![]() I can’t say that Okami will make it into my all-time favorites, but it’s memorable nonetheless. At least it now serves as proof that some things have gotten better since 2006. Otherwise, the writing is witty and even squeaked out some laughs from me with ridiculous canine puns, but Issun’s dialogue was just something I couldn’t get over. He’s basically a more annoying and gross version of Navi from Zelda that spends all of his time providing needless hand-holding advice while ogling and judging every female character the duo encounters. Throughout her journey, Amaterasu is accompanied by Issun, a bug-sized companion who is the blight of the narrative. Thankfully, almost everyone has something worthwhile to say. Sometimes dialogue can be sped up by clicking A or B, while other times it was mandatory to watch the text scroll slow to an absolute crawl. ![]() Dialogue and cutscenes have a certain charm to them, but that charm can be occasionally stripped away by a small technical inconsistency. Orange, the drinking, dancing leader of Kamiki Village, or my personal favorite, Big Daddy Jamba - a stoic, concerned bird who’s lost his daughter. Each time she feeds a squirrel, deer, or boar, there’s a cutscene that is downright blissful - the camera circles Amaterasu and her loyal subject in a field of flowers for almost two minutes while a gentle melody plays in the background, and it may seem like a waste of time, but I let it play out every time because for me, it served as a great way to break up the repetitive combat.ĭuring Amaterasu’s travels, players encounter an endless stream of unique, mostly lovable characters like Mr. Okami is a lengthy game, and while almost everything about it is drawn out, this isn’t always to its detriment, like when Amaterasu gains praise points (experience) by feeding the wildlife. Even though I had drawn a bomb over a cracked wall a million times, the path to get to said wall was always at least a pleasure to look at. One of the most highly regarded parts of Okami is its aesthetic - a heavily cel-shaded style that has aged beautifully. At the end of it all, it was a lot of fighting the same enemies in the same arenas and drawing the same patterns over and over.Ĭombat and brush usage aside, just seeing the world of Nippon remains breathtaking throughout. There are a few interesting brush gimmicks that pop up in the last 20 hours of the game that give it a little life, but they’re only minor alterations. ![]() At that point, the wonder I felt was replaced by a sinking feeling that I wouldn’t be done drawing circles and lines for a while. Certain enemies require a specific brush technique to disarm or damage them, but I found the most efficient way to deal damage was with physical weapons, which was happens to be the least engaging approach.ĭrawing vines, lily pads, and trails of fire is distinct and engaging, but by the time I finished the first significant chunk of the adventure about 12 hours in, I already had 10 of the 13 necessary techniques. Unfortunately, in Okami’s real-time combat Amaterasu has access to swords, shields, and whip-like rosaries along with a jump and a dodge, all of which work a little too well. There are three different ways to use the brush on the Switch - The touch screen, a joystick, or motion controls, making this version of Okami the most accessible by far. There are 13 brush techniques (with a few secret ones) such as slashing enemies, creating bombs and controlling the wind, and they’re all smooth to use. Set in a faux-Japan called Nippon, Okami is a third-person (third-canine?) adventure that follows Amaterasu, a goddess in wolf form who must take down evils throughout the land.Ĭhopping down a limited variety of demons and bandits in realtime combat between puzzles could’ve been a bore, but its focus is on the “Celestial Brush” - a weapon of the gods that players can use to briefly stop time, alter the environment or attack enemies. Twelve years later, it’s safe to say it lived up to the hype … at first. I missed its original 2006 release along with every subsequent re-release and remaster, and only wanted to play it more with every iteration because being gasped at and nagged every time I said I hadn’t set the bar pretty high. Okami was an elusive title for me as a young, wide-eyed adventure gamer. HIGH Had a ruff time getting over all the dog puns.
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