Okami – Four Reasons You Should Pick It Up After Five Years

The PS2 and Wii game ÅŒkami was released in 2006 and again in 2008 to modest earnings and exuberant critical reviews.  The copies sold were so modest that the game won a Guinness World Record for “least commercially successful winner of a game of the year award.”

In March, the sequel titled ÅŒkamiden will be released to U.S. and European gamers on the Nintendo DS.  Being a fan of the original game, I am very excited to continue the saga.  However, those that haven’t picked up the original probably don’t have much of an opinion about its upcoming successor.  Despite this, I would greatly encourage anyone to give this game a shot.  But if you can’t just take my word for it, how would four organized points help in convincing you to pick up this game even after five years of being on the market?

Before I dive right in to the “why” of this game, some of you might want to check out the general plot of the game first.  To keep things focused in this article, I have provided a link to a summary of the plot here (Warning: SPOILERS if you read beyond the first paragraph).  Now, on to the reasons!

1) It is original. Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard that one before.  I know it seems like the typical argument for every game, but remember that we are in a generation where video games are not necessarily a rarity.  It is important that creators make something that is like nothing we have ever experienced before.  ÅŒkami is rooted in art — Japanese art specifically — as the point of story telling.  How often do you encounter a video game that uses a traditional cultural art as its medium?

The central aspect of getting through the game is by using brush strokes to manipulate the world around you.  Again, this technique is very much rooted in Japanese traditional art, but it has been one of the most original methods of problem solving and attacking that I’ve seen in a game.  From the very start you begin to realize that this is not a normal way of going about an adventure video game.

2) The writing is spectacular. I recently came to the realization that translating a game from one language (let alone a culture) to another is extremely challenging.  So when a game developed in a whole different language can impact you, that’s some great writing and translating!  For those of you interested, please check out this awesome article on localization by the translator of ÅŒkamiden.

I’ve also had plenty of experience with games that don’t have all that great writing, and while you can try to ignore it, you do find yourself rolling your eyes at the corny lines or noticing when things just don’t fit together quite right (All your base are belong to us?).  It’s distracting and can ruin the experience of a game that relies heavily on its storyline.

ÅŒkami, like many adventure games, is centered on a lot of conversation.  Cut scenes can be quite long in developing the story and the player has to feel truly invested in the world to want to progress.  The developers were, in addition, able to really mix humor and drama in a way that feels natural and seamless.  It is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously but, when it needs to, it will tug at your heartstrings.  I might be a little bit of a novel geek but I genuinely appreciate when plain old text can move me to tears.  Feeling invested in a very important part of a great video game, and ÅŒkami does not disappoint.

3) It is beautiful. A very popular movie critic once said that video games could never be art.  That statement has since been (somewhat) redacted, but nevertheless that is how a lot of non-gamers view video games.  ÅŒkami not only disproves that statement but also completely annihilates it while visually and audibly stunning you.

Granted, this game is not “realistic” in its graphics, but the way the graphics were developed and what the world looks like is amazing and completely different from our own perception of the world.  Many cut scenes and other aspects of the game utilize traditional Japanese art work in honor of Japan’s rich culture and history.  It is such a detailed art form that sometimes you’ll lose yourself for a few minutes with examining all that is portrayed.  There is so much art in the game that a 200+ page art book has been released in addition to the game.

Not only are the graphics and art beautiful, but the soundtrack is amazing as well.  Again, this game is very centered on traditional Japanese culture and folklore; the music is a beautiful undertaking on portraying that.  Some playlists on YouTube have the entire soundtrack available and I would encourage those of you interested to check them out.  See below for an example of the artwork and music intertwined.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzY4thtdAbc[/youtube]

Last but not least…

4) It is not complicated. Some video game reviewers immediately dismiss games that are “easy.”  I wouldn’t be so inclined to quickly judge a game based on the merit that it can be simple to navigate.  Perhaps I am one of the few but I appreciate games that don’t enrage me with complexities and make me turn off the game in frustration.  In my own experience, video games are supposed to be an escape from reality and a time to de-stress.  I have an incredibly high-stress job (you try being a social worker for a day), so I enjoy ÅŒkami for its ability to take me away from all the stresses.  It is a great Zen adventure game, and who doesn’t need a little Zen in his or her life sometimes?

Being a simple game does not mean that it’s a short one.  To fully complete the game it takes about forty to fifty hours of gameplay.  If you wanted to rush (why would you?), the game could take about twenty hours, but you’d be in a very tough situation with the final boss battle.  I know some games that go far beyond that gameplay time, but also many that go way under it.  It’s a simple game to navigate, with puzzles that aren’t all that difficult to solve, but it also is enough of a investment of your time that you don’t feel cheated by it.

ÅŒkami is a great game that you must try.  Those that appreciate Japanese culture and anime will probably greatly enjoy adding this game to their collection.  Even those that aren’t interested in Japanese culture will still find this adventure game a memorable one, especially if you’re a fan of The Legend of Zelda and other similar games.  I am not sure what the sequel will bring but I remain optimistically hopeful that it will continue in the great tradition of the ÅŒkami series.  In the meantime, I will encourage all of you out there to expand your minds and pick up the damn game already!  You won’t be disappointed.