Okami Appreciate

[GaijinPunch]

Can't believe this doesn't have it's own thread. This game, is beautiful. First week sales weren't the greatest, which only affirms how good the game is (if that makes any sense).

Anyways, I've whipped up a review and a compliation of information I gathered from some recent articles and interviews. There's some interesting goodies in there.

Check it out (http://www.gamengai.com/bn_inf.php?type=article&id=1435). And go buy this damn game if you haven't yet.

[DonMarco]

There was a demo included in the OPM a few months ago, I think. Even though I had trouble drawing anything with an analog stick I preordered a copy.

[youruglyclone]

There was a demo included in the OPM a few months ago, I think. Even though I had trouble drawing anything with an analog stick I preordered a copy.

glad to know I wasn't the only one with that problem
...damn constellation.

[GaijinPunch]

You won't regret it, although I believe the US release isn't until the fall, right? Great game. You just suck if you don't like this game. :)

[slip81]

Well the game is out today. Anyone pick it up? Gamespot gave it a 9.0, which is higher than I expected since I though this was just gonna be another game with unique visuals and nothing else.

The video review makes it look really cool, I have it in my Q to rent, maybe I'll pick it up for my birthday.

[Trebuken]

Going to get this tomorrow. Play magazine gave it a 10 out of 10. Hinted that this might be better than the ore anticipated Twilight Princess, or at least makes the waiting much easier.

Later,
Trebuken

[DonMarco]

There was a demo included in the OPM a few months ago, I think. Even though I had trouble drawing anything with an analog stick I preordered a copy.

glad to know I wasn't the only one with that problem
...damn constellation.
So as it turns out, all I had to do was put a dot down where the stupid constellation begins. I was tracing the whole thing out.

I picked up this game earlier. So far, about 2 hours in to it, I'm seeing many things I like, and a few things from Wind Waker I don't. But so far, I've played 4 times as much Okami as Wind Waker, so it must be doing somethign right, I guess.

Wind Waker sucked.

[heybtbm]

Wind Waker sucked.

I don't think playing Wind Waker for a 1/2 hour qualifies you to even have an opinion.

That being said, Okami is amazing so far. It's definitely a nominee for current-gen game of the year. I'm constantly surprised that I'm playing a PS2 game. Still, I wonder why this didn't come out on the Gamecube? I guess Capcom has been too kind to Nintendo...they have to throw Sony a few bones now and then.

[raregamergirl]

Okami is AMAZING! Love it, my early pick for 128 bit game of the year (castlevania MIGHT beat it, will have to play it first). Pick up this game if you get the chance. I dont play a whole lot of new release games but I am very pleased I picked this up.

[2Dskillz]

Waiting on my preorder to arrive in the mail. I have played the new demo in OPM and was mesmerized by the beauty. Artistic games such as this and Shadow of the Colossus remind me that the DS is not the only modern system worth playing.




Side Note:
Wind Waker was the best 3d Zelda I have played.

[sabre2922]

I have the Demo on an OPM disk and was AMAZED at this game, hell I played the Demo 3 times in a row.

OKAMI= ZELDA for PS2 8-) but still different enough to be trully innovative and ummm whats the word we used to use for a few select video games waaay back in the day...oh YEA ORIGINAL yea thats the ticket!

[DonMarco]

Wind Waker sucked.
I don't think playing Wind Waker for a 1/2 hour qualifies you to even have an opinion.
How many hours or what percentage of a game should be required? Or let's say the game has 50-something island/levels. How many levels should I be required to play through to form an opinion? Did you ever think I was comparing WW to the first 30 minutes of every other Zelda game made?

I haven't been kicked in the balls to death yet, but once or twice is enough for me to tell you that's not the way I want to go.

[FantasiaWHT]

Still, I wonder why this didn't come out on the Gamecube?

Forget Gamecube, why isn't this on the DS? Is it just TOO obvious to use a stylus as a tail-brush? hehe

[slip81]

anyone know if it supports 480p? From what I've seen it looks like this game would be even cooler in HD.

[heybtbm]

How many hours or what percentage of a game should be required?

If you get past Dragon Roost Cavern (the first dungeon) and still hate Wind Waker...then at least you've given it a try. All Zelda games start slow. They get more fun as you progress and get better weapons, abilities, etc. Personally, I don't understand how someone could like Okami and not like Wind Waker. They're so similar in game play, that one could be the sequel to the other (this is good thing).

There are so many games out there that truly do suck. Saying an A-list game like Wind Waker sucks after only playing for a half hour is asinine...plain and simple.


anyone know if it supports 480p? From what I've seen it looks like this game would be even cooler in HD.

No progressive scan and no widescreen support. They do have a LCD TV option which brightens up the screen a bit.

[SEGA-SAMMY]

I just finished Yakuza so it looks like i'll move on to this now if my local game shop has it in stock.

[Spartacus]

anyone know if it supports 480p? From what I've seen it looks like this game would be even cooler in HD.

It doesn't say progessive scan on the back of the case. I was suprised when my local EB told me they only received two copies. I bought the last one they had available. They were selling the Okami guide for $15.99 minus 20% if you bought it with the game.

[kainemaxwell]

Was reading a review of this earlier, reminds me a bit of the Soul Blazer trilogy.

[DonMarco]

How many hours or what percentage of a game should be required?

If you get past Dragon Roost Cavern (the first dungeon) and still hate Wind Waker...then at least you've given it a try. All Zelda games start slow. They get more fun as you progress and get better weapons, abilities, etc. Personally, I don't understand how someone could like Okami and not like Wind Waker. They're so similar in game play, that one could be the sequel to the other (this is good thing).

There are so many games out there that truly do suck. Saying an A-list game like Wind Waker sucks after only playing for a half hour is asinine...plain and simple.
All Zelda games don't start out slow. They've become slower and slower. From Zelda 1 and 2 to Link's Awakening to Link to the Past to the Oracle games to the N64 monsters to Wind Waker/Four Swords. And it's not the speed at which WW started that threw me off it, but the tone and CLEAR sign that WW would be a game that I didn't like. Excuse the thousands upon thousands of hours of video games I've played across all genres and systems. Forgive me for not getting to this part or that part in the story and playing past that.

Seriously, Okami is slow as hell in the beginning (18 minutes before the first save point), but fun and interesting. I wasn't exactly "puzzled" or "challenged" and I'm pretty deep in to the main quest now. Okami has a subtle sense of humor and depth, not only visually but in the story. The enemies are few enough to keep me awake but not enough to slow me down. Pre-rendered cutscenes mixed in so perfectly. The heavy use of 2D objects in a 3D world. Plus, the actual gameplay is engaging and fresh.

I'm sure you enjoyed WW a whole lot, man. Great for you. To answer my own question, I feel it's safe enough to form an opinion of a game after 30 seconds (minus load times, right GTA?). You put your best foot forward, no matter the medium. Books, movies, music albums, whatever. If the first 30 seconds of a game is part of a twelve-minute flashback cutscene of battle that took place 100 years ago, well, it better be a damn good cutscene. I'm not demanding instant gratification or proclaiming the benefits of a short attention span.

I'm just saying I played WW for 30 minutes. The game sucked. I saw where it was heading and I got off that train. All the awards, praise, Player's Choice releases and arguements in the world don't mean a thing to me, man. I'll give it another chance 5-10 years down the road, like I did with Final Fantasy VIII and Ocarina of Time. If I'm not in the mood of playing something better, that is.

Who knows?

[klausien]

Don't kill this thread will a flame war over a person's opinion of Wind Waker. We really need to ram home the point here that PEOPLE NEED TO GO OUT AND BUY OKAMI. If you get to the sailing in WW, you can form a pretty solid opinion of the game. The dungeons and landmasses are pure Zelda, and the graphics are great all around, but WW is possibly the worst game in the series because said sailing that makes up the bulk of the game is incredibly tedious and not very engaging after the first hour or so. It's shameful that, several years after its release, I still haven't managed to finish it because it just feels like work. Enough on that though.

I was totally stunned by Okami. Having only seen screens in magazines and online, I was ill-prepared for what awaited me upon actually getting the game in my hands. If it fails to catch on, Okami will be the quintessential sleeper for the PS2. People need to play this game.

Truth be told, Okami is the first game since Ocarina of Time to take me to that special place where even tedium becomes enjoyable. The Zelda comparison is a good one, though there is enough originality for this game to transcend the label. This is not a Zelda clone, but rather an entirely new game that happens to occupy the same genre. It is about time that a game broke through in this genre in this way.

The graphics are beyond description. Wholly and truly breathtaking, Okami serves my personal opinion that Next Gen is being forced upon us too soon. "Cel-shading" doesn't even begin to describe the visuals. Usually I could care less for graphics, but Okami is mind-blowing. It is truly one of the most beautiful games ever created and absolutely will be 10 years from now as well.

The funny thing about all of this is that it would have made a truly perfect Wii game. We might even see that happen down the line here, if not in a port, then in a sequel. The drawing mechanic is tailor made for the Wiimote. Regardless, the Dual Shock 2 does an admirable job.

I might eat my words in 2 months, but this game just might be the best choice for Game of the Year 2006. Twilight Princess on the Wii be damned. Wiimote or not, the Zelda game is a sequel. Okami is a masterpiece.

[prismra]

Okami is great! It is pure magic to play. There are so many little touches that make it great. You can use the brush in many creative ways and they all affect the gameworld. Some are plain for fun and other will net you treasures and such. The brush is not a gimmick.

It is VERY Japanese which is a huge plus for me. I love Japanese language and culture.

It is trippy. Trippy as hell. Stoners will love this game (or at least wathching it while eating chilli-cheese frito burritos.)

[sirhansirhan]

I bought this game the day it came out, but it took until tonight to play it, due to waiting for the strategy guide to come from Amazon and just generally being busy. I played the demo back in, what, February? March? and although I thought it looked great and was a definite must-buy, I had reservations, as I pretty much never like 3-D platformers.

That said, this game is an absolute knockout. I've only played it for 90 +/- minutes so far, but I'll go out on a limb and say that I think that it is the best-looking console game...ever. Seriously. And the gameplay is much more suited to my tastes than I expected, too. If it keeps up the pace it's on, it'll be a serious contender for Game of the Year.

Side note: It sucks that no good new games came out pretty much the entire summer, but the last few weeks have seen Okami, Disgaea 2 (which has been monopolizing almost all of my gaming time), Cooking Mama, and Rule of Rose (which is nowhere near as bad as its reviews would lead you to believe). And more good games keep coming out in the next few weeks (I'm going to wait on Valkyrie Profile 2 and Spectral Souls this week, because even though I want them, I know I won't get around to playing them right away). In fact, there's at least one game coming out per week that I intend to buy between now and mid-November, if not longer. Prior to Disgaea 2, the last game I bought the day it came out was New Super Mario Brothers back in May. Stupid game industry; I wish they'd space the good stuff out.

[RCM]

Wind Waker sucked.

I don't think playing Wind Waker for a 1/2 hour qualifies you to even have an opinion.

That being said, Okami is amazing so far. It's definitely a nominee for current-gen game of the year. I'm constantly surprised that I'm playing a PS2 game. Still, I wonder why this didn't come out on the Gamecube? I guess Capcom has been too kind to Nintendo...they have to throw Sony a few bones now and then.

Simply put, the PS2 has a larger installed base in the US than Gamecube does worldwide. It'd be awesome if we could get a multiplatform sequel in a few years. Somehow I doubt that'll happen.

I'm all about supporting this title. I recently posted a short article on Okami here:

http://j2games.com/new/forum/index.php?topic=95.0

I haven't finished Okami yet, but so far it's amazing!

[PDorr3]

I love okami so far as well, about 6 1/2 hours into it now after just beating the first dungeon. The brush fits so well into the gameplay, it might seem like it slows down the games pace (especialy during battles) but it actualy enhances them. Graphics are amazing (even on a widescreen HDTV which normaly makes PS2 games look like crap), music is great, however the gibberish voices tend to get a tad bit annoying to me.
My only complaint so far is it seems like battle wise, okami is and will be too much of a breeze, battles are rarely challenging, and its possible to come back to life after dieing, instantly restore your life, enhance your attacks, reflect attacks, so yeah I guess Amaterasu really DOES deserve to be a god since she can seem indestructable at times.
However that should not hurt the fact that okami is still a very powerful game, and will probably go down to be the sleeper hit of 2006 for sure.

[heybtbm]

Side note: It sucks that no good new games came out pretty much the entire summer, but the last few weeks have seen Okami, Disgaea 2 (which has been monopolizing almost all of my gaming time)...Stupid game industry; I wish they'd space the good stuff out.

Tell me about it. Okami and Disgaea 2 are a lethal combination. If I'm not playing one, I'm playing the other. To top it off, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner is coming out next month. Too much gaming goodness (on the PS2 no less).

[2Dskillz]

Okami arrived thursday morning and I have now invested 16 hours. This game is an absolute dream in every respect. I am really in love with the writing and characters. However, what really makes this game tick is one of the best distributions of rewards. The pacing is so that you do not want to stop. This is easily my best home console purchase this year.

[-hellvin-]

I hadn't heard about this game AT ALL until recently at a comic store I was at. One of the guy's who came in on his shift starting praising it as soon as he arrived and it sounded pretty sweet from what I heard. I'm gonna have to look into it and see what all the fuss is.

[GaijinPunch]

Glad to see this thread get revived! Again, for those that haven't checked it out this commentary (http://www.gamengai.com/bn_inf.php?type=article&id=1435) is a pretty decent read if I say so myself. It includes my opinions of the game, which you can skip if you've played it, but is a compilation of comments the creators made in interviews on a few different sites. It also includes a translation of the opening story. It's a pretty faithful translation... I'm curious to see what the English version has, although I won't buy it as I can't play NTSC-U games.

FYI -- the soundtrack is out in Japan, which I never picked up for some stupid reason. Wonder if Play Asia has it.

[yok-dfa]

BTW did you guys know you can supposedly earn demon fangs during the loading screens? I read somewhere that if you get that screen with the 'footsteps', press 'x' everytime one appears. If you time it right, you'll get a big footstep. If you 'hit' all of them -> free demon fang. In case of the loading screen without the footsteps, press 'x' frantically. For each press a footstep should appear. Get 50 of them -> free demon fang.

[Andred]

One of my buddies just bought this game and I was over there last night. I didn't get to play it cause his g/f was hogging it but it looked freakin' amazing (graphics and gameplay). And I have to agree with whoever said that this would be a perfect fit for the DS. That's the first thing I thought when I saw the brush mode.

[jdc]

AHA!

I'm certainly glad to see people freaking over this game. Had my eye on this one when it was just a glimmer in a magazine article, then played that demo and loved it.

I haven't yet bought it thanks to the usual obsession that the new Pokemon DS game brings LOL, but it's great to see that it's awesome.

[FantasiaWHT]

Rented it, loving it so far, but...

what the FARK is up with the voices pulled from ANIMAL CROSSING!?!?!?!?!?

ARGH that's driving me insane... perfect 10 so far with everything EXCEPT that...

[Icarus Moonsight]

I <3 Okami. It's Katamari all over again. LOL If anyone was going to pull off a Zelda game that actually rivals Nintendo's Zelda games it would have to be Capcom.

[2Dskillz]

Has anyone been able to afford Brown Fury yet?

[Icarus Moonsight]

Has anyone been able to afford Brown Fury yet?

No, not yet. Though I am enjoying the freeflowing Demon Fangs thanks too Golden Rage. LOL There's a pun in there somewhere. ;)

[whoisKeel]

I'm about 10 hours into this game, and it just keeps getting better and better. Sure, it borrows heavliy from Zelda, but does it so well and with such a unique twist that it never feels like a carbon copy.

I tend not to like the pause or slow down gimmicks like bullet time in games because they wear quickly. The painting "gimmick" seems like it would get old rather fast, but somehow it manages to stay fresh and fun (and I don't even have half the techniques yet).

If I had to nitpick I'd say two things. 1) Sometimes they hand feed you the puzzle solutions (but this is becoming less and less as I progress) 2) Some of the speech in the cutscenes scrolls too slow. But that is really all I can say bad about the game.

This game is quite possibly the most beautful game ever made...it is fun and original while adhering to a tried and true formula.