Okami
One of the most inventive games we've played in years. Would you expect anything less from Clover Studio?
Published: May 20, 2005
Every so often, a game comes along that is unlike anything you've ever laid eyes or hands on. Pretty rare, right? As bold of a statement as it may be, Okami is that game. Okami is that game because it immerses you in such a culturally-influenced, wonderfully imaginative world brimming with gameplay that redefines innovation, feeling surreal all the while, that you'll find yourself pondering how other developers get off scot-free with processed, half-assed games for hackneyed genres. If that doesn't prove to you how damn impressed we are with this game, I don't know what will.
Ah, where to start, where to start. Well, it would be rude and downright unjust on our parts not to fill you in on the divinity-dabbling story akin to a fairy tale that runs through the veins of this beast of a game. In a once peaceful village, a monster thought to be quelled for good has been resurrected and, in turn, rid the world of its natural beauty, leaving behind a desolate wasteland. Thank goodness for Amaterasu, a white wolf who possesses the God-given abilities of a reminiscent sun god and may be just the go-to gal for restoring the earth to its former state. Along her side travels a wise-cracking sprite who remains useful on keeping Amaterasu knowledgeable in her travels on what's what. In addition to revitalizing what once was, it seems to be her mission to free 13 gods of the constellations and reclaim the powers they have to offer. Quite the stellar story, eh?
It's a shame text can only encompass so much feeling, because what we had the opportunity to experience first-hand is deserving of so much more. Early impressions of the game would lead one to believe Amaterasu's abilities aren't the stuff of legends: your basic jumping, a charge attack also good for busting open chests and pots, a simple action/talk command, you know, the usual. But as a book can't always be judged by its cover, a little love from the constellations has the seemingly-ungodly Amaterasu painting and restoring the world right before our very eyes. You see, as our fur-coated heroine progresses along, she's granted with powers that, through calligraphy, allow for cutting through the environment, drawing in suns to light the way, renewing deceased wildlife and executing just about any other scenery-altering effect you could think of. This is done with a quick tap of the R1 button, bringing up a clean sheet of scroll paper above what's visible on-screen. As so many artists will tell you, the pen is mightier, and in Okami, that ink-dipped utensil will allow for drawing slashes through boulders, woodland, peaches (yes, peaches) or hell, even enemies that block the way, dabbing in stars to restore the gods of the constellations above, circling a stagnant river to commence its flow, as one scene prompted us with, or revitalizing a statue's decaying sword with a vertical flick of the wrist. True in Okami and to the saying, the world is your canvas.
Clearly, graphically presenting such leaps and bounds in gameplay would too have to meet the bar in originality, but does it come to any surprise to you that Clover Studio goes above and beyond? What flourishes in this game is an unrestricted, free-form aesthetic dance for the eyes. As Amaterasu gallops across levels, a stream of greenery and floral life blooms and trails her every step. Enemies appear amidst a blanketing wave of deep red, float to the ground like scraps of paper when sliced in two, and at their descent's conclusion, are met with tombstones in the form of sprouting blossoms. The animalistic gods in the stars come to life by visual means entirely faithful and authentic to traditional Japanese art. Okami is unlike anything you've seen before, and by God, once you see it, you won't want to settle for anything less.
As if our continual gushing hasn't made it obvious, Okami has impressed and amazed us in a way that is near-impossible to compare to previous breakthrough projects. Perhaps it's due to its ode to artistic prowess or conceptual brilliance, but Clover's latest is one that will truly have us counting down the days to its release, a vague 2006 for now. We'll be honored to keep you updated.
Ah, where to start, where to start. Well, it would be rude and downright unjust on our parts not to fill you in on the divinity-dabbling story akin to a fairy tale that runs through the veins of this beast of a game. In a once peaceful village, a monster thought to be quelled for good has been resurrected and, in turn, rid the world of its natural beauty, leaving behind a desolate wasteland. Thank goodness for Amaterasu, a white wolf who possesses the God-given abilities of a reminiscent sun god and may be just the go-to gal for restoring the earth to its former state. Along her side travels a wise-cracking sprite who remains useful on keeping Amaterasu knowledgeable in her travels on what's what. In addition to revitalizing what once was, it seems to be her mission to free 13 gods of the constellations and reclaim the powers they have to offer. Quite the stellar story, eh?
It's a shame text can only encompass so much feeling, because what we had the opportunity to experience first-hand is deserving of so much more. Early impressions of the game would lead one to believe Amaterasu's abilities aren't the stuff of legends: your basic jumping, a charge attack also good for busting open chests and pots, a simple action/talk command, you know, the usual. But as a book can't always be judged by its cover, a little love from the constellations has the seemingly-ungodly Amaterasu painting and restoring the world right before our very eyes. You see, as our fur-coated heroine progresses along, she's granted with powers that, through calligraphy, allow for cutting through the environment, drawing in suns to light the way, renewing deceased wildlife and executing just about any other scenery-altering effect you could think of. This is done with a quick tap of the R1 button, bringing up a clean sheet of scroll paper above what's visible on-screen. As so many artists will tell you, the pen is mightier, and in Okami, that ink-dipped utensil will allow for drawing slashes through boulders, woodland, peaches (yes, peaches) or hell, even enemies that block the way, dabbing in stars to restore the gods of the constellations above, circling a stagnant river to commence its flow, as one scene prompted us with, or revitalizing a statue's decaying sword with a vertical flick of the wrist. True in Okami and to the saying, the world is your canvas.
Clearly, graphically presenting such leaps and bounds in gameplay would too have to meet the bar in originality, but does it come to any surprise to you that Clover Studio goes above and beyond? What flourishes in this game is an unrestricted, free-form aesthetic dance for the eyes. As Amaterasu gallops across levels, a stream of greenery and floral life blooms and trails her every step. Enemies appear amidst a blanketing wave of deep red, float to the ground like scraps of paper when sliced in two, and at their descent's conclusion, are met with tombstones in the form of sprouting blossoms. The animalistic gods in the stars come to life by visual means entirely faithful and authentic to traditional Japanese art. Okami is unlike anything you've seen before, and by God, once you see it, you won't want to settle for anything less.
As if our continual gushing hasn't made it obvious, Okami has impressed and amazed us in a way that is near-impossible to compare to previous breakthrough projects. Perhaps it's due to its ode to artistic prowess or conceptual brilliance, but Clover's latest is one that will truly have us counting down the days to its release, a vague 2006 for now. We'll be honored to keep you updated.
