Okami - A Ray of Style
June 12th, 2009
It has been decided. The game of choice for my return to the videogame frontier is to be the critically acclaimed Okami from Clover Studios. It’s a decision based upon a number of factors, but significantly it’s the valuable opinion of fellow gamers that helped forge this path and convince me that this was the right choice given the options outlined in my previous post.
First impressions are very positive; from the outset I fell in love with the Sumi-e [1] art style implemented throughout. The unfolding back story that tells the tale of how Shiranui, the wolf incarnation of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu, and the warrior Nagi defeated the demon Orochi and brought peace to the village of Kamika for 100 years, is visually simplistic, but yet it’s still evocative as bold brush strokes wash across the screen canvas bringing life to the textual narration.
This wonderful visual art style is carried further into the game, albeit in more detail and colour, as we learn how Orochi has been unwittingly released corrupting the land and it’s up Amaterasu to restore nature to its verdant state. And even though I’m writing here about a game that was originally developed for the PS2, and subsequently ported to the Wii by Ready at Dawn studios, the final result is still an astoundingly beautiful game to behold.
It’s the simple things which sometimes stand out in a game that you really learn to appreciate. Small touches that are admirable, but perhaps cause you to question there inclusion and wonder “Are they really necessary?”. The answer, resoundingly, is “Yes!”. They’re just as much a part of Okami and it’s overall style as are the characters themselves. It’s hard to imagine Okami without the thick black outlining that surrounds objects and characters, or the simple brushstrokes that represent the distant mountains, or even the trail of flowers that sprout forth from the ground and burst into bloom behind Amaterasu as she races across the land. The removal of any one of which would diminish the overall effect so successfully portrayed.
The few characters that I’ve met so far all seem to be interesting. Susano, the descendant of Nagi with a penchant for rice wine, isn’t quite as bold or brave as the veteran warrior persona he portrays, but maybe the story threads will eventually help him to live up to the burden of expectation; whilst Mr. Orange provides some light comic relief with his ritual dancing, and of course, not forgetting the small of stature but large of personality, Issun, Amaterasu’s miniscule sidekick whom will become deeply offending by any disparaging remarks towards his height.
Up until this point I’ve not penned my thoughts on the controls, probably because one element, the Celestial Brush, is unfortunately the weakest part Okami, at least with regards to the Wii version. In theory, drawing actions on screen with the Celestial Brush using the Wii-remote should be a fluent and engaging experience, but on the contrary I find it occasionally frustrating . Maybe the Wii-remote is too inaccurate to draw a flowing symbol rapidly on screen, or perhaps it’s the symbol recognition tolerance that is too restrictive, but for a game with such a wonderful design mechanic it’s a shame to discover that it doesn’t quite live up to expectations.
It has been said that Hideki Kamiya, the game director, was influenced by the design of The Legend of Zelda series, and I can certainly see the similarities. Not only does the questing feel familiar, but also the inclusion of Issun, acting as Amaterasu’s personal guide, is very reminiscent of the partnership between Link and Navi.
However, I’ve always been rather fond of the “Zelda” formula, and there certainly appears to be plenty of uniqueness in Okami that allows it to stand on its own hind legs with its muzzle held high.
