Okami (PlayStation 2, 2006)

Okami is an absolutely gorgeous game. Yes, it can't compete with Gears of War, PS3's resistance of man, or any of the next-gen games in terms of photo-realism and polygons per second, but it can compete in the general category of graphics. The visuals in Okami are phenominal and amazingly stylistic. A new look you've never seen before, Okami looks like a living breathing watercolor. Words really can't describe the way the game looks like in motion. The gameplay and puzzles are topnotch too. The celestial brush technique is different and is really fun incorporating into the puzzles and even the battles (though I think it is sort of cheap in battle since it freezes the screen). One of the best things about Okami though is getting your wolf, Amaterasu running at full speed and just enjoying the scenery. Basically the structure of the game is like most other action rpgs: Explore area, solve puzzles, defeat bosses, gain new abilities, and gain access to new areas to explore. What makes this whole experience more rewarding and new is the fact that you are restoring color and nature to all its glory as you go. You can literally see teh results of defeating evil... trees bloom, animals return, color is restored, people reoccupy the area, etc. You truly start feeling like the Mother Goddess Amaterasu. It's really just an amazing adventure and the last great gem of a game that will probably grace PS2 now that PS3 is on the horizon and releasing in the coming weeks. An absolute must play for all Zelda and RPG fans.


Gameplay: 9/10
Pros: Your wolf can really run and makes exploring great. Drawing Stuff with the brush and puzzle-solving is really unique and different (outside of the DS at least) and works well.
Cons: The battles are fun and break up everything else nicely, but can be annoying when travelling long distances...you can see them and try and avoid them, but its still a nuisance when they get ya.

Graphics: 10/10
Pros: I'm not one to insist that graphics be photorealistic and find the vibrant watercolor graphics of Okami to be absolutely beautiful. The best Graphics on PS2 since MGS3
Cons: Nothing for me, but some may not like the stylistic look

Sound: 8.5/10
Pros: Amazing score and sounds- especially the wolf sounds
Cons: No voicework at all, instead each character sort of has a mumbly sound as the text comes up. It works within the theme well, but when most RPGs have full voice- it makes it seem lacking

Lasting Appeal: 9/10
Pros: The game is REALLY long. I've heard 60+ hours. I've been playing for about 20+ and have had it for a couple weeks. A long enjoyable Quest and a great stroy w/ some Mini-games: fishing, digging, etc. Just what an RPG needs
Cons: I'm not really sure if there is any incentive to replay an RPG, and this one is no different

Average: 91.25%
Tilt (+/-): +2.75%
Okami is the PS2's Zelda. A great Action RPG that will hopefully see a sequel despite Clover Studios (the team behind the game) being broken up. One of the last gems on Playstation 2!

Verdict: 94%

This game stands right beside Zelda in adventuring. This games has plenty of puzzles, dungeons, equipment, weapons and items. You play a goddess transformed into a wolf on her own will. She has a little sprite that helps her on her quest. You are able to paint by holding down the R1 button and pressing the Squre for a thin line and the triangle for a thick one. Fire in your way? Create a gust of wind to blow it away, to cold for wind? Then draw a line from the water to the fire. See a closed flower bud? Circle it to make it bloom. Rock in you way? Draw a simple line through it and it will be slashed. Many drawings to draw and solve puzzles with. Draw lightning, fire, water, slashing, wind, hurricane, ice, slow motion, bombs, vines, rejuvenation, and walk on walls by drawing a path. Excellent game, excellent gameplay. Took me 55+ hours to beat it with all secrets found like stray beads and feeding all animals.

Okami is one of those games that never sold well but deserve so much more. People put it off because they are either too ethnocentric (meaning the game is way too Japanese feeling to them at first sight and scares the white folks) or don't play the game because of a long intro for an intricate story that no one cares about because they rather their games involve brain-dead storytelling and no innovation in gameplay.

This is the best game you can buy for the PS2 if you had a choice to get only one game for the console. The production values, art, music, polish, and attention to detail are phenomenal and it puts many other games to shame in how much love was poured into it. The characters are so full of life and individualized. The world is real, and the passion is suffocatingly thick. You will remember every single person you meet in the game, all the events that unfold, and how they all connect, something that is very rare to achieve in the gaming world. The ink brush drawing, the platforming, the movement, and the open field runs and combat are so fluid and well layed out, it's a delight to watch and control. The humor transcends any language barriers and translates near perfectly and you won't find any half-dimwitted writing in the dialogue like your local FPS curse fest or generic RPG cheesiness.

Many people will compare this game to Zelda and call it just a clone. That's like saying Call of Duty 4 is equivalent to the original DOOM because there's a crosshair involved. The Zelda games were decent but lacked much of a story or much of a lot of things, but Okami is in an entirely different league of its own, like how Final Fantasy 7 was to RPGs.

The main thing I want you to get out of this is don't judge Okami on it's face value and play at least through a quarter of the game. If you still find it wholly uninteresting, then it is legitimately not the type of game you will ever like. But to all those others who are impatient or dismiss it because of the art, the premise, or the Zelda tunnel vision complex, you should give it a real chance before making a conclusion or you will miss out on what I consider the best game to date on any console. And please support the development of this game and all games of such high quality by buying a copy. The PS2 version is much preferable because the Wii version has insufferable controls. The game is only $20 on the Greatest Hits list, but it never sold well enough and it would be a travesty if the wrong message was sent that in the current generation of gaming, no one cares about quality or innovatio nanymore. Peace out.

I don't normally gush over games - I've been an avid gamer since the eighties and have played many classics - and Okami rates up there with the best of them.

It isn't a difficult game, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it is fun, unique, and utterly breathtaking. I don't know what games you've played, but I can say with confidence that you haven't played something with the atmosphere of Okami. It's not a shallow veneer either; ancient Japan penetrates everything about this game - the music, the places, and the people all feel as though they exist as a small part of a greater whole, rather than toys of a game developer.

Positives
+ Beautiful, both technically and artistically
+ Includes a New Game+ mode, allowing you to discover more after you have finished the game
+ Frequent save points make the game easy to drop into and out of
+ Memorable story, characters and events make it a joy to play

Negatives
- Game is far too easy - bosses are rarely a challenge
- Relatively short compared to other games

I have been an avid video gamer since the original Nintendo came out--so I've seen fads come and go, and many different types of games come out. However, until I played this game, I never played a game that seemed so cherished by its developed by its programmers and that could engross me so much in its story.

I will not go into what the game is about, mainly because there are already hundreds of reviews out there that talk about the plot and the mechanics of the game. The one thing I will say, however, is this is a supremely original game that should not be missed by anyone with a PS2. In a world where 99% of new games are just rehashes of other games, I'm glad to see that there is still some innovation left in the gaming world.

The only negative I would have to say about the game is that I think it came out for the wrong system--the PS2's controller plays great, but it would have been fun to be able to use the Wii-remote to paint.

A beautiful game with a tremendous story--definitely worth the purchase!!!

great condition..super fast shipping...
great ebayer...a++++++++++++
willing to do business again
thanks!!!

There is not really anything not to like about this game, other than you may actually need to think things through and not hack and slash your way to victory. It has a unique style of both gameplay and techniques/powers/abilities. If you're looking for the 1 RPG game to get yourself for a while, get this.

This game is absolutely beautiful. I've heard it referred to as a "moving painting", and that is the perfect description. You play as goddess Amaterasu, along with her companion, Issun. Most of the gameplay consists of using the paintbrush to revive the land around you, defeat enemies, and solve puzzles. There are also clever minigames throughout the game, usually helping a game character with one problem or another. It's almost hard to tell that they are minigames because they fit perfectly within the context of the game; they don't seem simply tacked on. Overall, if you want a wonderful ps2 experience, this is the game to get.

Graphics: 10/10
Audio: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Presentation: 12/10

Yes, that's twelve out of a maximum ten. It's that good.

You play as Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess, incarnated as a wolf in a magical land full of spirits, demons, gods, and magic. Armed with a fantastic array of weapons, including swords, shields, whips, shotguns and machineguns, and the unique Celestial Brush, your quest is to seal the evil, twelve-headed dragon, Orochi, unsealed after a century-long sleep.

And that's just the first quarter of the game.

Okami has often been comared to the Legend of Zelda games, and rightly so. The game will feel familiar to any Zelda fan, except that instead of controlling an agile, durable swordsman, you're a lightning-fast wolf with a snow-white coat, wielding the power to literally draw your will upon the cell-shaded world around you. The controls are precise, the story is epic, and the entire game looks like a Japanese watercolor painting. This game is a must-own for Playstation 2 and Nintendo Wii owners alike.

1. This game has amazing graphics!! Way cool.
2. If you enjoy Japanese folklore you'll love this!
3. If you like games with different ways to play you'll love the brush techniques!
and 4. If you like bosses that are challenging but not don't require you to start over from the beginning of an area,

Then Okami is the game for you! Highly recommended!!

I got this game for Christmas without having ever heard of it before. I was intrigued by the art style and was curious as to how the studio had implemented the 'Celestial Brush,' so I started playing it right away. It exceeded my expectations, but it wasn't a perfect game.

-The graphics are beautiful, especially because of how unique they are.
-There's no voice acting in the game, but there is a lot of dialouge. The characters talking is represented by a strange mumbling noise that annoyed everyone I know, although I personally didn't mind it.
-The soundtrack doesn't stand out as being amazing or unbearable. There were some cool songs in it, but overall it didn't really affect my opinion of the game.
-The game isn't very difficult. I beat it 100% on my first play through with about 60 hours of gameplay, and didn't die a single time.
-The plot is very easy to follow, although it seemed to me at about the 30-hour mark the creators set up a perfect ending and then randomly extended it to be a 60-hour game instead.
-While the Celestial Brush is a very cool mechanic, at times the game had a hard time processing which skill I was trying to use. Most of the time it worked as intended, but occasionally it would cause problems.
-The controls were excellent. Okami Amaterasu behaved exactly as I wanted her to, and with style, at that.

Overall, I would recommend the game, but not to someone who's looking for a real challenge. This game is perfect for a casual gamer.

Okami Amaterasu (Wolf god reincarnation of Shiranui) is resurected by the wood sprite Sakuya in order to stop the reserection of the evil demon serpent Orochi from devouring & destroying the lands. "Ammy" (as her nickname) is accompanied on her long journey with the tiny young man named Issun, the Wandering Artist. Along their journey they will uncover many secrets, meet the Zodiac Gods & gain new brush powers...but's that's only half of it...

I heard of this game in an anime magazine & right away it sounded interesting. You play as Okami Amaterasu (white wolf sun god) & learn brush techniques. Literally, you draw certain designs that will be used in battles & other events. I've never heard of a game like that,(being that I'm an artist myself) I thought that sounded very interesting! Of chourse I bought it ^_~

Sound: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Story: 5/5
Dialogue: 0/5
(note: there is no voice actors at all,sounds odd yes,but it's irrelavant
Gameplay: 5/5

This game is absolutly perfect in every way, I can't find anything to dislike at all. It is not a brainless action-game, it is a story & character driven game...& it does have a decent amount of action. Much like a Japanese anime or manga with the readable sub-titles. Yes you have to read alot, but if you can read books & manga it's not a big deal. The important fact is the story & characterzation above all else.

The most impressive thing of all is that this game is completly packed from the names to events & even right down to the stories...EVERY LITTLE THING is based directly on Classic Japanese Mythology. I still can't belive it, everything! There must be over 30 classic tales jam-packed into this game & yet everything is well nitted together!

The story is so well thought out & researched, with fantastic detail of each myth animated to suit the game. The entire game is made of over 30 Legends and all are placed together so neatly in one complete thought without any loose ends. I find that incredible. I have never seen a game so creative, artistic, intelligent, researched & unique.

"Okami" is the first game in a long time to acually be this darn good. Video games these days are terrible to say the least. Games today are typically nothing more than mindless blood+guts+violence with no story nor originality. This game is like a gem from the past from Playstation 1...the days when games where once unique, creative & interesting stories. It's difficult to find these types of games today anymore.

Some side notes:
-Amaterasu is the sun goddess of Japan & center of many legends
-Issun is based from Issun-boshi the 1 inch monk legend
-Okami /ookami/ oukami means wolf in Japanese

"Okami" is refreshing. You can't call yourself a video gamer without this on you're shelf. You might as well hang up your controller.

the game is most excellent. great art style. unique game play.
I would highly recommend this game to my friends!!!!

This is an amazing game. It is visually stunning and the gameplay is very innovative. Using the painting techniques to create and fight was surprisingly intuitive. It is a bit on the easy side, though, so those up for more of a challenge may be disappointed.

I was very pleases with the fast shipping of this product. I, of course, love the game. It arrived new and factory sealed, as promised. I would recommend this seller for future game purchases.

There are a few titles on the PS2 that stand out in stark contrast to the plethora of mediocre to decent titles that make up the full PS2 library. A few titles that come to mind are:

God of War
Shadow of the Colossus
Gran Turismo 4
Maximo

Okami is one of those games that had us biting our nails because we all know what happens when Japanese titles are brought to the states and ported to English. They are usually ruined with horrific voice acting or the meaning is totally lost in the translation. Thankfully that didn't happen with Okami. Clover Studio's offering vaults Okami into the best of the best PS2 titles with amazing graphics, incredible audio, and an epic adventure the likes of which us oldschool gamers haven't seen since Ocarina of Time. The amount of color and solid gameplay are second to none. Capcom and Clover did an excellent job of leaving the game intact during the port to English while providing us with English subtitles which are unobtrusive and easy to follow. The spirit of Japanese culture and myth are alive and well in Okami. This title is highly recommended for any adventure / rpg enthusiast. NO SPOILERS!

Stunning scenery, highly interactive game play, and well over 40 hours of game play. Controls feel smooth and natural. Using the celestial brush is interesting and fun, but takes a little practice. An excellent game for anime lovers too. One of the best games I have played in a while. Gaming magazines are raving about it for a good reason. An excellent game all around!

THIS IS A WONDERFUL GAME MY SON IS 9 AND REALLY ENJOYS PLAYING IT WONDERFUL FOR KIDS OF ALL AGAES THUMBS UP

My daughter has played it and enjoyed it. I personally don't know anything about it but according to her it is fun and not too easy to play but not too difficult either.

Quick facts:
- Action RPG (Zelda-esque)
- Magic system is an brush and ink (works like a MP bar) that you use to fight with and to solve puzzle. You use the analog stick (PS2) to move the brush and draw. Time stops while you are drawing. The game is very forgiving when you make a mistake. You don't lose much ink, so it is easy to try again. Nothing you draw is very complicated. Mostly circles, lines, filling in things.
- Mini games: You are introduced to an easy version of a mini game in the story line and then can find other places where you can play it and get items or more ink.
- Watercolor style art. Which is very pretty.
- Japanese mythology based story. You play as the Shinto sun goddess Amatarasu in the form of a wolf. The story of Susanoo and Orochi shows up from the offset.
- Voice acting is a computerized nonsense sounds.

My opinion:
This is one of my favorite games. It has really good game play. It was very rare that I'd feel frustrated while trying to accomplish something which is rare for me in an action RPG. I liked the battle system, although I started trying to avoid battles toward the end of the game as they become somewhat annoying if you are impatient like me. I liked most of the mini games. I really liked the graphics. I found the story interesting.

OMG! this game is freaking awsome..... any game that can keep my attention for 7 or so hours straight..is good in my book...i am a highly picky gamer.

I totally recommend this game!

Pros:
Okami is an incredibly original game. Wielding the Celestial Brush is an integral part of the game. With the brush Okami Amaturatsu is able to create rain, force a tree to sprout, repair objects, and fight enemies. But the power of the brush doesn't stop here, draw a bomb and it will appear or create a fireball and it will burn. The drawing mechanics behind the Celestial Brush feel very polished and force the players to think creatively. Okami's world is filled with color and original characters. The gameplay is excellent from start to finish, and so is the story. Okami can wield different weapons, and use items. The game is long with a lot of optional side quests.

Cons:
The game's Celestial Brush is a double edged sword, while the brush is a very creative tool it also makes the combat with the enemies feel too easy. Also, the vanquished bosses reappear later in the story, so they must be defeated again.

Bottom Line: This is one game that must be played no matter who you are.

Okami is a beautiful masterpiece that should be cherished throughout the world. It uses the utmost graphics to portray a riveting plot. The concept requires a little time to get used to though, but I would say a little practice can't hurt you.

I see that a negative review just kind of stuck in the middle there. I can understand why one may dislike this game since it uses ancient Japanese style music and possibly a childish mentality. All I can say is that this game is not for everyone. Sometimes I wonder if I would like this game If I didn't understand Japanese culture. Remember that this game is dedicated to the Gods of Japan. I'd say this unique civilization needs to poke his head out of the dirt. If you don't like this game, I don't blame you. But for me, this game was absolutely incredible.

Beautiful game, fun .. simply fantastic!
History infectious, charismatic characters, a masterpiece!!!