Okami: A Gorgeous Game

Many games today have a western theme about them and many of us gamers would like to see a change. The problem is that it is hard to find a game that is a change from what you're used to and have it still be a great game to play. If you find yourself in this situation, then get ready for a change with the much anticipated adventure game, Okami.

Okami is a very artistic Japanese themed game with stunning visuals. In fact, the entire game looks as though it was painted with the touch of a brush and water colors, along with Japanese calligraphy. It is just gorgeous! Not to mention that Okami has a superb and captivating storyline that will keep you wanting to play.

The story goes: The world is losing it' color, which happens to be the life blood sustaining it. Strange monsters keep sucking all of the color away! You play as the sun Goddess, Amaterasu, in her earthly form as a white wolf. Amaterasu has the Godly powers of the Celestial Brush. The Celestial Brush is capable of painting colors back into the land, but Amaterasu has to gain powers to use it effectively.

As Amaterasu learns to use it, she will be capable of painting things into the world along with other abilities. Some of these are: changing night to day, making the wind blow, moving water from a spring to put out fires, changing wastelands to lush fields, bending time, and more.

Amaterasu gains power by defeating the monsters. Monsters are defeated more easily the more powerful she gets. She also gets more powerful by mingling with the common folk and helping them by hearing their wishes and granting them. Her goal is to make the people believe in her. The more they believe in her, the more powerful she gets. This is done with Praise Points which are gained by helping various people and creatures in forms of quests and side quests. Praise Points can be used to upgrade Amaterasu's powers, health points, etc.

Okami takes you across mountain tops, the sea floor, villages, and more. Random enemies pop up hear and there for Amaterasu to take out, along with some challenging bosses. Each boss has to be taken out a certain way which involves using the Celestial Brush.

Saving the world is a hard task for Amaterasu to take on alone. But not to worry, she has an annoying, yet hilarious side kick by her side. His name is Issun. Issun is a wandering artist and also happens to be one of the most amusing characters that appear in a video game in a long time. In fact, many of the characters of Okami are quite interesting. Each person has its own personality and story that fits in to the entire story of Okami. As you play through, you will be more and more drawn in to the story. The best part, Okami takes many hours to defeat and every second is actually worth it! In fact, the replay value is extremely high!

As said before, Okami is one of the most visually impressive games of all time. You will just have to see it for yourself to believe it. The story is awesome and the dialogue used to explain the story is great. The soundtrack is Japanese themed and it is quite enchanting. Lastly, the controls are fluid and easy to master.

Okami is available for the Playstation 2. It has an ESRB rating of T for teen. This is because Okami features blood, gore, fantasy violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, use of alcohol, and use of tobacco. If you want to see all that the game has to offer, a strategy guide is available.