Okami

• Genre: Action Adventure
• Time Played: 41 Hours
• Too Short/Long: Just about right, maybe feels a little too long if you try to do all the extra stuff.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Very pleased, as this is one of my favorite games, and maybe moreso than I remembered.
• Why I played: I was looking for inspiration for a Tabletop RPG I am running and started playing some games specifically focused around japanese folklore and mythology. I had bought Okami for the Switch with the intent of "one day replaying" and that day was now.
• Recommend to others: Of course. I feel like almost anyone that likes video games should play Okami, but I guess specifically if you like Action Adventure, or japanese mythological settings. While some parts can be a little tough to figure out at times, and it shows it's age in some aspects, it's never excessively difficult or frustrating, maybe slightly obtuse at time, maybe slightly finnicky with the celestial brushes, but those are really the biggest grievances of an otherwise amazing game.

I love Okami and I don't think I put enough emphasis on that in more recent years. It's been a long time since I played it and I had forgotten a lot of the game, most of it being remembered in a fashion more similar to Deja Vu.

When Okami came out, it got tons of praise for being one of the most gorgeous games of it's time. It came out toward the end of the PS2 life cycle and PS3 was just around the corner. It was in an era when it seemed like the vast majority of video games were going for "realistic style", or were soon about to and as we all all know now, while some of those games looked great at the time, many did not hold up visually.

Okami's visuals aren't going to blow anyones mind if they are just now seeing it for the first time, but back in the day it was the prime go to example in the "Are video games art?" debate. Maybe for more superficial reasons than that question merits interpretation, but regardless, I think it means something. The game is still visually appealing today, but today it looks more like something an indie studio would put out. I can only imagine if Okami got a true and proper remake or sequel on a modern platform. I feel like it would just be absolutely stunning.

That said, the game is filled to the brim with gorgeous art in and inspired by classic japanese styles. I often found myself just scrolling through the bestiary just to admire the art. The music is fantastic in the way it fits the setting and mood. It's not something you're necessarily going to jam out to while driving, but it is great nonetheless.

Gameplay wise, it definitely holds up, while the celestial brush can be finnicky, I think there is a certain fun to figuring out what enemies are weak to, and additionally what will provide you bonus demon fangs, exploring is always rewarding. Even if some of those rewards are a little lackluster. You are constantly being fed a reward of some kind in this game. Main upgrades and equipment come pretty often, and little bonuses for increasing your stats and wealth come very frequently.

Back in the day the game got compared to Zelda a lot, and while I do think there is clear inspiration, looking at it now, I wouldn't say it's as Zelda-like as many other game that have come out since, but maybe at the time, there were only so many game that imitated the Zelda structure at all. It's definitely an action adventure game, with fighting, puzzles, dungeons, "items" you get that allow you to perform more functions, bombs, "arrows", etc. Fighting is much less optional outside boss fights, as you're locked into like a little battle field for almost all the fights, making it a bit more character action focused than most Zelda games.

I love Okami, and I don't think anyone who knows me really questioned that, I've pretty much always had Okami art up on the walls somewhere in my place. I have Okami figures, and other decor in prime locations. Semi-recently First 4 Figures came out with some new Okami stuff and I kinda ignored most of it. Do I really need more than just Amaterasu? Up until now, no. But while playing I had to grab Chibitersu and Oki statues and have spent several minutes each day admiring them since they came in. This is still one of the best video games there is.