9/10
May 20, 2019·✓ Recommended
Beat·Xbox One
One of the most beautiful games to come out of the PS2 era, Okami is one of my favourite non-Zelda Zelda games. Much of it is steeped in what was Clover Studio's trademark creativity, and it remains a worthy play even to this day.
We are the Sun God, Amaterasu. She returns to the world of Nippon after a century-long slumber to find the land overrun by demons, the populace faithless, and her own power reduced to a fraction of what it was. Although she doesn't have a voice of her own her characterization is impeccably done, flicking between "heroic deity" and "just a dog" brilliantly, but the other NPCs are also great fun as well, with many of them showing off grand and flowery dialogue.
I called it a Zelda game and that's not an idle comparison; the game plays out very similarly to those as you progress through dungeons and unlock new powers that help you defeat bosses and aid in exploration. Amaterasu's key power is her ability to use the Celestial Brush to literally draw on the world, such as using it to paint the sun into the sky or restore broken bits of architecture. It's a remarkably versatile tool that forms a big part of why the game looks, plays, and feels so beautiful.
Check out my full review! The Almighty Backlog, review #42:
https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2019/05/27/okami/
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