type who is the direct opposite of your annoyingly vocal little JarJar Binks style sidekick called Issun who apart from giving you a tutorial and filling you in on the story along the way is a burden of pure annoyance. But let’s overlook that. Immersed in a water colour Japanese inked environment you must overcome action, platforms and puzzles to become the ultimate man’s best friend. You take the game at your own speed. Quite a few of the side stories are optional (and arguably irrelevant) to counter the main linear narrative, which is epic in its construction. You are rewarded money for completing tasks quickly and without receiving damage, or you can just be a vandal and break someone’s pots to steal some money or food. Woofing is also available. This money does not enable you to buy those condescending little jackets for dogs but instead allow you to upgrade your weapons, skills and magical abilities.

More about those. In this magical world you are given a unique privilege of having the whole game as your canvas. Let’s say for example, the bridge is out. We do not take the McGuyver approach to attempt to construct a raft using some toilet roll and a half eaten pack of Custard Creams, oh no. Instead we paint our own, using our brushy tail. Throughout the game you can upgrade your ink wells to provide more effective art skills which are used to unlock puzzles and defeat enemies. You can create a loop of wind with a circular brush stroke or fill in the missing star of a constellation by painting it in. When you rid the land of monsters, its original natural beauty is restored which grants you more power. Through freezing the game, the screen becomes your blank canvas. Your weapons use the same system so you can slice your sword with a brush stroke. While a mouse would be preferred, painting on a PS2 controller isn’t as restrictive as you’d think. Broad strokes are the way to go. There are, in total, 15 Celestial Brush Gods which are based upon the signs of the Chinese Zodiac and will match up to their powers or traits, which you will free along the way.

Your three main weapons are the mirror, beads and sword, which just ooze “Japan”. The mirror is also used to block, and the beads can be used to whip or fire individual little projectiles. Upgrading is, of course, to hand. Or should I say paw? Along the way you will defeat a selection of stock smaller characters as well as inventively bigger bosses. It all does seem rather easy though… Dying is nigh impossible, I found aside from the time that I was pointing out how good the doggie paddle looked and proceeded to…drown. And yet when I accidentally jumped down a giant hill to the town below I was fine. Seldom do you actually need to use the items you buy when in battle. You can just plod along should you desire. Ôkami is of great length, more so than it is of versatility. Just when you think you’ve beat it you’re pulled back in. Some of the gameplay is repetitive, which is a shame, as you find yourself poking your nose around randomly hoping to progress. At times you will find it to be strikingly original but you will see that originality come around the corner again. After a while your tail will stop wagging, but you will, by sheer compulsion and awe, keep waging.

There is a lot to learn, and the in game tutorial is handy but it breaks up the rhythm constantly. However, over prolonged periods of gameplay a world begins to emerge that you are immersed in, much like in the Zelda games. It’s unfortunate that the script wasn’t that little bit tighter. It seems to be expository as if it were made for pre-teens, when in actual fact I think this game, while it is certainly not explicit or gratuitous, benefits a more mature audience. Patience is a virtue which is required and unfortunately it can be tested with Ôkami.

The control system, on the other hand, is perfect for any type of gamer. It’s easy to master and not confusing in the slightest. The menu system appears daunting at first, but, like Final Fantasy, once you’ve got it it stays with you. The physics of the characters (and the land) are impressive too. The maps, while they do have the odd invisible wall in the way and do seem quite narrow with a feeling of “A to B” about them, are beautifully rendered and a pleasure to trot through. They’re not expansive enough to get lost in or too confusing to give up on. They are inventive. You can also allow trees to bloom or feed wild animals on your travels.

I’ve already chatted about the graphics, which are sumptuous so I will let them rest. The sound is also impressive. The music, when it’s not annoyingly repeating cues, is amazing and poundingly relentless. A feel of Japanese fables are definitely requited through the rich score. The sound design is also worthy of mention once you overlook the repetition, especially of the (lack of) voices. Presented in Dolby Pro Logic II the bass levels are thumping and the surround is definitely around. Ôkami is one of those rare single player games that is also a genuine pleasure for a spectator sat by your side. All in all Ôkami is an important treat for the senses. I urge you to… indulge.

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