Okami (Wii) boxart courtesy of GameDesignReview.com
Buy Now on Amazon.com
Amazon.com’s Plot Summary:
Okami tells the story of a mythical sun god who sets out to restore a dismal world, decimating the forces of evil who stand in the way by commanding the elements and mythical abilities the deity possesses. Mixing Japanese folklore and a stunning traditional Japanese art style, players must utilize an inventive control scheme to overcome the challenges and evil that await. By enhancing the unique gameplay, visual style and story line of Okami with the control of the Wii Remote, it is sure to be the ultimate version of the game.
Originally designed for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and released in 2006, Okami now comes alive in an entirely new way on the Wii with its visually stunning art style and beautiful scenic 3D levels that have the appearance and texture of paper scrolls brushed with watercolor-like calligraphy art. Throughout the vibrant and distinctive surroundings, players must use the Wii remote to interact with a dynamic world and cast of characters. The blend of stylized graphics, movements and unique gameplay will result in a rich and dynamic experience never seen before.
Courtesy of GameSpot.com Forums
StrangenessAbound’s Rating: 
This review is based on a copy StrangenessAbounds bought.
StrangenessAbounds’s Review: Here, video gaming geeks, is a reason why you should buy/use a Wii: The word “beautiful” doesn’t really describe Okami (originally released in 2006 for the PS2, re-released in 2008 for the Wii) that well, but it might give you a fraction of an idea of how truly incredible this game is. It isn’t just the visuals that make this game put shivers in my spine, though the 3-dimensional, ancient Japanese art style is enough to make your eyes water. It’s the spirit behind the game and the poetry that is found in the text that bears reading and playing over and over again.
Additionally, I think this is the first game I’ve ever played where the entire plot is centered around a specific faith (Okami seems to have a mix between Shintoism and Taoism) – you play as the Japanese Sun Goddess Amaterasu, who is in wolf form. During the game, you (naturally) encounter harder and harder enemies and you must level up in order to meet the challenge of those enemies. You level up by gathering Praise from the lives you save, from the nature you re-create and from the people whom you better their outlook on life.
The one overarching mission is to gain all the main “brush skills” – this is where you learn specific techniques that make your quest to rid Nippon (the country in which this takes place) of evil. The really cool thing is that you can use your Wiimote to draw exactly what you want. For instance, since you are the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, you have a natural ability from the beginning of the game to draw a circle in the sky and bring out a brilliant sun, even in the nighttime. You can draw bombs, wind trails, water streams, vines, make trees bloom, pull fire across and even use the brush as a kind of sword (this particular technique is called “power slash”).
One main mission throughout the game is to bring all the cherry trees back to life with the stroke of your brush. When you revive a cherry tree, you get a little or a lot of Praise, depending on the size of the tree.
Screenshot courtesy of britishgaijin.wordpress.com
There really is no cohesive plotline in this game – it seems to be two or three adventures brought together by the defeat of the overseeing enemy at the end of the game (will not reveal due to spoiler-ish nature ;) ), but do not let that deter you from running to your nearest video game store or Amazon and getting Okami.
Drawbacks: This game received only the highest ratings at the time of its initial release and re-release and deserved every bit of applause. However, there is no such thing as a perfect game and despite Okami’s beauty and fun, it has its downsides.
One in particular is that you are required to fight one rather difficult and long-lasting boss battle not once, not twice, but THREE times. Towards the end of the game, when you are preparing to meet the challenge of the final boss, you cannot progress unless you fight each major boss you encountered earlier in the game. I wonder honestly if Clover Studios (the now defunct development team that created Okami) had run out of ideas for amping up to the final boss.
Image courtesy of Destructoid.com
As for the final boss itself/herself/himself, maybe I’m just a mediocre game-player who takes a while to develop strategies to end the battle quickly, but the final fight took far too long for me personally. I started the battle one day at 11:00 in the morning and was STILL fighting it at 3:00 that afternoon. I’m probably a very bad player in regards to that particular final battle, but I know the final boss can be defeated and even quickly (YouTube speedruns on the actual PS2/Wii consoles, not ROMs, are proof).
However, when I finally finished the final boss, the ending was very much worth the effort and in my opinion, cancelled out the downsides.
Final Conclusion: Despite its drawbacks, I give Okami five stars and I would give it more if I could. I am currently playing Okami through again because it is simply that stunning. You can watch videos of people playing the game, but it is absolutely not the same as playing it yourself. Though it is not as well-known as other games, I sincerely believe that it is one of those games you must play in order to call your gaming experience complete. This game was one of the very few to put tears in my eyes.
Okami Announcement Trailer in 2006 @ E3
Strangeness Abounds
StrangenessAbounds may be more of a truthful moniker than the author will admit to -- when she is not obsessively playing RPGs and arguing over what is canon in "The Legend of Zelda," she is planning her next sushi outing. Erin "StrangenessAbounds" Leanne is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction and is an editor. She graduated in 2009 with her BA in English and is returning for her MS in English in the Fall of 2010. She can be contacted through e-mail.
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