Okami Review

By Keza MacDonald Published 8 May, 2008

A new dawn for the Sun God.

Version tested: Wii

This shouldn't be happening. To quote from Kristan's review of Okami on the PlayStation 2: "Okami's ideas would have worked far better on the Wii, but that's never going to happen, now, is it?" And yet - marvellously, unbelievably - here we are, a year and a half later, playing Okami again in progressive-scan widescreen on the Wii, wielding the Celestial Brush again with a remote, despite Clover's closure and below-average sales. And Kristan was right - Okami's ideas do work better on the Wii.

The very basics of Okami's design are similar to the Zelda series' - indeed, this is probably the only truly great game outside of that series that has ever managed to pull it off so well. The story, like the visual style and striking music, draws its inspiration from Japanese mythology; playing as a legendary white wolf infused with the spirit of the sun god, Amaterasu, we go about saving the world from a great evil, albeit in a stunningly well-realised and visually entrancing way.

Okami's world is fairly open, and spreads gradually outwards as Amaterasu moves between beautiful outdoor scenes and bigger, puzzle-filled, delightfully inventive dungeons. Getting rid of the evil in a place by defeating dungeon bosses restores life and vitality to areas of the map in a breathtaking tidal wave of colour, foliage and wildlife. After that, the area is free to be explored; secretive corners of the map draw you to them with hidden items, side-quests and colourful, often humorous characters. The wealth of things to do outside the dungeon structure is quite amazing - even apart from the side-quests and exploration, there are wild animals to be fed, trinkets to collect and little residual pockets of darkness to take care of. The more you partake in Okami's world, the more it rewards you, slowly building up Amaterasu's wolfy abilities outside the dungeons as well as rewarding her with new weapons and techniques inside them. It is captivating design, complemented by fluid, gorgeous and unique visuals.

'Okami' Screenshot 1

Amaterasu approaches the Dungeon of the Pirate Penguins.

Okami's iconic concept is the Celestial Brush. Press the B button, and the whole world around Amaterasu freezes in time, transformed into a sepia-coloured ink-on-papyrus image that can be daubed with black ink for all sorts of effects. The Celestial Brush techniques start off simply - draw a big circle in the sky for a sun, make withered trees burst into bloom in a shower of blossoms, daub missing stars onto constellations, draw straight lines through things to cut them in half - but they become ever more inventive as the game goes on, and before long you're deftly forming lily pads beneath Amaterasu's feet with a mid-jump flourish of the Wii remote, or creating barriers of trees between her and an enemy. It's just as striking and impressive a visual technique as it is a gameplay mechanic, and it lies at the heart of what makes Okami so memorable; never before have a game's graphical style, music and gameplay been so perfectly integrated with each other.

'Okami' Screenshot 2

Rather than a man on the moon, the Japanese have a rabbit. Evidently, this is him.

This whole business is much improved, as everybody knew it would be, by Wii remote controls. The ink-painting process is so much quicker and smoother this way. As before, you'll occasionally make a mistake by not drawing an acceptably straight line or drawing circles too large, but it's much easier now to try again without breaking the flow of the game. It actually improves Okami's pacing significantly - painting with a PS2 pad was a fairly laborious process, meaning that it often wasn't worth the hassle in combat, but now it's possible to switch so quickly between using the brush and ordinary gameplay that taking enemies out with a final slash is more convenient, and looks more stylish. It also feels more intuitive - which, considering that the Wii opens this game up to an audience that might never have seen anything like it before, is definitely a good thing.

The Wii also makes Okami a little prettier, displaying it in proper widescreen in 480p. Were this any other game in the entire world, I'd be struggling to even pretend to care, but because Okami is such a visual game, it really makes a difference. On a large telly, the PS2 version's colours all ran together a bit - on the Wii, things are that bit sharper and more impressive, and it still retains all the charm of the ink-on-paper watercolour style that makes it so striking.

The danger with Okami is that people will be so busy looking at how pretty it is, they'll fail to appreciate just how brilliant it is underneath as well. Okami is an astounding videogame. Its world is living and organic, infused with ideas of mythology and natural beauty and influenced by several areas of the Japanese aesthetic, from sumi-e to architecture to religious and ritual tradition, as well as by other games as diverse as Zelda and Devil May Cry. It might echo Zelda in its structure - though its execution is entirely its own - but Okami also alludes to other Capcom classics in its sense of style; the incredible boss fights and accompanying cut-scenes call Viewtiful Joe and even Devil May Cry to mind.

The Wii controls are not, disappointingly, as well-integrated in combat as they are for the Celestial Brush. Attacks are executed with a sharp flick of the wrist, but must be timed quite precisely in order to perform a combo - waving the remote back and forth just doesn't work, and, though it's good in a way that you can't just flail your way arbitrarily through combat, the attack timing for some of the weapons (the Tsumugari in particular) is a bit finicky, and the game is occasionally picky about recognising your gestures. It works, but it's awkward until you figure out the timing.

'Okami' Screenshot 3

The bosses are spectacular, and call for inventive Celestial Brushwork

Thankfully this is nothing game-breaking. Combat was never the salient element of Okami, and because fights are never particularly difficult, these minor control issues never cause unnecessary death or any genuine frustration. Overall, Okami benefits far more from the Celestial Brush control and considerable visual improvement that the Wii affords it than it suffers from slightly worsened combat. The game may not be the Wii's own, but Okami benefits greatly from the visual and control improvements that Ready at Dawn has made, and hopefully, this re-release will give it a second chance to reach the audience that it deserves. Okami should not be a little-known classic. It is an item of culture, informed by thousands of years of Japanese art and mythology and fashioned into perhaps the most thoroughly beautiful thing that gaming has to offer.

During the eighteen months since Okami's original release, nothing else has turned up that makes us admire it any less - not even Nintendo's own Twilight Princess comes close to the astonishing cohesion of form and content, style and substance, that makes Okami so extraordinary. It's as well-designed as Zelda, as involving as Final Fantasy, and as beautiful as anything you've ever seen; it belongs with the best of the Zelda series at the very apex of its genre.

10 / 10

Okami is due out on Wii in Europe on 13th June.

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Keza.

About Keza MacDonald

Read more articles from Keza by visiting the Keza MacDonald archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (113) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • ostrasized #1 4 years ago

    Yeah, I guess a 10 is warranted if you like it enough.

    I'd have given it a 9 though - the first few hours or so are very boring indeed (l guess having an irritating small glowing thing that won't shut UP is another way it's like Zelda), and there are some bugs with the way the combat pointer brush has been implemented.

  • Carlo #2 4 years ago

    *blinks*

    10/10!

  • Penguinzoot #3 4 years ago

    This is the reason I held off getting Okami for the PS2. W00t1! ;-)

  • Charlie_Miso #4 4 years ago

    ok then. sold.

  • AcidSnake #5 4 years ago

    Great!...
    Was always tempted to buy this on PS2 but never got round to it...

  • asphaltcowboy #6 4 years ago

    Finally, something new to get for the Wii!

  • nickthegun #7 4 years ago

    If Wii owners overlook this as much as the PS2 lot did, you deserve all the cooking mamas you get.

  • Camorrista #8 4 years ago

    The very basics of Okami's design are similar to the Zelda series' - indeed, this is probably the only truly great game outside of that series that has ever managed to pull it off so well.

    Heresy! What about Beyond Good and Evil?

  • Spanky #9 4 years ago

    BG&E was shit that's why.

  • woodnotes #10 4 years ago

    The best third party game on the Wii.



    Is a PS2 port.

  • gingerlink #11 4 years ago

    wow a wii with a 10/10 game? this is like the third now...


    o wait, The PS3's had one, right?

  • Quint2020 #12 4 years ago

    This + Zelda + Mario Kart = Quint is buying a Wii

  • peterfll #13 4 years ago

    Whilst a proper 480p widescreen display on the Wii is better than how the original would have got displayed on the Euro PS2, I actually played Okami on my PS3 and the 1080p upscaling actually did a rather good job on it.

  • GitSomE_UK #14 4 years ago

    Obvious this was going to be a 10/10 it was a work of art on the PS2. Good to hear the Wii control is better definite buy for the Wii even though I have the PS2 version.

    /Looks for pre-order

  • bigbadbeasty #15 4 years ago

    "The best third party game on the Wii. Is a PS2 port"

    Well it is one of the few excellent games that the PS2 had, it did after all have the same probem as the Wii, having loadsa shit made for it.

  • Beano #16 4 years ago

    "Is a PS2 port. "

    True - I own the PS2 version (never completed it though) but will still buy and play this on my Wii also... just for the (slightly) improved graphics and wiimote controls :)

    One of the best games of 2007 IMO but was severely overlooked by many - hopefully the Wii version will do the game justice saleswise.

  • ParanoidZombie #17 4 years ago

    "A game worthy of a ten. Not GTA, not BioShock, not bloody Halo 3. Take note, other EG/gaming reviewers. "

    SHUT UP!!!!!

  • woodnotes #18 4 years ago

    "Nice, nice, nice.

    A game worthy of a ten. Not GTA, not BioShock, not bloody Halo 3. Take note, other EG/gaming reviewers."

    Oh shut up you pretentious knob. Go and bore yourself by watching some arty farty films and reading some arty farty books while I enjoy both the best of both worlds.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 11:31

  • Psiloc #19 4 years ago

    Great, another game to buy. I need moneys.

  • Eurolamer #20 4 years ago

    Well... EG handing out 10's like sweeties now eh?

  • UncleLou #21 4 years ago

    Okami is due out on Wii in Europe on 13th June.

    Meh. :-/

  • woodnotes #22 4 years ago

    "Even on the Wii, it'll likely still be overlooked.

    But screw it, the developers are already gone, just live in the knowledge that if you enjoy this game, then you're a much better gamer than 90% of the others out there."

    If you can complete Ninja Gaiden you're a much better gamer than 90% of the others out there.

    When is this out in Europe? Will be getting it day one (never played the PS2 version).

    EDIT: 13th June? OMG a MGS4 killer!
    Edited by 2 at 08/05/08 @ 11:34

  • Eighthours #23 4 years ago

    A reviewer friend of mine was tearing his hair out over this a week or two ago, saying that the controls were borked, and overall it isn't as good as the PS2 version.

  • Pac #24 4 years ago

    I am half way through the PS2 version and I am waiting for Sony to re-introduce BC to the PS3....


    ...might be along wait.

  • Kiigan #25 4 years ago

    I love the PS2 version of Okami, and enough of a fanboy to have bought the Japanese art book and soundtrack CDs.
    However I'm really gutted at what they've done with the Wii port - the ugly over-saturated colour palette, the rubbish controls, the ripped-out end sequence, the parchment effect, the fugly cutscenes, etc etc. If you think Okami is a 10/10, you're right and it is - the PS2 version that is.

  • Shrui #26 4 years ago

    Got the PS2 version playing on my PS3 recently and the upscaling is indeed gorgeous (as is the game)

    It definitely loses a point (maybe 2) though for the beginning and the little glowing thing going on and ON. It somehow fails to get mentioned in any reviews I've read of it though.

    Really wears down any enthusiasm you had.

  • Beano #27 4 years ago

    "I am half way through the PS2 version and I am waiting for Sony to re-introduce BC to the PS3.... "

    I assume you have the 40GB model?

    Don't expect PS2 BC to return to PS3 - sadly. Okami seems to run fine on the 60GB model though.

  • Beano #28 4 years ago

    "However I'm really gutted at what they've done with the Wii port - the ugly over-saturated colour palette, the rubbish controls, the ripped-out end sequence, the parchment effect, the fugly cutscenes, etc etc. If you think Okami is a 10/10, you're right and it is - the PS2 version that is. "

    Doesn't sound to good :(

  • NickD7 #29 4 years ago

    The first hour is enough to turn away most gamers, this game is not a 10/10. That first hour is dull, painful, almost a game breaker. How much fucking bizzare text must a gamer go through to get to the game.

  • NickD7 #30 4 years ago

    People saying the PS2 version is a 10/10 and the Wii version isn't are on crack. Wii version is better in every department.

  • chrisjm #31 4 years ago

    first year ever without a summer drought?

  • Razz #32 4 years ago

    I'm glad I didn't play the ugly PS2 version of this. I can enjoy this less ugly version. :)

  • groovychainsaw #33 4 years ago

    Probably the best game I played through on the Ps2 - I loved the way it always felt like it was going to end at the next boss, but then just led into another10 hour jaunt... great pacing

  • Pac #34 4 years ago

    @Beano

    Still haven't bought PS3 yet.

    I am waiting for Sony to bring out a new model with BC which is unlikely.

    Perhaps once MGS4 and a FF game are released I will take the plunge.

  • UncleLou #35 4 years ago

    first year ever without a summer drought?

    I thought the same thing. But once again, it's all published with in the same few days. I've Mass Effect PC and Age of Conan on preorder, and Okami and Grid will be out within the same few days as these two. Would it kill them to publish a game in April or early May?

  • gingerlink #36 4 years ago

    EG are normally the first to moan about wii controls normally..
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 12:05

  • bitesize #37 4 years ago

    first year ever without a summer drought?

    heh, yeah i've been waiting for the summer drought so i can get caught up on some 360 games (i only got one fairly recently so 2 yrs of games to catch up on)... still a ton of new stuff coming out all the time tho!

  • Kiigan #38 4 years ago

    If you have a PS3 that supports backwards compatability, the PS2 version of Okami upscaled looks bloody gorgeous.

    Look, I can appreciate that not everyone will detest the Wii controls equally - some people are more patient with that sort of thing than others. But if you're a fan of Okami you can at least recognise that having the end credit sequence ripped out and all the subtle colours of the original cranked up to maximum saturation is hardly ideal. I had high hopes for the Wii port - the Wii remote seems like an obvious match for the celestial brush powers, and the chance of seeing the game in glorious 480p is obviously an attractive prospect. If the Wii version is the only means you have of playing Okami, I recommend it. But if you have the ability to play the PS2 version, upscaled or not, that's much much better.

  • jglover4 #39 4 years ago

    "People saying the PS2 version is a 10/10 and the Wii version isn't are on crack. Wii version is better in every department."
    Not sure I agree, just because it seems like an ideal match, doesn't make it so.

  • AbyssUK #40 4 years ago

    Brilliant review for a brilliant game!

  • mikew1985 #41 4 years ago

    @ Spanky

    BG&E was a masterpiece! it was one of my favourite games of last gen.

    You can hardly call it "crap" even if you personally didn't like it.

  • Beano #42 4 years ago

    "I am waiting for Sony to bring out a new model with BC which is unlikely."

    My crystal ball is in the shop, but I really doubt you will see a new PS3 SKU with PS2 BC again. You will have more luck hunting down a used 60GB unit.

  • Tonka #43 4 years ago

    *gasp*
    O_o

  • JediMasterMalik #44 4 years ago

    Already have the PS2 version,as should every PS2 owner, but that sadly isn't the case. It's a definite 10 on the PS2. A wonderful game.

  • sanctusmortis #45 4 years ago

    It was a purchase, now it's a preorder.

    You guys don't often sound so enamoured with games, and this has certainly warmed a heart.

  • Pac #46 4 years ago

    @Beano

    I agree.

    But given the reliability of current hardware I am a little wary of buying a machine without a warranty.

    (my 360 has broken down twice and my Wii only reads the disk after around 3 attempts)

    Does anyone else have the same problem with the Wii - it is most annoying!

  • Beano #47 4 years ago

    "But given the reliability of current hardware I am a little wary of buying a machine without a warranty."

    PS3 hardware is known to be very reliable compared to the 360. But of course buying any hardware without warrenty, is a risk... just a much lower risk when it's a PS3 :)

  • MadMirko #48 4 years ago

    FWIW, I played the PS2 version back in the day and the Wii version since US release. Celestial Brush is indeed much much better now, because you can draw a lot faster and so don't have to spend as much time on the canvas screen. Especially on an LCD you get significantly improved graphics, the rest is as I remember it.

    It's a good game, go buy!

  • Stu #49 4 years ago

    Zelda delights and irritates me in equal measure. Don't think I'll get this if it's the same, I've not finished Zelda yet.

  • JYM60 #50 4 years ago

    I thought this had 'Dave McCarthy 7' writen all over it.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #51 4 years ago

    "yeah, this is a nine at best. 10 should be reserved for something 'everyone must buy', which is definitely not the case with Okami."

    No it shouldn't. It should be a game that excels whether thats in a niche or to the widest possible audience.

  • absolutezero #52 4 years ago

    They took out the end credits entirely
    Took out filters (IIRC)
    and wagglin controls aren't good

    Im happy with my upscaled full PS2 version kthnx.

  • MBar #53 4 years ago

    l guess having an irritating small glowing thing that won't shut UP is another way it's like Zelda

    What?!

    That's almost a no sale right there. I play GameCube Twilight Princess basically because of this.

  • PazJohnMitch #54 4 years ago

    I already own the PS2 version but I never got very far as every time I played it I was hoping it would be ported to the Wii as I wanted to use the pointer. I am glad my wish actually came true.

  • andywilkie35 #55 4 years ago

    i own this on the PS2 but will definitely be getting this on the Wii also, a remarkable game

  • Bearintraining #56 4 years ago

    This review makes me cry - it's so true.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #57 4 years ago

    @ frod

    PMAMW: read the review policy. That's what it says.

    Actually this is what is says:

    A score of ten reflects a game that, within the reviewer's estimation, is something you must buy: this is the message we're trying to convey. On a basic level it's almost certainly the best quality game ever seen within the context of its genre, and that's why Eurogamer doesn't dish them out very often. A score of 10 usually applies to less than a trio of games in any given year.

    But all 10s are not born equal. For starters, you might consider that a ten in the RPG genre still isn't as appealing as an FPS that we scored an eight, or be mystified how we could score a football management game a nine when we only gave that survival-horror game you loved an eight. The best rule is to simply rate like with like, and use your own personal taste barometer to gauge whether the genre is of interest to you. Even so, if you're new to a particular genre then something scoring a ten is a very safe bet indeed. As a starting point, the message is you can't get a better game of this type.

    Let us make absolutely clear that a 10 is not and probably never will be "the perfect game". There's always something criticisable about a game, however small.

    A 10 will inspire the reviewer because it gets so many things correct. It will be something truly groundbreaking and aesthetically successful, be consistently enjoyable, get the balance right in difficulty terms, be technically very impressive, and be polished to a shine. It will leave the player in no doubt that they're playing something special right from the word go and will continue to inspire and amaze throughout. As we've said, this doesn't mean it's perfect, and we'll be sure to say where it goes wrong too, but maybe those niggles are just so minor that you can let it off. Look at anything under a microscope for long enough and you'll see the flaws. But would you kick a supermodel out of bed for farting?

    Yes the reviewer thinks everyone should buy this game BUT it doesn't mean it's a perfect game or will appeal to everyone.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 13:17

  • LeD #58 4 years ago

    Great stuff! I'll pick this up as soon as I got GTA IV out of the way. Great time to be a gamer.

  • Benno #59 4 years ago

    As good as GTA IV then?

  • groovychainsaw #60 4 years ago

    Personally, i found Issun to be quite amusing, i saw him more as a piss-take of annoying squeaky 'helpers'. Plus he drinks and trys it on with every female character you meet, how could you dislike that ;-)

  • JediMasterMalik #61 4 years ago

    Same, he was great.

  • absolutezero #62 4 years ago

    No Benno its far far better than GTA4.

  • spookyzombie #63 4 years ago

    Not sure how well this'll sell with the average Wii owner seeing as it isn't based on a cartoon/TV programme and doesn't have the words 'brain', 'sports'' or 'Mario' in the title. A must purchase for me though. I've been avoiding the PS2 version in wait for this.

  • JediMasterMalik #64 4 years ago

    Wow, and farticus accuses others of being fanboys. Amazing.

  • Ryze #65 4 years ago

    WONDERFUL.

    Another reason to buy a Wii.

    Re-releases of certain AAA games that don't get enough attention should happen more often.

  • ianegg #66 4 years ago

    On a large telly, the PS2 version's colours all ran together a bit - on the Wii, things are that bit sharper and more impressive, and it still retains all the charm of the ink-on-paper watercolour style that makes it so striking.

    Umm, it looks nothing like ink on paper anymore. It looks like permanent marker on plastic. Colours running together is something I'd associate with watercolor. Also, instead of subtle streaking effects, we have a crazy blur that takes a good while to get used to and is akin to trying to focus on a text message after night of heavy drinking.

    In short this looks more like glossy toy boxart than a beatuiful sumie.

    Could it be they've improved the controls for the EU version? From start to finish I often found myself having to repeatedly enter identical perfect circles that the game just refused to accept. I also could not get the timing for combat controls at all, though other people have said that it's not completely borked.

    480p and wiimote celestial brush don't make up for the overall buthchery, so I don't think it deseves the same score as the PS2 version. Regardless of the shoddy porting, it's still a fantastic game though.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #67 4 years ago

    frod: What's your problem with it? It's certainly, by all accounts, one of the best games of the genre. And the guidelines state that: "The best rule is to simply rate like with like, and use your own personal taste barometer to gauge whether the genre is of interest to you."

    So why shouldn't it be a 10? I really don't understand what you are trying to say. Universality isn't mentioned anywhere in EGs review policy, please point me to it if I'm wrong.

  • Golgo #68 4 years ago

    Is the latter third still comprised of padding/recycling that the game could have lived without?
    Amputating that would be the best improvement, never mind the WiiWand.

  • FaceOmeter #69 4 years ago

    "As good as GTA IV then?"

    Jesus Christ

  • septimus #70 4 years ago

    10? The PS2 version maybe. Played an import of the Wii version, the painting and fighting during battles is a pain in the ass. It's pretty much instant to get used to on the PS2 version, this could take hours to become as easy.

    Still love Okami, and will never let my PS2 version go.

    -edit- Okami PS2 upscaled to 1080 looks better than anything the Wii can manage.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 15:20

  • JonFE #71 4 years ago

    @Spanky:
    The only "shit" thing about BG&E is the lack of its planned sequels... Come on Ubi/Ancel, stop breeding rabbids (they don't need help for that anyway) and announce something already :|

    Back to Okami, I've pre-ordered it on the strength of EG's "hype" (both this and PS2 reviews plus the general consensus in the comments/forum), so I hope you guys are right :)

  • wizbob #72 4 years ago

    I found the painting controls on the PS2 awful. Does anyone know what cutscenes are missing from the Wii version? It wouldn't bother me much if it was just the developer's credits (although they might disagree).

  • ianegg #73 4 years ago

    Just the end credits missing afaik. The rest of the cutscenes are just lifted straight from the PS2 version and look fugly scaled and cropped to fit widescreen 480p.

  • smelly #74 4 years ago

    Okaaaaayeee..

    Ignoring the sony fanboys (that's a new one in a wii thread.. it's normally 360 owners!) going on about minor graphical differences.


    .. If people are convinced to buy this game after this review (and i REALLY recommend you do). Dont do like i almost did, and get bored of it after the initial (VERY BORING) first hour or 2 of play!

    I'd almost given in with it, gave up, never to play again.. But one afternoon i got VERY bored so decided to have another go on it.. And it got REALLY REALLY good!

    I went from being too bored with it to even put it in the drive, to rushing home every night so i could play for another hour or two...

    Yes the graphics arent THAT up to scratch, yes the cutscenes are cropped, yes the visuals COULD look better, but if you're worrying about those sort of things then you're REALLY missing the point! In fact if you're worrying about those kinds of things instead of having FUN while playing your games, then i suggest you go load up myst and wank over it's graphics.. The rest of us will be enjoying a great gaming experience..

  • absolutezero #75 4 years ago

    All normal type and then CAPITOLS, do you see now? Do you SEE?

  • Ryze #76 4 years ago

    @wizbob

    I guess it possibly comes down to how dexterous one is with the right analogue stick.

    I think I'd prefer the Wii controls, as long as they're implemented well...

  • andromeda #77 4 years ago

    not even 10/10 would make me buy a wii

  • Hypocee #78 4 years ago

    One VERY IMPORTANT NOTE that's not covered in the review or previous comments:

    Okami uses the text and wibby-wibby faux speech approach to cutscenes and explanations. Okami's particular gibberish-speech implementation is more annoying than words can possibly convey; virtually all my time with PS2 Okami was spent with the sound entirely muted, as neither I nor anyone else in the room could tolerate it at any volume. To compound this error, most of the cutscenes - including the five-minute intro - are completely unskippable. In the same vein, during gameplay explanations you either need this crazy, laggy double-tap rhythm to 'fast forward' the hundreds of 'pages' of text past Functional Illiterate Speed, or you're arbitrarily not allowed to fast forward at all. Text explanations are also universally unskippable. Mashing your way through three lines of text at once, to learn such intricacies as drawing a circle over a target, is an omnipresent, teeth-gnashing interruption throughout the portion I played (just after the Spider Queen, probably something like 10-15 hours). It's truly a testament to the visceral charm of the actual game that I didn't quit after five minutes of its cutscenes.

    In the Wii version, cutscenes and explanations are skippable. Praise be to Ready at Dawn. For this reason alone, I cannot imagine buying the PS2 version over the Wii.

  • ianegg #79 4 years ago

    I actually liked the gibberish voices, gives all the characters a little extra character.

    smelly you're mostly right, but when I buy an updated version of a game I consider near perfect, on a console that should be a match made in heaven, I expect a perfect game, not one with all new rough edges and added missing bits.

    The game is fantastic but for me they've detracted more than they added. If you've never played the PS2 version, then you obviously won't notice the differences.

  • dryden555 #80 4 years ago

    2 really annoying things about Okami:

    1. that god awful ting-ting-ting sound when anything talks to you. Please allow an option to turn it off. Please.

    2. The brush stroke interface is 100% innovative and deserves lots of praise but the rest of the game is "zelda in 3D." Cute, easy gameplay and a bit childish in tone.

    Dont say I didnt warn you before you bought this 10 rated game . . . . .
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 18:13

  • Feanor #81 4 years ago

    "Okami's ideas would have worked far better on the Wii, but that's never going to happen, now, is it?"

    Every other review, podcast and forum post I've seen says that the controls are more fiddly on the Wii, and the game is harder as a result.

  • VMerken #82 4 years ago

    Now buy it, you b*****ds! =)

  • smelly #83 4 years ago

    "If you've never played the PS2 version, then you obviously won't notice the differences."

    TBH - i havent.

    But if i had.. then i cant see why i'd want to play it again on another machine?

    But for all those who dont own a ps2 and own a wii.. i dont see why you WOULDNT get it? It was the best game i've played all year (until gta 4 came along.. which is getting all my attention at the moment)

  • smelly #84 4 years ago

    * But yes i understand about the annoying text reading..

    but i forgive that as it has a fairy with her arse on display.

  • Hypocee #85 4 years ago

    Re: the less precise waggle controls making fights harder.

    True, but not as big a deal as it might seem. Through the portion I played, I usually had an overabundance of ways to deal with enemies. Juggle, smash, slice, explode, reflect, shoot, and arrange were all verbs which could carry me to victory. It's been a while, but I don't think I died in more than two or three normal encounters over my entire playtime; fighting's very very easy, more of a minigame. Throw out half the moves because they feel awkward, and you still have plenty of ways to win. Please make no mistake - I'm not claiming for a second that it's good those controls are broken - but the player's so powerful and spoiled for choice anyway that it's not that important. The game's not about hard fights, it's aboutroaming around kicking demon arse, solving environmental puzzles, and making the whole world burst joyously into life.

  • smelly #86 4 years ago

    So.. hang on..

    We now have THREE decent 3rd party games on the wii.. zack and wiki, no more heroes and okami..

    WOW!

    That's not good! What are 3rd parties playing at? Why is it only nintendo making good games?

  • Dizzy #87 4 years ago

    Wow... sold!

  • dk_rare #88 4 years ago

    Heh, Xbox 360 and PS3 finally get a must have 10/10 game, and then Wii comes along with another one ^_^ Must be a good year for gaming.

  • BartonFink #89 4 years ago

    Wow 10/10 for a Wii game on Eurogamer!!! (of only two afaik)

    Didn't pick this up on PS2 so this is a definite must buy for me.

  • J.C #90 4 years ago

    As some others have mentioned, the original PS2 game had a paper filter feature, that made Okami stand out. its my understanding that this "filter" was not implemented in the wii port. seeing as the game was originally intended to look like a moving japanese parchment painting come to life, i find it incredible, that EG has awarded it a 10.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 23:02

  • GingerNathan #91 4 years ago

    " its my understanding that this "filter" was not implemented in the wii port."

    Your understanding is wrong, the paper filter is implemented in the Wii version, just toned down. I guess Ready at Dawn thought the more vibrant colours would help the game sell more then the four copies the PS2 managed, whether you think that's a good or bad thing depends on your aesthetic preference. Personally I think it's something that you'll notice straight away when you first turn the game on and then forget about as you're playing.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #92 4 years ago

    J.C - it's there, it's not as pronounced.

  • smelly #93 4 years ago

    @J.C.

    "As some others have mentioned, the original PS2 game had a paper filter feature, that made Okami stand out. its my understanding that this "filter" was not implemented in the wii port. seeing as the game was originally intended to look like a moving japanese parchment painting come to life, i find it incredible, that EG has awarded it a 10."



    So basically you're saying that just because an effect has toned down graphically (which may even be for the "better";) then that's the WHOLE GAME completely ruined and not worth playing and not worth a top score?

    come on..

  • MrDurandPierre #94 4 years ago

    Okami on the PS2 is quite possibly my favourite game of all-time, but I have some concerns with the Wii version. Keza obviously loves it, but from everywhere else I hear it's a bit of a mixed bag. The widescreen and 480p support are obviously good things, but toning down the paper filter bothers me quite a bit. It's still absolutely gorgeous, and if you've never played the PS2 version you likely won't notice or care much, but I'm afraid that to me it looks a bit like when George Lucas renovated the original Star Wars trilogy with new effects. It looks all nice and shiny and new, but robs the game a bit of it's more ancient somber tone.

    The controls sound like a mixed bag as well. The paintbrush controls sound better than ever, but they've also broken controls that weren't broken before. I'd rather have something consistent than having any broken controls in an otherwise perfect (or as close as they come) game.

    And what's this I hear about them taking out the post-credits cutscene? That scene was magnificent and really raised the narrative to another level. Has it been confirmed that this has been removed?

    I guess what I'm saying is that I too was really looking forward to the definitive version of this wonderful game, and clearly Keza believes this to be it, but I've heard too much elsewhere that makes me doubt that's the case. Has anyone played the full game on the PS2 and then played the Wii version and still liked the Wii version better?

  • Hypocee #95 4 years ago

    Confirmed that the end movie is removed - it caught a lot of flak prerelease and pretty rightly so. The reason: Petty legal bullshit. The ending was a video file and contained the Clover logo, apparently. The 'creation' of this particular game technically didn't involve Clover, which no longer exists but maintains trademark blah Ready at Dawn doesn't own the Cover brand rights blah blah Capcom blah licensing blah port contract blah blah blah. Obviously nobody cares but some chain-smoking subterranean lawyer, but nevertheless Ready at Dawn couldn't include the video file. As a strictly porting team for a dissolved developer, it's equally obvious that they don't have access to the artists or assets to regenerate the video file without the logo, so in the end they cut the epilogue - and with it, all the developer credits. You can see why it happened if you squint, but ugh.

    I own both versions, but only got past the Spider Queen on PS2 before something shiny flew by and haven't had time to play much of the Wii version yet. Is that enough PS2? How much do I have to have played on the Wii? What do you want to know about?

    Instead of 'definitive' I would use the word 'improved'. This is most definitely not the definitive version of the game, but then that will never exist.

  • MrDurandPierre #96 4 years ago

    I guess by "definitive" I meant the best of both worlds. With this version it seems that the graphics are widescreen and 480p, which is a positive, but they toned down the paper filter effect, which is a negative, so it sort of evens out and it just a preference thing there. Now, if they kept the filter, but made it optional (ala Mass Effect) that would be definitive.

    The controls seem to be in the same boat. A better paintbrush, but worse combat controls. Another mixed bag.

    I'm leaning towards not buying the Wii version. I was hoping that maybe I'd change my mind about the graphics and maybe appreciate the Wii graphics better, but the more I see of them the more I notice the difference. Like I said before, if I hadn't played the PS2 version I wouldn't mind, but since I have, it just doesn't match up with those wonderful memories I have of first playing the game. It's likely just nostalgia though. Others may prefer the Wii colors and that's fine.

    But removing the epilogue really does blow, even if it's not Ready at Dawn's fault exactly. The epilogue added so heavily to the game that it's not even funny. Luckily, we live in the age of youtube, so others will be able to see it anyway, but it is a huge shame it was removed.

    I guess what I'm getting at is that the Wii could have provided the ultimate version of Okami, but instead it's probably just an equal at best port. Still an amazing game that deserves a wider audience, but a missed opportunity conversion-wise.

  • Transcendent #97 4 years ago

    The PS2 version was one of the best games ever. If some of the other games on this site gets a 10, this game should get it too if it's even close to as good as the PS2 version.

  • Grayvern #98 4 years ago

    The waggling controls may well put me off, the games what 60 hours long and yes combat doesn't feature significantly but when I played it first time i demolished it in 4 mammoth play sessions, Ive just not got the patience for rsi.

    But to be honest its mainly the indignity of not being able to change the control scheme.

    Also the toned down filter might be a good thing the game was always a bit too sombre it could get depressing after a while

    Also I never had a problem using the brush in combat, the slashes I could do in literally 1 second, making the movement almost before the screen went papery. And the cherry bombs etc took longer but it didn't matter because you had to take time over placement anyway. Also might having to depress the D trigger make it harder on some gamers.

    Also anyone know what the divine bead attacks are like on the wii cause you had to keep tapping x on the ps2. Also how is dashing handled.

  • JackyB #99 4 years ago

    off topic, but can anyone tell me if a US sensor bar will work with My UK Wii? My cat chewed through mine, and I'll be damned if i can find an official one in the UK. Nintendo seem to want me to stay on hold on their hotline whilst they fleece me!

  • FaceOmeter #100 4 years ago

    jacky b - the wiimote will take a reading from any LEDs you care to throw above your TV. it's not actually a "sensor bar" at all - the sensors are all in the controller itself, the bar is just a reference point for it. I've had mine working with three candles above the telly before now (although I don't recommend that one for prolonged sessions lol)

  • JackyB #101 4 years ago

    cheers Face0meter, i did know about the candle thing. I am thinking a couple of LED lights will do the trick then!

  • Keza #102 4 years ago

    I feel compelled to add that the paper filter is very much still there. I've not played Okami upscaled on the PS3, so I can't fairly comment on how that looks, but PS2 Okami on anything larger than a twenty inch LCD TV gives me a headache. The blurry filter coupled with the blurry, stretched-widescreen image made it look a bit of a mess.

    When I was reviewing the Wii version, I made sure to play the PS2 version again for comparison on the same television, and I don't know how anybody could say that it looks better. The Wii version looks brighter and crisper, and loses nothing of the parchment effect, in my opinion.

    I don't think that the Wii version is significantly better than the PS2 version. I think it is marginally better. I don't think that slightly borked (NOT broken) combat and a missing cutscene warrant taking a mark off this game when the brush controls improve the pace of the game so significantly, and the upgraded looks make it so much better-looking (in my estimation) as to considerably improve the experience of playing it.

  • spekkeh #103 4 years ago

    So Okami is releasing one of their best games ever dead smack in the middle of the Euro 2008 finals? The second or third most watched sport event (especially in Europe) of the world? What kind of morons are they?

  • smelly #104 4 years ago

    "I guess by "definitive" I meant the best of both worlds. With this version it seems that the graphics are widescreen and 480p, which is a positive, but they toned down the paper filter effect, which is a negative,"


    Not everyone is saying the toned down filter effect is a negative..

    And as keza says.. it's still there... And the game does look better on the wii.


    Edited by 1 at 09/05/08 @ 16:33

  • MrDurandPierre #105 4 years ago

    The only comparison video I've seen is the one on gametrailers.com where the two versions look noticeably different. The colors on the Wii version look much brighter, crisper, and all around glossier in a way that looks more like a modern day comic book rather than a painting on parchment. Some may like this look better, but it goes against the idea of the whole world being on paper. I also happen to think the PS2 version looks better with its blurrier colors (and you do realize that you don't have to stretch the image on a widescreen TV, but can play in 4:3 with black bars on the sides).

    HOWEVER, I've only seen the gametrailers clip, and I'm not sure if those were on the same TV, what kind of cables they used, or even if they used the final version of the Wii build or what, so maybe on widescreen HDTVs the Wii version would look better. I'm sure it's still a 10/10 game either way, but have other people noticed the game looking at all better or different than the gametrailers comparison?
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/08 @ 05:02

  • ianegg #106 4 years ago

    Also anyone know what the divine bead attacks are like on the wii cause you had to keep tapping x on the ps2. Also how is dashing handled.

    The bead weapons were the only ones I could get the knack of on the Wii version. You just keep shaking the wiimote until the enemies are dead. Dashing is done with a flick of the wiimote outside of combat.

    As for the paper filter, it's there but barely noticeable to me. Only when there were large areas of a single light colour or gradient on screen. I think if it was more pronounced it would be 'sharper' than the PS2 version, as in a smaller grained paper, so would look better on large tellies. I read on some forums that if you turn the saturation down on the TV then the paper effect stands out more (as well as the colours being less in your face), but since I'm playing it with a VGA box I couldn't try that for myself.

  • sirtacos #107 4 years ago

    I'd buy it if I had a Wii. Alas, I don't.

  • MrDurandPierre #108 4 years ago

    I just watched IGN's video review of the Wii version and I have to say that I was somewhat wrong about the Wii version looking worse. They look a tad different to be sure, and certain areas do indeed look worse on the Wii version (notably the grassy nightime area you start out at that is featured prominantly in the gametrailers comparison vid), but other environments look better in the Wii version. The green area where you first get the flower/hookshot ability and some of the bluer areas look stunning on the Wii version. At this point I wouldn't say one is better looking than the other, but rather different but equal.

    The controls sound like they could be better overall as well, depending on who you listen to. I can't say as I have yet to try it.

    But taking out the final sequence is pretty inexcusable. I mean sure it's "just one cutscene," but it's quite possibly the most important cutscene in the entire game and contains a huge plot revelation. Sure, you could still youtube it, but not including what is essentially the ending to such a gripping yarn does indeed taint the product a great deal. Still worth checking out if you don't have a PS2 though.

  • DoKtoR #109 4 years ago

    Excellent review. Definitely straw that will break the camels back (as to me buying a Wii). My only hope is that more brilliant niche games will be there to fill the void that is left after finishing this.

  • smelly #110 4 years ago

    "But taking out the final sequence is pretty inexcusable. I mean sure it's "just one cutscene," but it's quite possibly the most important cutscene in the entire game and contains a huge plot revelation. Sure,"



    Where on hell did you get that from?

    The ONLY thing which is missing is that they've cut the credits out from the end of the game...

    (unless i've missed something here?)

  • Hypocee #111 4 years ago

    Let's be clear - we're talking about the video part after you see a picture of Fuji(?) and Amaterasu starts strutting to the left. I'd be pretty surprised if the in-engine part was gone. I called the video the 'epilogue' because I consider the Issun thing part of the story proper, and there are those short 'reminiscing' clips mixed in. Is your big reveal the Issun thing, or the last few seconds of the video where it pulls out into the room? If the former, we may be talking much ado about nothing. If the latter, it seems like just a reinforcement to me.

  • MrDurandPierre #112 4 years ago

    The reveal as to who the narrator is is a pretty huge plot point if you ask me.

  • SharksInYourMouth #113 4 years ago

    This is a lovely game.
    The PS2 version was certainly not ugly though.

  • SharksInYourMouth #114 4 years ago

    Btw
    Totally worthy of the 10.
    Better than BG&E for sure ( just thought I'd say that because someone mentioned it on an earlier page.)

  • Hypocee #115 3 years ago

    OK, nobody's ever going to read this but just for the record -

    I'm now playing through the Wii version and have finished the same span as I did in PS2, up to the bridge after the Spider Queen. This is still a revelatory game, but yes - I've played both versions extensively and the Wii combat controls are completely jacked. It's a mashing combat system where you can't mash. Most Wii waggle controls like nice sharp spikes, enabling more "twitch" than "wave" - not here. If you do anything too violent, your combat input is just completely shut down for three or four seconds while something recovers behind the scenes - no combos allowed unless you're swinging with the dispassionate skill of a surgeon. It can be mostly worked around by moving gently, and it helps if you go in alternating directions as opposed to repeatedly to one side, but it's still infuriating.

    The dodge/Fleet Foot ability is also rendered worthless by relying on the Nunchuk accelerometer. I've experimented with various amplitudes, speeds, tilts, etc. and never once got the direction to bear any relation whatsoever to the direction I shook the hardware. More often than not, it chooses to go forward - a direction you very rarely want to dodge. All of this waggle and shake behaviour has been observed on two sets of Wiimote and nunchuk that behave well in other games. I'm sure Ready at Dawn was working under some encumbrance, but this is definitely a matter of poorly chosen or terribly miscalibrated algorithms. Interestingly, the same waggle input for charging in the overworld is responsive and reliable no matter what speed you shake it.

    Now, gentle hypothetical reader, please do not be too put off the game. The combat is mostly ruined; the game is not. Even at this early point in the game, actually hitting baddies with your weapons has been rendered optional - there's enough ink to just drop bombs on everyone if you so choose. Also it's all easy enough that even wading in with broken controls won't kill you. The environmental challenges and boss fights quickly become the heart of the game, and painting your spells on the screen in combat and overworld is still inimitably liberating.