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- Platform: PlayStation2
- BBFC Rating:
Suitable for 12 years and over. Not for sale to persons under age 12. By placing an order for this product, you declare that you are 12 years of age or over. - Media: Video Game
- Item Quantity: 1
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
If you ever thought it odd that two CGI kids movies about talking ants could come out at the same time, followed by two about talking fish, consider the odds of two video games coming out within months of each other which involve controlling a wolf in a Legend of Zelda style game world. In actual fact Okami first came out in Japan almost a year ago, a long time before Twilight Princess. Nevertheless, this is the best Zelda style game ever on a non-Nintendo console and likely to remain one of the very best games released all year. Not only that but it features probably the most beautiful graphics ever seen on the PlayStation 2 with a completely unique cel-shading effect that makes the whole game world look like it is painted in Japanese water colours.
Throughout the game you control the goddess Amaterasu, who appears as a white wolf (okami is a pun on the Japanese words for both wolf and god). You’re guided in your quest, a little too closely it has to be said, by a talking bug named Issun. Although Amaterasu can jump and head-butt, her primary interaction with the world is via the celestial brush. By pausing the game you can paint magic symbols onscreen to create objects in the world, from making plant life bloom to setting off giant bombs. As well as brush attacks, you can use a range of other weapons swapping between primary and secondary slots at will. Apart from Issun’s signposting of every puzzle, and the occasionally poor pacing, this can easily hold its head high amongst Nintendo’s greatest as one of the PlayStation 2’s last, best games.
HARRISON DENT
Product Description
Mixing Japanese folklore and a stunning traditional Japanese art style, Okami tells the story of a mythical sun god who sets out to restore a world to its former beauty and glory. Okami is the brainchild of Capcom`s Clover Studio which is renowned for such innovative and critically acclaimed titles such as Steel Battalion and Viewtiful Joe series.
In Okami, the legendary monster Orochi has come back to life and turned the world into a veritable wasteland. Players must assume the role of a wolf, an embodiment of the sun god Amaterasu, capable of wielding unimaginable power. The state of the world lies in gamer`s hands as they must fight ominous beings and reclaim the earth from a curse that plagues it. It is crucial to help Amaterasu make the world a place where all living creatures can dwell once again.
Traditional Japanese art comes alive through beautiful scenic 3D levels that have the appearance and texture of paper scrolls brushed with watercolour-like calligraphy art. As a god in the form of a wolf, Amaterasu must reclaim its powers that are scattered throughout the earth, in order to help restore the land to its former beauty. As players progress through the game, they will travel to different regions in search of the other godly embodiments that are hidden, and regain Amaterasu`s powers. Rooted in the third person perspective, gamers will need to interact with the people they encounter, building their faith by clandestinely answering their prayers and wishes. As gamers lead Amaterasu through diverse environments, they will come across extraordinary monsters that originated from Japanese folklore.
Defeating the creatures that Amaterasu encounters will not be a small feat. The real-time fighting system not only involves biting and ramming strikes, but also allows for various attacks using the bronze mirror of Yata on its back as well as a host of other unique abilities. This system allows the use of a myr
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By Reader
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This game is just outstanding in every way. I have never seen or played a game like this before. This game should, and probably will, be a classic
What is the most striking about this game is the animation. It's absolutely stunning. The theme is a Japanese painting with the images in close range in full, dazzling colour and the mountains in the background no more than a brush stroke in the sky. The music is traditionally Japanese and fits the game perfectly. The word beautiful might appear a few times in this review but there really is no better word to describe everything about this game.
You play the white wolf God, Amaterasu, revived from her divine slumber to kill the evil monster who has covered the land with darkness. With the bug Issun for company (who is actually only there to learn brush techniques) you set out to rid the land of Ippon of evil.
Combat is in two forms. One is weapon equipped on Amaterasu's back. She used this is a primary battle weapon to stun her opponents. As they become stunned, Amaterasu can then use her Celestial Brush to finish them off. Brush techniques such as power slash also divide rocks blocking your way, or cut down annoyingly possessed trees. There are 12 brush techniques to learn and in so doing you are almost in complete control of shaping the environment. Don't like it being nighttime? Draw the sun in the sky and brighten the place up. Found a withered tree? Give it a brush and watch cherry blossom appear.
The Celestial Brush technique is the basis for the game. As well as a battle technique and the method of moving the game forward, it also opens up side quests such as feeding the animals. As a girl this was something I particularly liked. The more animals you feed, the more praise points you obtain to power up your stats. Plus a nice touch is having the animals you've fed have little hearts float around you when you go near them.
Combat is at times quite easy, it must be said. Once you've established the best technique for dealing with certain enemies, fighting them is pretty easy. The environments at huge although you have a map and Issun to help you keep your bearings.
My Playstation hasn't had any problems playing this disc but some people who have reviewed it have encountered problems. Found the transition between layers very smooth. Even if it did jump a bit I don't think I'd mind. This game is just truly outstanding. If it doesn't take off soon I think it will be similar to Ico. Eventually people will realise that it's a complete gem.
What is the most striking about this game is the animation. It's absolutely stunning. The theme is a Japanese painting with the images in close range in full, dazzling colour and the mountains in the background no more than a brush stroke in the sky. The music is traditionally Japanese and fits the game perfectly. The word beautiful might appear a few times in this review but there really is no better word to describe everything about this game.
You play the white wolf God, Amaterasu, revived from her divine slumber to kill the evil monster who has covered the land with darkness. With the bug Issun for company (who is actually only there to learn brush techniques) you set out to rid the land of Ippon of evil.
Combat is in two forms. One is weapon equipped on Amaterasu's back. She used this is a primary battle weapon to stun her opponents. As they become stunned, Amaterasu can then use her Celestial Brush to finish them off. Brush techniques such as power slash also divide rocks blocking your way, or cut down annoyingly possessed trees. There are 12 brush techniques to learn and in so doing you are almost in complete control of shaping the environment. Don't like it being nighttime? Draw the sun in the sky and brighten the place up. Found a withered tree? Give it a brush and watch cherry blossom appear.
The Celestial Brush technique is the basis for the game. As well as a battle technique and the method of moving the game forward, it also opens up side quests such as feeding the animals. As a girl this was something I particularly liked. The more animals you feed, the more praise points you obtain to power up your stats. Plus a nice touch is having the animals you've fed have little hearts float around you when you go near them.
Combat is at times quite easy, it must be said. Once you've established the best technique for dealing with certain enemies, fighting them is pretty easy. The environments at huge although you have a map and Issun to help you keep your bearings.
My Playstation hasn't had any problems playing this disc but some people who have reviewed it have encountered problems. Found the transition between layers very smooth. Even if it did jump a bit I don't think I'd mind. This game is just truly outstanding. If it doesn't take off soon I think it will be similar to Ico. Eventually people will realise that it's a complete gem.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Okami is a 3D role-playing platformer, in which you take control of Amaterasu, a white wolf god, who must journey to both defeat the evil god Orochi and restore the land to its former glory.
The graphics are stunning; since the game is based on Japanese mythology, the animation is a combination of Japanese brush prints and a cartoon, and is incredibly smooth and colourful without being particularly cute. The screenshots really don't do it justice.
As Amaterasu, you are free to explore a 3D world at your own pace, helping villagers, fighting monsters and rebuilding the landscape. Aside from the usual finding and offering of a hidden object, since Amaterasu is a wolf god she has magical powers, the most entertaining being the 'celestial brush stroke' - with a large paint brush you can make dead trees blossom, rebuild bridges and split enemies and rocks in half. You can even draw a circle in the night sky to create a sun and hey presto, it's daytime again.
You can interact with villagers, whose reactions and needs change according to the time of day and on which areas you've been to, and as you do so you accumulate faith spheres which enhance your power. Other gods from Japanese folklore also lend a hand, appearing as constellations in the sky and coming to life as you wield the celestial brush.
There are also plenty of monsters, either jumping out as bosses or appearing on the horizon as green scrolls - which you can avoid or fight by choice.
This really is a great game; you spend ages wandering around just exploring your surroundings and as you learn new skills you can return to old areas and uncover new secrets. You also learn techniques as you play with the help of tiny sidekick Issun, so no labouring through the manual with this one.
The only complaint I have about this game - and it's a rather trivial one at that - is the narration and character voices. The speech is subtitled of course, but the characters talk a bit like Bill and Ben and it can be rather annoying when there's a long dialogue, with the introduction for instance. I would rather they had left it silent, as with older Final Fantasy games, or left in the Japanese, assuming they recorded any voices to start with.
That aside, this is an excellent game for all ages, not too fiddly and difficult, the graphics are superb, and with a giant 3D world to explore and alter with magic it will keep you entertained for hours. Without a doubt the best game I have ever played on Playstation 2.
The graphics are stunning; since the game is based on Japanese mythology, the animation is a combination of Japanese brush prints and a cartoon, and is incredibly smooth and colourful without being particularly cute. The screenshots really don't do it justice.
As Amaterasu, you are free to explore a 3D world at your own pace, helping villagers, fighting monsters and rebuilding the landscape. Aside from the usual finding and offering of a hidden object, since Amaterasu is a wolf god she has magical powers, the most entertaining being the 'celestial brush stroke' - with a large paint brush you can make dead trees blossom, rebuild bridges and split enemies and rocks in half. You can even draw a circle in the night sky to create a sun and hey presto, it's daytime again.
You can interact with villagers, whose reactions and needs change according to the time of day and on which areas you've been to, and as you do so you accumulate faith spheres which enhance your power. Other gods from Japanese folklore also lend a hand, appearing as constellations in the sky and coming to life as you wield the celestial brush.
There are also plenty of monsters, either jumping out as bosses or appearing on the horizon as green scrolls - which you can avoid or fight by choice.
This really is a great game; you spend ages wandering around just exploring your surroundings and as you learn new skills you can return to old areas and uncover new secrets. You also learn techniques as you play with the help of tiny sidekick Issun, so no labouring through the manual with this one.
The only complaint I have about this game - and it's a rather trivial one at that - is the narration and character voices. The speech is subtitled of course, but the characters talk a bit like Bill and Ben and it can be rather annoying when there's a long dialogue, with the introduction for instance. I would rather they had left it silent, as with older Final Fantasy games, or left in the Japanese, assuming they recorded any voices to start with.
That aside, this is an excellent game for all ages, not too fiddly and difficult, the graphics are superb, and with a giant 3D world to explore and alter with magic it will keep you entertained for hours. Without a doubt the best game I have ever played on Playstation 2.
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By Clarity Kim
Fun:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Okami is very similar to Zelda, gameplay-wise. You solve puzzles, help people and use an array of nifty combat and transport abilities which are obtained progressively throughout the game. Like Zelda, the game has a fantastic, mythological plot with its own legends and ancient characters. All the main characters in Okami are reincarnations of ancient, legendary heroes and villains. However, what's so brilliant about Okami is that these legends are genuine Japanese cultural stories, hundreds of years old and steeped in the elemental, natural mythology of Japan. The art style complements this Japanese feel perfectly, with Kanji script all over the place and calligraphic brush strokes used to draw every object in the game.
Okami's real gimmick is the way that you can draw onto the world yourself, as the player. With a touch of the button, the world is transformed into a parchment version which can be painted onto directly to solve puzzles or destroy enemies. It's a novel touch which works well and, along with the distinctive graphical style and characters, goes a long way to differentiating Okami from Zelda, the series it clearly owes so much to.
My only criticism of Okami is that it is a very long game and can feel overwhelming at times as there are so many subquests to keep in mind and characters to remember. This is why I have not given it the full five stars for "fun" - because at times the gameplay is more like a good book or film, you wouldn't really say you're having "fun", more that you're very engrossed. The game is not needlessly long, no sections feel like filler, and there's no denying that it's excellent value for money. I just felt that I was spending so much time appreciating the environments and experimenting with each new skill and ability that my progress through the game was rather slow and I didn't have much time to play or do anything else! Like all truly great titles, Okami monopolises your gaming time until you're really through to the end. Just as it should be.
As a final word, I should just return to the title of this review and repeat that the game does look incredible for a PS2 title. Although it's tempting to think the Xbox360 and Playstation 3 make the original PS2's graphics obsolete, Okami shows just how much more important style is than mere hardware, polygon-pushing power. Stunning.
Okami's real gimmick is the way that you can draw onto the world yourself, as the player. With a touch of the button, the world is transformed into a parchment version which can be painted onto directly to solve puzzles or destroy enemies. It's a novel touch which works well and, along with the distinctive graphical style and characters, goes a long way to differentiating Okami from Zelda, the series it clearly owes so much to.
My only criticism of Okami is that it is a very long game and can feel overwhelming at times as there are so many subquests to keep in mind and characters to remember. This is why I have not given it the full five stars for "fun" - because at times the gameplay is more like a good book or film, you wouldn't really say you're having "fun", more that you're very engrossed. The game is not needlessly long, no sections feel like filler, and there's no denying that it's excellent value for money. I just felt that I was spending so much time appreciating the environments and experimenting with each new skill and ability that my progress through the game was rather slow and I didn't have much time to play or do anything else! Like all truly great titles, Okami monopolises your gaming time until you're really through to the end. Just as it should be.
As a final word, I should just return to the title of this review and repeat that the game does look incredible for a PS2 title. Although it's tempting to think the Xbox360 and Playstation 3 make the original PS2's graphics obsolete, Okami shows just how much more important style is than mere hardware, polygon-pushing power. Stunning.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest Game I Have Ever Played
And I am being completely serious. A wonderful mix of traditional Japanese mythology, adventure, action, humour, side quests, unique art style, unique weapons and storyline. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Charlotte
5.0 out of 5 stars
this is possibly my favorite game ever
okami is a fantastic game. It looks amazing as the whole environment is designed to look like a japanese woodblock print. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Samurai13
5.0 out of 5 stars
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
LOVED IT!!! I owned the game on the WII in America and I Loved it so much I bought it for the PS2 as well to play when in England. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Tailz
4.0 out of 5 stars
New and Old platform game lovers should enjoy this game.
At first glance, Okami seems like you average platformer affair. The wondering around is very similar to that of Spyro the Dragon, or whatever you deem fit to that category with... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Zephyr
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'd recommend the Wii version
Don't get me wrong, this is an amazing, amazing game, just bursting with originality and charm. However I'd recommend y'all get the Wii version, for these reasons:
-The... Read more
-The... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Muckass666
5.0 out of 5 stars
A biased review of a very fun, original game.
The first thing anyone would be expected to notice in this game is the unique visual style, inspired by Japanese sumi-e drawings. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Anax
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing game
i love this game and finished it 3 times,i love the graphics and the gameplay and had a real individuality about it, i hope more people can discover this game to realise how great... Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2011 by Zinzi Cambran
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK AM I missing something?
I'm not a seasoned gamer but I do have quite a lot of PS1 and PS2 games. I bought this based on reviews in various places. I was quite disappointed. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2010 by Mr Booja Booja
4.0 out of 5 stars
Okami - brilliant. Not perfect, but brilliant.
This is an awesome game. It has a great cast of characters, an original main character and then it clearly has some of the best graphics that ps2 has to offer, with a unique visual... Read more
Published on 26 April 2010 by Alexander Seier Poulsen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not to be missed!
this is one of the most Epic games (and sadly missed by many) games that were released on the PS2, i got a new copy to play it on my PS3, and the looks even better! Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2010 by A. Janahi
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