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Okami Review
Chris Leyton
09/02/2007
TVG brushes up on Japanese mythology as the PlayStation2 finally gets an equal to the Zelda series...
If the success of Dead Rising and Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions are anything to go by, then Capcom's renewed vigour towards a Western market could spell an untimely end for titles ingrained with Japanese style and design, like Okami. A true concern, given that Okami is such an amazing accomplishment, a game that arguably only a Japanese studio could come up with and a PlayStation2 title that can finally hold its own with Nintendo's legendary Zelda series.
From the now defunct (and sorely missed) Clover Studios, Okami stems from the creative genius that gave gamers the Viewtiful Joe series, a link that is evident in the game's inimitable visual style - but more on that later.
Heavily entrenched in Shintoism and Japanese deities, the story of Okami revolves around the legend of Orochi, along with esteemed characters from ancient Japanese mythology such as Amaterasu, Izanagi and Susano. Although there are heavy links throughout the adventure, Okami refuses to retread a specific tale, instead using the influences to tell a familiar story from a new perspective.
100 years after the horrific eight-headed serpent, Orochi, first terrified the inhabitants of the quiet village of Kamiki seeking a human sacrifice, evil has once again spread across the land of Nippon. Recalling the legend of how Orochi was originally defeated and imprisoned, the game casts players as the sun goddess Amaterasu incarnated as a white wolf, and follows her adventure alongside Susano, descendant of the legendary hero, Nagi, who first defeated the serpent with the assistance of a mysterious white wolf. Using the powers of the Celestial Brush, Ammy (as her friends call her) must travel across the land in search of the 13 brush spirits to gain the power to once again defeat Orochi and cleanse the land of the evil that has spread across it.
An action/adventure title that unashamedly copies the Zelda rulebook, it's easy to forget such plagiarism when Clover Studios have so effectively delivered more then an equal to Nintendo's classic. A careful blend of combat, puzzles and a captivating plot, instantly set Okami out from the majority of the crowd and put it on a level pegging with Nintendo's finest; however, Clover Sudios have included plenty of touches to ensure Okami is a genuine brush with greatness (pun well and truly intended).
The Celestial Brush is the game's most innovative and primary feature, woven into the puzzles, combat and everything else that the game has to offer with stylish effect. The game is paused upon holding a shoulder button, elegantly transforming the image onscreen into a blank canvas with which to paint upon with the various techniques that Ammy discovers throughout the course of the game. Beginning with the "Rejuvenate" technique, which allows Ammy to fill in missing sections such as a broken bridge or paint over a crack of evil in the land to restore it to luscious beauty, the white wolf soon gains control of such godly powers as changing the day into night and vice-versa with a swirl depicting a "Crescent" or a circular "Sun"; the essential horizontal "Power Slash" to carve up opponents, trees and boulders and the ability to call forth a "Divine Wind" with a circular swirl. Just a sample of the techniques that you'll have to unlock and master in the game, the Celestial Brush is by far one of the most proficient features I've seen in a videogame recently, putting most "innovations" to shame with the manner in which it effortlessly accomplishes what it sets out to achieve.
Coming from the purveyors of the beat-em-up and masters of the action genre, it's little surprise to find that combat in Okami excels in every area, far exceeding other titles in the genre. Whenever Ammy comes across an opponent, the game encloses her into a ghostly arena until the fight is over or she escapes by discovering the weakness in the ethereal walls and attacking it until a hole appears and she can jump through - far more entertaining then simply selecting 'Flee' from a menu! Beyond the traditional button bashing and combos, combat integrates the Celestial Brush to great effect, providing an elegant and welcome pause amidst the action to think about the battle and plan the attack. Successfully stringing together combos increases Ammy's 'Godhood', a spiritual shield of sorts that allows Ammy to take a hit without any damage and prolong the sustained attack that she's performing. Despite the elegant overall nature, combat in Okami befits Capcom's pedigree, with an abundance of depth and combos that number into the hundreds.
Each of the highly imaginative and distinctive creatures that Ammy comes across have various weaknesses that are exposed by different Celestial techniques. After each fight a bonus is awarded based upon how quickly the opponents are defeated and the amount of damage Ammy has taken; further rewards are also granted by using the correct technique as a finishing blow. With a variety of weapons grouped into three classifications based upon the Imperial Regalia of Japan (Reflector, Rosaries, Glaive), Ammy can equip any two in the Main and Sub slots. Already far more than the button-bashing it initially appears to revolve around, different combinations of main and sub weapons provide various bonuses and abilities to further enhance what is already a combat system bristling with ideas and creativity (that's enough now).
Although many of the puzzles to be found in the game and its various "dungeons" make good use of the Celestial Techniques, Okami ultimately leaves you feeling as though this area of the game is the one element that could have been pushed a little further. Few puzzles will leave a lasting impression on you in the same way as which the Water Temple in a Legend of Zelda title does, largely because there's a distinct lack of moments that leave you genuinely stumped and scratching your head in bewilderment.
In between the puzzles and action associated with the main storyline, Okami's share of side-quests and tangent plotlines easily manages to engage your interest as much as the main game. Much of this stems from the rich cast of characters that Inaba-san and the team have created, taking a nod from the likes of Disney with Issun the travelling artist and loyal sidekick. The diversity and quality of side missions, however, is the biggest quality, sustaining your interest with entertaining mini-games that provide a great deal of variety and often provide significant rewards to make it all worthwhile.
Arguably, Okami's biggest strength in a game overloaded with qualities is the sheer amount of content that Inaba-san and his team have squeezed into the game. The apparent death of the game's initial adversary arrives at a respectable 10-12 hours; however, that's only the start, to a game that shapes the definition of a true classic. Despite an overall length weighing in at the 50-60 hour mark, the most impressive feat is the game's ability to captivate your interest for the entire duration, refusing to let the tempo drop or rely on mundane padding to flesh out the experience. "Epic" is a term overused when describing videogames (guilty as charged); however, it's a word that won't be mentioned again in this review of Capcom's finest work in a number of years. Without casual hyperbole and realising there's already been enough superlatives, Okami is, quite simply, a game that defies description in terms of content and captivation.
Perhaps the only genuine criticism that can be levelled at Okami is the way in which it insists on guiding you throughout the entire game. Puzzles throughout Ammy's adventure rarely provide much of a challenge, largely because Issun is always on hand to offer a solution and spell it out if you don't find the solution the first time around. Because of this, the game's puzzles lack the satisfaction that the likes of Zelda titles so successfully achieve, by simply making the player sweat it out for a bit before working out the correct solution.
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