Okami Review

Okami has been out for awhile now, but I just got around to playing it on the Wii a few weeks ago. I took me so long because I once watched Randall playing it and he seemed to be having a difficult time, I wasn't paying that close attention, but it clouded my opinion of the game enough that whenever I went to reach for it I would suddenly change my mind. But play it I eventually did, and here's my opinion.

Okami is amazing to look at, it's closer to a Japanese watercolor then a video game with backgrounds to die for.

At first glance I though it was a game for young children, I had plenty of data to back me up on that because all of the characters talk in this game INCESSANTLY! It would figure that very young children would need all that information. They talk so often, and so annoyingly that I've just started skipping through all of it, as a consequence I have little to no idea what the story line of the game is. Usually this means when somthing happens I fail the first time because I had to skip past whatever it was they were telling me to do.

After awhile it becomes very apparent that this is not a childrens game when resident tree goddess Sakuya quickly goes from this outfit...

Not entirely demure on it's own, there's an opening on the back that shows her tush.

To this one...
And then does some fan service and pushes up her breasts... Hmmm.

I have to say the game play is enjoyable once you skip past all that talking. As you continue along you receive new paintbrush powers such as making the sun or moon come out. Bringing life to plants or areas on the map. Even slicing and dicing your enemies. It can be slightly frustrating when you're trying to made a circle and it just won't work, but most of the time it's pretty entertaining.
You're regular fighting is fun as well with wide swings of the Wii remote and pushing the jump button. Okami even brings the nunchuck into play, when you swing the nunchuck to the side your character Amatarasu will dodge to the side. Boss battles are few and far between, which I enjoy. I dislike boss battles because I prefer the adventure/platform parts of games, but I do see their merits at times.

All in all if you can get past the talking Okami is a fun game, I don't feel frustrated playing it, but I don't feel like it's super easy to play either. It's been out for while so it won't be expensive to get a hold of if you're interested.