• February 19, 2007    Home > Game Reviews > Verdict

    Okami

    Zelda meets paint-by-numbers visuals in the most glorious way, in one of PS2's must-have titles.
    Version
     PS2    		Developer
    Clover    		Publisher
    Capcom    		Genre
    Adventure

    Page: 1  2 

    Page 2

    The whole experience is also more compact and contained. There are many ways you can extend your stay in the world, such as feeding various animals and looking for vases to trade. But the main path through is rigidly defined and, just as important, clearly laid out for you, so you won't have to worry about losing your way should you take a break from the adventure.

    "Okami isn't perfect; getting a good vantage point on enemies during battles is often frustrating."

    But Okami isn't perfect. In the absence of a lock-on system and a rambunctious camera that isn't easily tamed, getting a good vantage point on enemies during battles is often frustrating. You can zoom in and out and set the camera to control exactly how you want, but that demands too much babying and hurts how easily you are able to lose yourself in the experience. Battles themselves are somewhat button-mashy to begin with and only start to become more interesting once you earn new weapons and paintbrush techniques.

    However, fixating on these slight flaws in the battle system misses the point of Okami. In the best games the developers are able to pull together something that far outreaches what the individual parts of capable of. Okami is a grand, sweeping adventure that hooks you quickly and keeps things fresh throughout. The striking visuals harmonize with a charming world and compulsive gameplay that will have you cherishing every minute. It's never good to see a good developer go, but at least Clover was able to let out this triumphant cry before its demise.

    I spent the last 15 minutes of E3 2005 playing an early version of Okami and the next 20 months waiting for it to arrive, and even despite the long wait it's been well worth it. I had almost relegated my PlayStation 2 to the closet but this is one of the best examples of how much is still possible with last-gen hardware.

    Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL
    9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0


    THE VERDICT:     Clover has taken just enough of the best stuff from the Zelda series and added many of its own touches to make this one of the best games on the PlayStation 2 or any other console. Buy it now.

    Page: 1  2 



    Video Coverage
    (Latest Videos & Video FAQ)
    PLEASE DO NOT DIRECT LINK TO ANY MEDIA FILE ON KIKIZO
    DescriptionDur.SizeDetails
    Atsushi Inaba Interview
    Capcom development guru interview    		 12:30 120MB CAM, ED, 16:9
    856x480/30p
    5Mbps
    Okami
    Direct feed trailer   (PS2 - Capcom)    		 03:43 55MB DF, SD, 4:3
    640x480p30
    2.1Mbps
    Okami
    Trailer   (Capcom)    		 3.10m 31MB DF, SD, 30
    640x480
    1.5Mbps

Kikizo:

Kikizo Classic:

Entertainment:





Kikizo Archives
The Top 50 Names in Games We Ever Interviewed
We Name the Top 65 Games of the Noughties

Archive Highlights

Satoru Iwata Video Interview - the late Nintendo president spoke with Kikizo in 2004 as 'Nintendo Revolution' loomed.


Kaz Hirai Video Interview - the first of Kikizo's interviews with the man who went on to become global head of Sony.


Ed Fries Video Interview - one of Xbox's founders discusses an epic journey from Excel to Xbox.


Yu Suzuki, the Kikizo Interview - we spend time with one of gaming's most revered creators.


Tetris - The Making of an Icon: Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers reveal the fascinating story behind Tetris


Rare founders, Chris and Tim Stamper - their only interview? Genuinely 'rare' sit down with founders of the legendary studio.


The History of First-Person Shooters - a retrospective, from Maze War to Modern Warfare