Okami is more than just a game, it is a work of pure art! Truly inspired, it will change the way you see video games.
Okami is an action/adventure game, which bears many similarities to the Zelda series too (so if you like Zelda, I can guarantee you'll like this game too). You play as Amaterasu, the Japanese sun god in the form of a white wolf. After an evil curse befalls Nippon, Amaterasu sets off with her companion- the outspoken lady's man Issun- to bring peace to the land of Nippon.
GAMEPLAY
Like I mentioned before, the gameplay of Okami similar to Zelda gameplay. The general formula is that once you reach a new area, you spend a while helping out various characters and figuring out ways to progress to your next destination. Eventually, you will reach a dungeon, which is filled with puzzles and enemies. At the end of the dungeon is a boss, whose defeat results in the problems of that area being solved. Once the boss has been defeated, you're then able to move on to a new area.
Combat is usually done within an enclosed arena, which is circled by a demonic barrier. Usually you can escape by breaking open a weakness in the barrier, but why would you want to escape? Battles in this game are incredibly fun! Some enemies can be defeated simply by wearing them down and hitting them relentlessly, while others are more tricky, requiring you to find their weak point. The boss battles in this game are also probably some of the best boss battles I've ever played.
To win in battle, you'll be usually a combination of a few things. Besides running and jumping, you have firstly, your Divine Instrument, which is a fancy way of saying weapon. You can equip two divine instruments at once. Secondly, your Brush Techniques (which will be looked at in more detail below). To improve your combat, you can also learn different "moves" at the dojo. These usually improve the attacks you do with your Divine Instruments.
Throughout the game, you'll be meeting various Celestial Brush Gods- 12 in total. These gods grant you certain brush techniques, which you then use by drawing them onto the world with the Celestial Brush. Doesn't make sense? Well to explain, the second brush technique you obtain is called the Power Slash. By drawing a straight horizontal line using the Celestial Brush, objects and enemies are cleaved in two, as if they have been slashed by a sword.
These Brush Techniques add a whole new dimension to the game. Not only are they useful for combat, but they can be used to solve puzzles and so forth. They're a unique feature to this game, and in my opinion, are much easier to use rather than the standard system of equipping items and using them and so forth. If you're confused by the way the brush techniques work, just take my word for it that they are amazing.
The dungeons themselves are very entertaining. The puzzles in them are fun to solve, but usually quite manageable, and the boss fights are also immense. The dungeons aren't too difficult, and are comparatively short, but I still enjoy them thoroughly.
And with all that stuff on the main gameplay, and I haven't even yet mentioned the sidequests! Yes, there are plenty of other things to do besides the main storyline. These will usually result in you obtaining a Stray Bead
I will warn you now that there are a few key moments in the game where you may get horribly stuck. Fortunately there are very few of these. On the whole, the game is moderately challenging but manageable.
Overall, though, the gameplay is excellent. It requires a bit of thought, so if you're looking for brainless violence, then this game may not be up your street. But if you're willing to put the time into playing an immersing game which has a few challenges, then I'm sure you'll love this game.
GRAPHICS
Don't let the cartoon-like graphics put you off. That didn't appeal to me at first either, but they really grow on you. Not only are they well-suited to the game, but they're of a very high quality. Trust me, there are certain scenes which will captivate you with the sheer quality of the design.
CONTROLS
Ah, the unfortunate downside to the game. The motion controls don't seem to work too well for this game. Besides seem tacked on and unsuited to the gameplay, they're often quite unresponsive. On top of that, it may take a few tries to get your Brush Techniques actually recognised. They're not all bad though! You get used to them, and become more skilled at drawing your brush techniques properly. The controls do require a bit of skill though, but before you get used to them, they can be quite frustrating.
If you feel this may be a problem though, you might want to have a look at the PS2 version of this game.
SOUND
The music for this game is a highlight for me. If you haven't heard some of the music, I would highly suggest listening to some of it on YouTube. I'm actually going to buy the Okami Soundtrack soon, because that's how much I love the music. It's just really well done! There's a whole variety of songs on the game. Some of them are so beautiful they will melt your heart, while others will incite fear and apprehension in you. The music is really very wonderfully made, and it's amazing how much effort they put into it.
PLOT
Well, I definitely think that a good plot is an important part of a game. And thesedays, games tend to have pretty rubbish plots. So I'm delighted to point out that Okami is an exception to this trend. Okami has one of the best storylines of games I've seen. The characters all have their appeals, while the plot is often quite deep and immersing. The developers have really done their research on this one too, as the plot has several ties to classic Shinto (Japanese) mythology. If I had the time, I'd love to transcribe the plot of Okami into like a novel or something.
So that turned out to be a fairly long review. If you're still with us, I hope that means you're considering buying the game. So to conclude, as long as you're looking for a decent game for the Wii, I would say that Okami is definitely your best bet. Please, don't give up on the Wii before you've tried out this game.