Okami - Preview

Once upon a time, a wonderful game was released at the worst possible time in a system’s lifespan. No amount of critical acclaim and praise seemed to bring the game into more than a few hundred thousand households, seemingly sealing its unfortunate fate. Okami, one of the most innovative and beautiful titles of 2006, was left to collect dust in the relatively obscure clearance aisles of game stores everywhere.

A few months after Okami’s initial release the Wii exploded onto US shores, causing a much bigger splash than anyone could have ever foreseen. Even before it first came to the PS2, people were taking note of the game’s innovative drawing system and wondering about the Wii’s mysterious motion controls. It didn’t take a genius to see how perfect the two were for each other, but Okami was all set for a PlayStation 2 release, and Wii owners everywhere were left to dream about what should have been.

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After a year of waiting with rumors and whisperings of a port, late last year Capcom finally announced what many Wii owners had been waiting for: an official port of Okami was in on its way to the Wii. With a handful of gameplay and presentation additions, Wii owners everywhere should write down April 15 as the day to get the definitive version of 2006’s game of the year.

For the new, curious, and/or confused, Okami sketches the mythological tale of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu on her quest to save age-old feudal Japan. Due to the usual complications that come from being a sun goddess, Amaterasu must take the form of a white wolf to interact with the material world and explore the vast countryside, solve hundreds of puzzles, and complete any other tasks necessary to save Japan. Throughout Okami, Amaterasu interacts with the world around her through her “celestial brush;” a magical paintbrush that performs a myriad of “miracles” ranging from watering plants and slashing foes, to casting spells and controlling the elements. This makes Okami perfect for the Wii, as you can simply press B any time during the adventure to whip out your brush and use the Wiimote to sketch your way out of, and into, many tricky situations.

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Okami’s majestic quest takes you through different paths inspired by Japanese mythology that leaves it feeling unlike any other quest.. The actual gameplay of Okami will feel similar to anyone who has played The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, with hoards of boss battles, powerups, puzzles, and quests to help you explore every inch of the map. That’s not to say that Okami is simply another Zelda clone, as it borrows and improves upon many elements that made Zelda great while still providing a fresh and fun experience unlike anything else on the Wii.

Okami’s most striking aspect is its captivating cell-shaded, watercolor art style that manages to be both instantly recognizable and entirely original. Every frame of the game stands out like a hand-drawn masterpiece, making Amaterasu’s epic journey look like something lifted from your favorite art gallery. Even though the game looked wonderful on the PS2, Capcom took a little extra time to polish up the graphics and add 16:9 widescreen support to the Wii version, making Okami look and play better than ever before.

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With so many people missing out on Okami when it first came out, hopefully it will finally find its place among the Wii’s crowd that is constantly clamoring for more worthwhile third-party titles. Even if it is “just” an updated port of a game that’s a year-and-a-half old, Okami is worth looking into for everyone, including those who have already dabbled in the PS2 adventure. It wasn’t only the swan song for its development group (Clover Studios), but a true labor of love that looks to stand the test of time. Check out Okami when it finally makes its Wii debut in stores on April 15.