OKAMI PS2 JAPANESE SERIES

A still image can only tell you so much about the game to see it in motion is an entirely different experience.

It also owes a bit to Killer 7, another Capcom title lauded for its quirky presentation.

OKAMI PS2 JAPANESE SERIES

Okami does take some cues from the Viewtiful Joe series of games, many of which also came from Clover Studio. No attempts are made at realism the human characters are disproportional, and enemies are displayed in the form of cursed scrolls, floating around the environments. Rather than give it a cartoon-inspired sheen, Clover Studio opted to seek inspiration from ancient Japanese wood-block paintings, broad brush strokes and all. On a basic level, Okami uses cel-shaded polygons to create a three-dimensional animated environment.

But you've never seen a game like Okami before. While graphics are certainly an integral element of any game's makeup, I tend to think that gameplay and/or narrative are more crucial to its success. I typically hesitate to begin any game discussion with a visual analysis. Though comparisons to a certain Legendary Nintendo franchise are not without merit, Okami makes enough innovative changes to stand on its own as a modern classic. Set in ancient Nippon, the narrative unravels over 35 hours of well-paced drama, action, and occasional whimsy. Like a lost Hayao Miyazaki masterwork, Okami is packed with visual flair, including grass that grows in a trail behind your character, and floating flowers in the sky that can be used to grapple to great heights. Indeed, Okami dramatically resembles many an animated production, from its abstract, colorful visuals to its massive, dynamic soundtrack. Though Okami is noted for its basis in ancient Japanese art and mythology, I believe the title is more influenced by the modern animated film, another mainstay of Japanese entertainment. Hundreds of games have been produced based on popular animated series and films, and unfortunately, many popular games have been translated into poor anime series and features. As with games and live-action films, their paths have crossed numerous times. Games and anime have been indelibly linked for nearly as long as the two have coexisted in the realm of popular culture.

Okami ps2 japanese