Game Review: PS2 - Okami
Short review: PLAY THIS GAME!!! IT IS AMAZING!!!
Long review: I play a lot of games. Not as many as I wish, but I do play quite a few. And, I do stick to the story-oriented ones. But never have I played a game as beautiful as Okami, and in every sense that could be taken. And neither have I played a game that, at the end of the it, I actually felt sad that it was over, that there was no more story to go through or secrets to discover. The entire story centers around a god (you) that is awakened from its stone statue to help defeat the evil Orochi. Along the way you meet many characters, the most important of these being your companion for the journey, Issun, a bouncing ball of green light. The entire game is made to look like a Japanese painting, and so is absolutely breathtaking to behold (and that's only on my tiny, cheap tv, my mind boggles at the idea of seeing it on a nice screen). The characters are wonderful and, although not all the characters are memorable, the two main characters are ones that, without a doubt, I will remember the rest of my life. The story sags in the middle, I'll admit, due to the strange fact that something you thought would last the entire game actually stops half way through, but once you get back on track, its wonderful. (And I know that sentence is awkward, but I don't want to give anything away.) The controls are near perfect once you get used to them, although no matter how much you play, the paintbrush ability is always a little iffy. The humor is also always great, although sometimes a little strange (one of the attacks that you later get involves you peeing on the enemy and, yes, you heard that right: peeing on the enemy). And, finally, the ending. I felt it was a little strange, but it also somehow fit the humor of the rest of the story. And the boss fight was the most enjoyable boss fight that I have ever played. It was fun, but challenging. (Tip: buy a lot of those scrolls, forgot what they're called, that keep the attacks from hurting you and its no problem.)
Conclusion: Do not miss this game, which argues all by itself, why games can be considered an art form, both literally and figuratively.
Long review: I play a lot of games. Not as many as I wish, but I do play quite a few. And, I do stick to the story-oriented ones. But never have I played a game as beautiful as Okami, and in every sense that could be taken. And neither have I played a game that, at the end of the it, I actually felt sad that it was over, that there was no more story to go through or secrets to discover. The entire story centers around a god (you) that is awakened from its stone statue to help defeat the evil Orochi. Along the way you meet many characters, the most important of these being your companion for the journey, Issun, a bouncing ball of green light. The entire game is made to look like a Japanese painting, and so is absolutely breathtaking to behold (and that's only on my tiny, cheap tv, my mind boggles at the idea of seeing it on a nice screen). The characters are wonderful and, although not all the characters are memorable, the two main characters are ones that, without a doubt, I will remember the rest of my life. The story sags in the middle, I'll admit, due to the strange fact that something you thought would last the entire game actually stops half way through, but once you get back on track, its wonderful. (And I know that sentence is awkward, but I don't want to give anything away.) The controls are near perfect once you get used to them, although no matter how much you play, the paintbrush ability is always a little iffy. The humor is also always great, although sometimes a little strange (one of the attacks that you later get involves you peeing on the enemy and, yes, you heard that right: peeing on the enemy). And, finally, the ending. I felt it was a little strange, but it also somehow fit the humor of the rest of the story. And the boss fight was the most enjoyable boss fight that I have ever played. It was fun, but challenging. (Tip: buy a lot of those scrolls, forgot what they're called, that keep the attacks from hurting you and its no problem.)
Conclusion: Do not miss this game, which argues all by itself, why games can be considered an art form, both literally and figuratively.