I've always been interested in playing this, but was too lazy / too cheap to purchase this on my own. I finally was able to borrow my friend's, and just cleared the game today.My total playtime was about 30 hours, and it took me nearly a week to complete. 30 hours of gameplay usually is a piece of cake for me to do within two days, but something about this game made it difficult to play through in one sitting.
Gameplay: Okami's design takes advantage of wii's functionalities, revolving around the Celestial Brush techniques that the player unlocks one by one as you proceed in the story. These brush techniques are exactly what you'd imagine - painting circles, lines, cherry bombs, etc. to activate Ameterasu's powers and cut down enemies or solve puzzles. I've had much difficulty activating these at times, and if it weren't for the z button, drawing lines (straight, literally) would be impossible. Getting hit as a result of the system not comprehending my drawing, or activating the wrong technique and thus using up my limited ink supply was probably the most frustrating aspect of the gameplay, but this problem will always exist in Wii games, and players just have to live with it.
Okami is probably the best imitation of the Zelda series I have yet to see, but lacks to be at par with it. Having the classic temple equivalent of dungeons, bosses that require you to use the Celestial Brush technique that was unlocked in that dungeon, a Navi-like partner that does all the talking for you, digging holes in the ground to find mini underground caves - the list goes on in how much Okami resembles Zelda, and you would be pleasantly surprised at how familiar the game feels despite being a completely different game.
However, Okami falls behind when it comes to the pace of the game. Issun, your little bouncing Navi-equivalent friend, takes all the thinking away from you, dropping hints highlighted in red as to how to overcome every obstacle. Like Navi, he will forcefully stop the game temporarily just to talk to you whenever you approach the next obstacle. Unlike Navi, the speed of his dialogue is not skippable / not fast-forwardable, thus feeling even more like a drag. I must honestly say that I've been stumped maybe once at most in the entire duration of this game, and everything else being crystal clear what to do the instant I see it, or when Issun tells me what to do. I understand that it was probably targeted for younger audiences, but personally the pace of the game was a tad too slow for my liking.
Overall, Okami does a great job incorporating a Zelda-like adventure while maintaining its stance as an original game.
Art: The art style of this game is what makes Okami so unique. The whole game is portrayed as though you are watching a Japanese painting come to life. It was beautifully done, and a very fitting style for the Wii. Enough said.
NA Version: While playing the North American version of Okami, there were many instances in which I wished I was playing the Japanese version.
First and foremost, the dialogue. Seriously? Did Capcom America really think that people would laugh at those jokes? The jokes were entirely elementary, and on top of that, slow! Having had a glimpse of the Japanese version from Okami trailers, Issun was supposed to be a much better character.
Secondly, while I understand the reasons for this, the background behind enemies such as the Kyuubi and Orochi, background behind the substories of Kaguya and the underwater city, etc. were not emphasized well enough in the North American version. These are all very well-known fairy tales / myths in the Japanese culture, and thus would not need much to explain in the game, but I felt that when these aspects appeared in the NA version, they seemed too out-of-place, too random, and too unexplained. I can imagine how explaining each and one of these would just be an overload of information to the average American player, but I still would've appreciated to see a little bit more effort to recognize that these characters, enemies, and stories are interpretations of the Japanese fairy tales / myths, and aren't just random creations in the Okami world.
Despite how elementary the game was overall, Okami has been rated T for Teen. Why? As I was playing, I tolerated how elementary the game was, believing that the game was targeted towards the younger generation. But it turns out to be rated T. And again, I question, why?
Extras: Upon clearing the game initially, a section called something like "Gifts from Issun" (I don't remember exactly) is unlocked that reveals over 130 original artworks that were used in the planning of Okami, including the original & final character designs of the main characters. Previews, trailers, & presentation videos that were used at the game's early planning were also available. As someone who aspires to produce games at some point in the future, this made me very happy.
Ending Remarks: Okami definitely isn't perfect, but it's a pleasant surprise from Capcom that won't make you regret your time spent, taking you into an entirely original, captivating world. Karen's rating: 8.5/10
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