Okami - In-depth Review
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- A retrospective in-depth critique and analysis of Okami.
Okami will certainly feel familiar to anyone who’s played a 3D Zelda game before, but to label it merely a ‘Zelda-clone’, I think, would be to do it a disservice. The game has some really unique mechanics, one in particular, and the influences that the story, characters and overall design draw from, are heavily rooted in Japanese history, folklore and mythology which give it a truly distinct feel that sets it apart from its peers. But most importantly, at its core, it feels to me like the game has very different design goals to Zelda and, dispelling some of the dismissive criticisms of the game as a Zelda clone is something I want to address in this video by looking a bit more closely at the design of both series’. So, join me as we take an in-depth look at Okami.
MASSIVE thank you to @HeavyEyed for letting me borrow some footage from his Okami video! You should check his video out too, it's great! • Okami Analysis - What ...
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Intro - 0:00
Zelda Clone? - 0:36
Opening - 2:26
General Gameplay - 5:26
Combat - 30:42
Difficulty - 39:05
Rewards - 43:00
Dungeons & Bosses - 44:28
Story, Themes & Characters - 52:24
Music & Audio - 1:06:37
Outro - 1:11:40 - Hry
Hey all! Just a couple of quick things:
Firstly, massive apologies for all the pronunciations I have no doubt butchered!
Secondly, at 41:25 the footage speeds up loads. I was supposed to put text on the screen directing your attention to the health bar in the top left, to highlight how I don't take damage for over 10 mins in a late-game fight. But I forgot to put the text up >_< So that's why it does that.
If it makes you feel better, My eyes were focused on the health bar during the whole speedup! I understood the gist without text helping me :)
I absolutely love your review. Okami is absolutely my most favorite game ever since I played the (albeit very flawed) Wii port of it in 2012. However, despite how in-depth the review was, I was disappointed that you didn't make mention of how the water-painting aesthetic is actually relevant to gameplay. The style is meant to resemble traditional Sumi-e art, and Sumi-e art is actually rather interesting. In Sumi-e art you are not trying to paint an object, but rather its spirit. A cat in the Sumi-e style wouldn't necessarily look like a real cat, but would try to convey its ferocity or tranquility. A horse, its speed. A fish, its serenity. Landscapes in Sumi-e aren't portraits of real locations, but the distilled spirit of the beauty in nature as if you're bringing it to life instead of just copying it, and that's exactly what you do in the game. You paint a circle to be the spirit of the sun, and that spirit becomes real. You use the brush to paint the spirit of wind, fire, flowers, vines, even random objects using Rejuvination, and so on just like the Sumi-e style the entire game is based off of, making the context of the Celestial Brush creating and changing the world into a literal one, and I think that's really cool how the brush itself and how it's used ties directly into the particular style used in the game. I may be overthinking it, and I still love your review, I just thought it deserved to be mentioned.
So glad you said this. I played the original version on ps2 and then the wii version then the PS4 version. As an artist I always really loved the artwork of the game and how much meaning it had behind it. This game never stopped being my favorite even years later
Most favourite hahahaha!
Instead of draw lily, jump, repeat you can either: swim until you're just about to drown and draw a lily right on you, or (if you have the wind power) stand on a lily and make a forward swirling gust to boat around. Better yet, save up Demon Fangs for the Water Tablet and never draw lily pads again.
Rejuvenation is a pretty interesting case. You're right that it's criminally underused compared to EVERYTHING ELSE. But there's a strong case to make about rejuvenation being more metaphysical than the others. Unlike all the other brush gods the dragon is a mythical animal, and the only one to literally reside in a scroll. I think a good way to think about the lack of it's technique is to keep in mind that nearly everything you do as a God is rejuvenating the world in some way or another. In that way you are constantly invoking his power. Of course that's not an actual solution, but it still helps me get by.
The problem with the humor is not a problem at all. It just wasn't intended for you. Sexuality jokes are basically the same as fart jokes for the Japanese, only desirable instead of gross. They acknowledge sex as the basic human function that it is and treat it as such, rather than as a privately desired but publicly scorned moral obscenity. (Thanks Christianity, you pompous ass-backwards twat.)
The whole Ganon is always the final boss thing, kind of annoys me. I'm glad to not know who's shadow I'm standing in. But if you must feel a sense of foreboding dread, there is a little bit of hinting after beating each boss post-Orochi. Clouds of blackness emerge from each boss and fly away, and you're told that each are heading North.
My ONLY problem with the game is one side quest where you're asked by the fashion folks in Sei-An city to draw a design to slap on everyone's shirts. Now THAT one was unforgiving ESPECIALLY the last one, requiring the perfect pressure sensitive strokes and perfect lines to make the Heaven kanji.
The switch version is SO good for the brush. Even with the motion controls of the joycons
How do people see this as a Zelda clone? This is way more unique and interesting
Both are unique and interesting bit I don't see how they're in any way similar
Guess who's back, back again.
This was such a great in depth review of Okami, one of my favorite games ever. Just hearing you point out all the awesome things about the game made me want to start a new game as soon as the video was over
Okami is my favorite game of all time, and this video is an excellent look at the game.
To note a few things, the PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC versions all allow you to skip all cutscenes immediately, and are almost inarguably the best way to play the game today.
I agree the game is far too easy and there's an unfortunate lack of variety in the games and bosses - fighting Orochi three times is near inexcusable with how long it is, and how little changes each time. Enemies in each new area are almost all reskins of previous enemies, with maybe one new attack and a different Floral Finisher.
Most of my fun with the combat comes from trying to complete each fight as quickly as possible, managing ink usage to exploit weaknesses and pull off Floral Finishers efficiently. I find Reflectors to be the best for this - allowing for high damage while not being too slow.
Sub-reflectors are also highly exploitable, since you can cover most enemies in ink by scribbling on them. They'll then launch off a few weak attacks that you can counter for a lot of damage, as well as a Demon Fang if timed well. This is especially useful for enemies dig underground, like Yellow Imps.
I have little to disagree with regarding the story's pacing, except that it simply doesn't bother me much at all. I suppose since the crux of the game is restoring life and helping people, I'm more concerned with that. The game gives a couple hints at Yami's existence; I believe Ninetails outright names him as the Ruler of Darkness, but he's still shrouded in mystery even after he's beaten, since the Moon Tribe receives little development.
As for Okamiden, I haven't played it since it came out but I remember it being a fun enough time. It felt a tad unnecessary since it still takes place on Nippon, but the story it tells is wholly unique and the ending hit me pretty hard. Admittedly, a lot of the fun was it being portable Okami; but now that a portable Okami literally exists on the Switch, I don't know how much value Okamiden has.
Anyway, excellent video! It encapsulated many of the things I love about the game, and fairly brought up criticisms without overshadowing the good points. Looking forward to more!
Thanks for the feedback! Since recording this I actually came across a copy of Okamiden so I might play it soon!
GREAT to see a new video from you!
Wow he's back right after I found him
Same
great video!!!
i want you and every game critic to know that i think this work is incredible. u and many others put so much effort into these beautiful videos which get far too less views.
Super excited to see you back in my feed! You make some of the best game analysis videos on CZcams.
That’s high praise indeed; thank you so much! It’s really good to be back!
This was a wonderful, delightful video for a comeback. Thank you!
This is one of the best Okami videos I've watched. A lot of valid criticism while also showing genuine appreciation for the art and vision. A really good balance here, and highly enjoyable.
Also, I laughed out loud - possibly too hard - at the "In Okami it's a cake walk. From start to finish, you're just... walking all over cake."
Okami is my favourite game of all time and i'm so glad to see great content made about something which has given me so much joy. You're points are well presented, you explain everything in enough detail that even when i didn't agree i understood your point of view entirely, a skill which is really difficult and impressive for any reviewer. You also brought up things, both good and bad, which hadn't occurred to me even after approx 120 hours sunk into this game across playthroughs on various systems, and it's always great to see new fresh perspectives. Overall great review, worth watching even for its full length, I subbed and i'm looking forward to going through your other stuff and seeing the new stuff you will make.
It's good to see you back.
I tried Okami out recently but unfortunately I was struggling to stay invested, ended up dropping it after Beating Orochi. The gameplay was just too bare bones for my taste, even though everything surrounding it was superb.
I think your comparison between the main duo and C3-P0/R2-D2 is on point but it still felt like Issun took too much of the spotlight. I really wish Ammy emoted more often, I loved it when she paws at Issun, wags her tail in excitement around Susanoo or lies down to taunt the first boss but these moments felt few and far between.
The game sucks hard. I was disappointed
@@FSVR54No
Very glad to see a new upload! Great critique. You didn't mention that Okami gives you good dreams! It works on all the people I've talked to who've played it. It's my go-to whenever I'm excessively stressed.
Found your channel randomly through Twitter, and I’m glad I did. Never played Okami and I don’t think I ever will, but I enjoyed your video and I love your energy. Great video, looking forward to your future critiques!
I started with Okamiden in 2010 when I randomly discovered it on Nintendo's website catalog of games. It's a wonderful experience made with heart. I only started playing Okami now, twelve years later but it's nice to see familiar places with more grandiose than what the DS is able to offer. It is a sequel and at the same time, it is not. The story more or less picks up where Okami ended and keeps referencing the original game a lot. It suffers from the same flaws even though it was made by a different company of developers. Overall playing both games feels just as good and delightful, which is kinda interesting since one is a big boi console game, and the other is a dorky portable adventure. The music surprisingly sounds really good despite it all being midi sequences but they tried their best to make it sound just right. Unfortunately just like the big boi console game, it underperformed big time. I hope you get to play it and I know I would be very interested in an in depth review like this.
your divinity acts as a kind of shield that blocks one attack per level. so if you enter a fught with a divinity of 3 (green) you automatically block 3 attacks before you take damage.
Great review, didn't know how much i missed your stuff
Jeez the length matches my own take of the game. Glad Okami is still getting the love. Welcome back!
@ThatDopeChannel Currently working on other stuffs, but I wouldn't rule out that possibility
That was awesome! I'm so glad JA retweeted this video, amazing look on an amazing game. Looking forward to more!
Thank you so much! Really appreciate it
HECK YEAH
Damn dude, I've had Okami on my to-do pile for quite some time but that pile is still bloody huge. Might have to bump this up now, you make it sound well worth playing
What a great video! I originally played this game on the Wii back in 2007 and replayed the HD version on Xbox One back in 2017 and recently replayed it a couple months ago, and I can say that this game is a masterpiece and one of my favorite games of all time! Everything about it is perfect and even the few problems it does have I could easily look passed like the noises the characters make in dialogue and the tutorial section. Ammy is one of my favorite protagonists in gaming and her dynamic with Issun is amazing, one of the best gaming duos as well.
Okami is one of my main examples I point to when discussing video games as a form of art. The first time I listened to Issun’s speech when fighting Yami I honestly teared up. Okami is a masterpiece that I think everyone needs to play!
Wonderful review man - I also came here thanks to Joseph Anderson retweeting you.
I personally played and even platinumed on the PS4 the Okami HD version back in May 2019. Having never experienced the game before then, it cannot be under-estimated how surprisingly gigantic this game is. You will arrive at a few story beats where if you were none the wiser would think "we're approaching the ending" and then the game just keeps going. It has so many wonderfully eccentric characters and is beautifully crafted. I don't know if it can be summarized simply as "atmosphere", but I just love this games energy. I'll also note, perhaps in a mild disagreement, I thought Issun's jokes about "busty babes" was so jarring compared to the rest of the game that it got legitamate laughs out of me. I understand why some people would task issue with it but I just thought it's so out there that I enjoyed it. In fact, I feel like your comparison to "how would you feel about Navi making dick jokes here and there" would actually be met with laughter due to how ridiculous it is.
I'm glad to see you back after your hiatus
Great video. It’s a shame you didn’t play this on the switch, just because the touch screen with the celestial brush is a game changer. It seems minor but it feels sooo much better to able to just use your finger and give it a quick doodle. It’s one of the only games I’ll play solely in handheld. Power slash is infinitely more satisfying. Anyways great video again, gonna go back and replay this now.
the best okami Video on CZcams! thanks for making this
Never played Okami and not sure if I will but you presented it so well and made it so engaging. Hope you can find the creative energy and time to do more!
Glad to have you back. Agree with pretty much everything you said. Okami is fantastic and deserves a lot more recognition
Fantastic video. I've been playing Paper Mario: The Origami King and have been mesmerized by it's soundtrack. I found out it had multiple composers who somehow all contributed separate pieces that added up to a unified sound. And naturally the first thing I thought of was Okami's wonderful score, and it pulling the same trick which allowed so many unique themes. The game just wouldn't be the same without it's score.
I understand the desire for a sequel for a lot of people, but it's personally not something I've felt was necessary. (Which is similar to how I feel with The World Ends With You.) The game pulled a clever trick in how it marketed the game, only showing sections before Orochi's defeat and really pushing him as the main threat. Beating him and having the game tell me it was only the beginning is one of my favorite gaming moments, so Okami has always felt like a game and it's two sequels. That mystery you mentioned is definitely jarring, but it was also the intention. Something that may not come through as well without the marketing.
I did get Okamiden, as I remember thinking like many people that the brush technique would be a compelling fit for the DS when touch screen usage was still a novelty. However, the lack of it's creator and closer in general was felt. He wasn't pleased, and the game focusing so heavily on the children of characters I loved was extremely off-putting for multiple reasons, not the least of which made it seem like a direct-to-video Disney sequel. However, despite getting through a large chunk of the game, I never finished it so I can't say for certain about where the story ended up.
I've played the PS2, Wii, and PS3 releases and still think the PS2 release has some things that I miss. It was less saturated, with a much heavier paper filter. It really added to the atmosphere and the ending you really beautifully summed up. Because clover shut down, only the PS2 release has the ending credits song, which is one of my favorites and incorporates a medley of okami themes underneath an original song. It also had mini-games during loading screens, where you could win demon fangs, making even the loads engaging and worthwhile.
Like you, Zelda dungeons have always felt more like obstacles despite really loving the atmosphere and artwork. I think Okami has actually ruined some of my Zelda experiences just because of that constant association people give, as I happened to love the natural environmental design of Okami's dungeon. The pacing of the game is near perfect to my specific tastes, but my God I cannot believe the end boss rush and especially the three times you fight Orochi. It is a long battle made worse with the quick time style brush input sections. I hated every time the game did that and remember getting stuck at making the orange tree blossom on the Wii version because it would not read my ink circles correctly. I love the idea behind the Wii version and some of it is legitimately satisfying in a way controller inputs aren't, but I never had the amount of issues with circles that I had on Wii.
Woo. That was a lot of thoughts. I haven't played this game in many years, but I may just do that and finally get around to completing Okamiden now that I've run through the Paper Mario games. I did not structure this comment well so I don't have a natural end point whoops. I guess consider checking out Paper Mario Origami King if you want something similar in terms of world design almost Zelda design philosophy with a great score. Based on your points, you'd probably end up enjoying it quite a bit.
Correction on the godhood thing at 40:20
It's not actually that it increases your defense. It just straight up gives you a hit of armor which you take not only 0 damage from, but you also suffer no hitstun. Like.. Ammy just powers through it.
I think that's largely what makes the game so easy actually.
Because you are constantly building up a thing which renders you completely invincible for up to 3 subsequent hits
I forgot I was even subbed to you. Just found out you uploaded from Joseph Anderson's retweet. Welcome back!
On Godhood, It allows you to be hit 1(red), 2(yellow), or 3(green) times without taking damage or being knocked back by whatever hit you. It can also be "negative" if I remember right and cause you to take more damage from hits but that can only happen if you run from battles. During the Kamui clip right before you mention it you actually get hit three times but take no damage thanks to godhood. So it doesn't really increase defense, which to me sounds like it should cause you to take LESS damage from hits, not negate them entirely. This really only reinforces that the game is too easy overall though.
Wow! Hell yeah you’re back!
Welcome back mate
IT'S HERE!! LET'S GOOOOO
I just played and finished this game after all these years. Thank you so much for your video. This is by far the most insightful and grounded analysis of Okami. Thank you!
I love your review, listening to your thoughts and comments was a breath of fresh air plus I wish more people knew about this amazing game
This was an incredible retrospective
Finally getting around watching the whole thing ! Great job mate. Here's something I'd like to comment on:
1) Restricting to 1 drawing/skill at a time is probably some sort of program limitation. Allowing more than 1 circle or slash to take effect may compromises the forgiving accuracy of each drawing. Also some patterns are overlapped eg Power Slash and Veil of Mist which suggest to me the game is registering simple shapes, and more than 1 at once could complicate the back end of the system.
2) 12:25 I've never used the wind technique around foxes before. They are funny. Need a compilation of all elements usage around all the stuffs in this world.
3) I'm sure somebody has told you since, but did you know you can Slash the demon scrolls and stun them to avoid combat? The stronger scrolls are stronger against it but I recall the green and red ones can be easily stopped.
4) Too easy is also a problem I have in my replay of the game, though I didn't quite registered that when I first played it during my younger days. Along with the hand-holding tutorial and stuffs, I think it's fair to assume this game is targeted at a younger audience and they had to juggle the difficulties around that fact at the time. I do wish the game pushes its potential further by being tougher too.
5) I think you’ll find Issun’s infatuation towards endowed women less jarring if you’re more familiar with Japanese media. And I thought it pays off for one instance.
Finally I’d like to introduce you to my own hour long, full game, chronological commentary of Okami not because I want promotion, video is old enough I don’t mind it not going anywhere, but because I want to spread my love for the game to someone who also loves it. I want to tell you every single things not just with a comment! That is, if you can stand my horrible accent for that long. This video has reminded me why I love that video I put out, and how much I love this game. I’m very glad you’ve given this game the treatment it deserves.
But idk if you never shed even a single tear to the Ending of the game maybe you can fuck right off from my video lul see you around buddy.
Hey, thanks for the comment! I actually didn't know about the Demon Scroll's, that's pretty cool! Also I'm aware of your Okami video! I found it a while back but only managed to get through half of it (watching long videos is so tough now I have kids) but I really enjoyed what I watched! You planning on making any more videos?
@@thinreaper Hey thanks for checking it out! Can't imagine how it's like to juggle a family around while still dropping a gem like this. Take it easy man, it's fine by me! I do have plans but that's gonna be further away from now as I'm focusing on making videos for another medium at the moment.
You take care !
Great analysis! Great job!
Thank you!
Amazing video! I really like how you went over all the great things it did, and talked about what it did wrong. I agree that some of the brush strokes felt more like gimmicks, and didn’t really add much to the game. If only they had fleshed them out more.
I really like the art style of the game. The water color painting look is beautiful. I really liked how when you encounter an enemy you get to see their portrait. The brush was definitely a really good idea that makes the game stand out.
I’m glad that you mentioned how after killing Orochi the pacing takes a nose dive. When first playing the game I honestly thought the build up to fighting him would be longer. I really liked how the first act felt like a fleshed out story, and the zones felt interconnected. The other two acts felt kind of tacked on. Plus, the enemies were basically reskins with a few tweaks. I really wish they would have added in some more unique enemies.
I have played Okamiden and thought it was fun. It’s definitely a downgrade compared to the first game, but it works well. I like how the stylus worked really well for the brush. Some of the old areas had cool additions, as well as new zones. Sadly it wasn’t the sequel we should have gotten.
I really wish that the pc version of Okami HD had proper modding tools, and a level editor. That way the fans would be able to make new scenarios, enemies, and make a fan rendition of the sequel. Let’s hope that we get a sequel to the game.
The music was definitely really good. I really like how they used all those traditional Japanese instruments. It made the game feel distinct, and almost alien at parts.
The only thing that disappointed me about your review was how you never talked about the behind the scenes stuff, cut content, and why the sequel was canceled. Other than that the video was very good.
I know it’s really off topic, but do you think that you might talk about Halo Infinite, or the other Halos? Luckily they’re on Steam now so now lots of other people can play them.
Hey, thanks for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the review!
I didn't talk about behind the scenes stuff as I tend to focus on the game itself in all of my reviews and nothing beyond that, so they're purely an analysis of the game rather than a retrospective of the game and everything surrounding its release on top of that. There's so many great channels out there who would likely do a way better, more well researched job at examining all that kind of stuff than I would be able to, so I just stick to the games themselves.
As for Halo, I used to love the series but I've fallen behind over the years! Halo Reach was the last entry I played so I have a lot catching up to do! I don't think I'll ever do an in-depth review of any of the games but I have an idea for something I might like to do on the series one day, but it will be a while before I'm able to do it.
Super glad to see you putting out videos again :)
Fantastic video!
Whoa he’s back!
Holy shit why didnt youtube show me that earlier. Good shit dude! Been looking forward to that
it blew my mind when i first realised the celestial brush you use is ammy's tail
clicked that bell so long ago. Glad to see you back!
To the developers' credit, the director Kamiya has since improved upon elements of this game that are a bit shallow. The Wonderful 101 got a port to everything this year. Having just come from that, it's apparent how he took the celestial brush concept one step further, by making every shape into a weapon you use for combat as well as having secondary functions. As an example: the claw shape has a fast sharp attack, it freezes enemies, you can climb on walls with them and you can pry open both environmental doors and similarly closed "doors" on various enemies.
It meshes well with mechanics brought over from Bayonetta and Devil May Cry, too, allowing you to easily switch between a ton of weapons with a simple shape, and contextualizing the QTE's better than Bayo did- the characters yell out their moves before you have to draw them, but you also get a good hint about what you need from consistent visual language. Which maybe makes puzzles a bit dull in Okami with how easy it is to see a jagged sword and use lightning, but works well for an action game about switching quickly between many different weapons with a variety of effects and uses.
The line you use to draw is also an object in the game world that can get longer or shorter depending on your resources, and might get hindered by various environmental hazards. And it still retains basic functions of the celestial brush like bloom and restoration, by just positioning the line like you would the brush.
While Okami seems unlikely to get a sequel any time soon(and this new take on the mechanic might not be used in a sequel anyway just because Okami now has an established identity), at least the developer learned some good lessons from it and brought it forward in more interesting ways. And while I don't think Okami is a super great game - it is quite slow, awkwardly paced, overly talkative, shallow, repetitive, unimpressive designwise next to zelda etc - it does look and sound spectacular and really nails the finale. I teared up during the final boss fight, and to this day that's what I appreciate the most about it. I remember it fondly despite its faults because it managed to touch my heart.
The Wonderful 101 has been on my radar for years, along with Viewtiful Joe. I know they’re real fan favourites with passionate communities; just like Okami! I’ll definitely try and check both out as soon as I’m able to, but you’ve made me even more keen to try The Wonderful 101!
@@thinreaper Nice! I really enjoyed it, so I hope you will as well.
If I remember correctly, I think you can unlock an extension of the Mist celestial brush that lets you fast travel through Origin Mirrors. Of course, you have to unlock it every time after beginning a new game, which can get annoying after doing it a few times.
Overall, I really enjoyed this review. Okami is one of my favorite video games, and one that I hold close to my heart. I first played it at the age of seven after my step-dad bought me the game as a surprise, because he knew I liked wolves. (I was unfortunately that wolf-girl that every elementary school had.)
This was back in 2006/2007 after its release, when the game stores here in Norway just started selling it.
One thing I appreciate a lot about Okami is the fact that it’s so evolved around exploration, the story and the characters. I’ve always enjoyed games that focus on those elements rather than combat for example, though I have to agree that the combat in Okami feels very simple when you get the hang of it. I even remember thinking that as a kid. Sure, you get a lot of money after finishing the fight quickly, but it still feels very unrewarding after a while and more like a chore.
Funnily enough, my boyfriend bought Okami for me on his Xbox-one today. I haven’t played it in like, four years maybe? Four or five? I’m looking forward to delving into it again!
I bought this way back on PS2 and it became one of my favorite games ever. I bought it again on Wii and again on PS4. I still love playing it and have no idea why it never got a squeal. It's an amazing game.
A video from Thinny?! I hope you're back for good.
I've not even started the video yet... I best go do that. Thanks!
Just finished the game today :)
Because I played it in a short time frame, I wanna point out that there had been a secondary mission mentioned-that being Amaterasu’s inevitable return to the Celestial Plain. A couple of characters mention it throughout the world and I forget how, but it is explicitly discussed as your main goal at the beginning within Kamiki. However a lot of players would forget that detail since Issun does not remind you of it, probably primarily for story reasons since he doesn’t look forward to parting with you. Waka alludes to it repeatedly instead. So the protagonist’s destination was not completely unknown, but I agree with you that it does not compare to the satisfaction of fulfilling Orochi’s myth. I really didn’t care for that first arc being rehashed later as well-it felt cheap to me, like a way to try and get players invested in a later boss without making up anything new for what could have been a very interesting dungeon/arena/aesthetic with all the mystery about technology that was teased.
One of my favorite experiences was seeing Issun eventually get burnt for his misogynistic attitude after having felt oddly about the issue as a kid who never completed the game (never even got halfway!). Looking back, there were so many “girlbosses” (positive) and dynamic women everywhere in Okami-most of all Amaterasu of course-and they nearly all have respectable character depth according to their prominence. The devs didn’t characterize ugly women as malicious disproportionally more than they did ugly men either, which is legitimately an achievement, especially when drawing so heavily from mythology which is frequently very stigmatizing of women. With all the “fat” women being portrayed as normal and valuable and women acting as strong agents of change in the world, I think the devs fairly earned their handful of cute busty dancers and Sakuya and Issun’s character arc. You have to deliberately return to corners of the game to see optional adult nods as well which I think is a charming effort they put in to self-censor, so that kids are very unlikely to find the most edgy stuff. For example, I missed Susano and Kushi during the festival and I’m mad about it because I was looking specifically for them!! Oops, guess I’ll have to replay to peep on them and buy the poop move 😇💩
I cannot even express how much I loved this video about my favorite game of all time,really. The love and passion that went into this really wants me to play the game again.
I remember buying the game on PS2 and being *so hyped* about it...until I heard the character dialogue and was so put off that I had to put it away for months. Then after I got more into japanese culture and the ound and flow of the japanese language, the language of the game didn't feel that alien anymore and I fell in ove with it
Great analysis!!!!!!
Thank you so much!
I honestly gave up at the first town and never went back to the game because i was really frustrated with all the tutorial text there is.
I dont think i can put up with it again but your video is good so far.
I highly recommend persevering past the first hour or so and getting past the tutorial sections! It's a really wonderful game once it lets go of your hand!
MY BOY IS BACK
Using reflectors as shields is pretty fun. If you time it right, you can suplex enemies. Certain ones give you demon fangs for doing it
just when i thought i was out they pull me back in
Really great review
Great Video! Glad they went with the cell shade style, otherwise the 3D would've looked dated (But I think it would've been given the upgrade treatment like Shadow of the Colossus). The backtracking did annoy me, but once I found the mermaid amulet it was no worries with me.
57:14
Are they called Mr. and Mrs. Orange because they have oranges on their head?
Or do they have oranges on their head because they are called Mr. and Mrs. Orange?
Mind blown.
I do agree with pretty much everything you've said, though I do think the limitations of the design do come down to the time it was made, being on the PS2 first, and I can't think of any games at the time where they had that overworld exploration with gated off combat arenas.
Whereas nowadays we have games that do both well, so my hope is IF we get an Okami sequel, they could really expand on the design this game has.
Yeah I always wanted to learn how to use the Glade but I ended up just using the Rosary the whole time because it was OP.
The “pretentious sign” over the dojo has the words 色即是空 written on it, which is from the buddhist Heart Sutra. The meaning is “form is emptiness”
I can imagine this sign is called “pretentious “ by Issun because placing this plaque outside the dojo is almost a claim to the owner’s spiritual attainment by awakening to the truth of emptiness and form. Meanwhile Issun at this stage of his journey is rejecting his own calling to spirituality and art (something which is closely tied in japanese and chinese art) and thus turns his nose up at this sort of sentiment. (I would love to see the original japanese version to see what he says)
I hope that you see this comment even though this video released at least three years prior.
That's really interesting! I always wondered what it said, thank you so much for answering!
I've been thinking to do a video like this at some point in my life but I guess I don't need to anymore
20 minute video: how long is this? Holy cow.
Hour long video: oh my good I can’t stop watching.
Honestly I think one of the reasons I enjoyed okami the first times I played and replayed it was because, besides being a child, I didn't know english at all, so my first playthrough felt very rewarding since I just skipped dialogue and tried to figure everything out with the controls and visual cues (which were sometimes obscure but still present), I sometimes would ask my dad to translate in the important developments of the story (when the cutscenes were too long lol). As I grew up, I understood the language better replay after replay and found the constant hand holding and Issun's constant interrupting obnoxious.
One of the really good things that okami den did was letting you choose getting hand holded or not (I got it when it came out so I was still little so I didn't know the colloquial words used for said options so once again had to figure everything out but now without tutorials). So if you're playing for the first time and have patience, skip all the tutorial and figure it all out.
From all this and the critique on the first half of the video you can conclude the game was intended for a very young audience that's probably just starting to get into games.
Enjoyed your appreciation towards the game's aesthetic, ost and story, in those areas the game is absolutely perfect. The only time I've ever cried with a game was the reset (thank you) scene, specially with what Oki says to Issun; one of the main reasons I was so infatuated as a child with this game was because it combined my two most loved things, art and wolves!
I do agree with the uselessness of the items, in all the times I've played the game I've only used them once anf it was just to see what they did then never again. I Also died on purpose just to see the cool statue shattering animation.
I remember in my preteens dreaming about an okami sequel that was just a dark souls + okami hybrid lol.
RIP Clover studio
Welcome back!
"celestial brush" is in arx fatalis and turgor game
Great video. Okami is an incredible game!
He's back! :D
When using lillypads I would use the wind to blow me in the right direction.
Return of the King
Devil gate trials can be done at the beginning of the game. This person said that they are late game.
Fantastic analysis, this is one of my favorite PS2 games.
simlish is so much better than no sound at all
in klonoa simlish is better than anything real VO could achieve
this game is my life.... thank you ammy
Still love the Wii version because of the brush mechanic, but fuck attacking with the sheild just did not work
This would make a great anime
Love the lisp
For a review like this 6k views is just so criminally sad
Thank you for the video
🐐
I have played it originally on the PS2, then PS3, PS4 and Switch, and I have played Okamiden on the Nintendo DS Lite, beat the game in Japanese and English, Okamiden is far more difficult than Okami, because of the non regenerating of the ink like inOkami, but the sense of satisfaction I got from beating the game was higher than Okami, however, I still feel a great sense when beating the final boss in Okami, it means a lot to me, the whole game, music everything is just so special!
I played it for a short while way back in 2012 on a Wii and hated it tremendously. It was mostly the art style coupled with the 480p the game ran at. It was genuinely nauseating to look at. I started playing it again recently on my PS5 and I rather like it. My biggest gripe is Issun. He interrupts you at every opportunity to give you an obnoxiously lengthy explanation about something that you can figure out at a passing glance. I'm 22 hours in and his dialogue does not let up. The game is also terribly easy. I've never even been close to a fail state in the 22 hours I've played this game. I think the most damage I've taken in a fight is one tick of health. But the story is very good. An interesting take on mythology. But once I finish I don't see myself playing this again any time soon. Aside from the story all other aspects of the game are pretty weak. Not terrible. But not particularly rememberable either. I would love to see a remake of this game though. One that reworks the combat system and all the dungeons.
I think Issun's perviness could've been replaced by some thieving tendencies. He already comments on helping himself with treasures every now and then, it would still be a character flaw to contrast with his final state but wouldn't be as out-of-place as infantile adult humor that discourages people from showing the game to kids.
I really liked Orochi only being the first act villain, it's another way Okami makes itself unique. It plays out like a multi-arc anime.
The Ark could have used more mentions earlier, though. I guess they didn't want to bog down stories with elements of later stories or give away what the climax would be, but it does make it less impactful when you first find the ark and then learn what it is.
It's also not clear to me what's the relationship between Orochi and Yami based on statements in the ark.
thinreaper delivers :D for some reason it doesn't show up on all videos section of your channel though and i didn't get a notification even when the bells on weird
hollownite1234 It’s supposed to be unlisted! Was going to publish it tonight, no idea how you were able to watch it yet XD Hope you enjoy!
@@thinreaper oh xD
hollownite1234 no worries! I found out why, It’s because unlisted videos still appear in playlists which I didn’t realise! It’ll be released properly at 6pm GMT!
Did no one tell him you could use wind to steer lilipads?
Well aware of that but since that's an even slower and more awkward way of traversing water, I didn't see the point in mentioning it.
@@thinreaper idk I think it’s a little more fun than platforming
While I do agree that the game is too easy I did see a Twitter response from Hideki Kamiya saying that there should be no difficulty when experiencing folklore. Which is interesting here’s a link to what he said. i.imgur.com/hRuOwBs.png
Yeah, I've seen this before since making the video or else I would have addressed it. I don't think that's a particularly valid response to the criticism tbh. There IS challenge and difficulty present within the game. Even if it is mostly easy, it is still there, there's no doubt about that, so his reasoning doesn't hold up for me. And if he really did intend for it to be that easy, then all the resulting issues I discussed that stem from that are still a problem. If something is flawed by design, it's still flawed.
If I'm honest, I don't really believe his explanation at all, I think it's something he's made up after the fact.
Why would Ammy "being a god" make her "the pinnacle of her species evolution"? Wouldn't it make her quite literally the protean version of her species?
No
I like This game now😮😢😂❤
She does get fall damage but you have to be in specific areas
What the HECK
i fully agree that the game was way too easy, i used the weakest reflector weapon you get at the start of the game through the ENTIRE game on my very 1st playthrough where i didn't know what the game had in store for me, even when it forced a switch, i switched back because i wanted battles to last, and not once did i have to use items until the final boss where i genuinely had to heal a bit more because of how hard the attacks were to dodge, but no power increase, no godhood increase, no ink refill, no blasts, no sub weapon, it was all too easy especially with the brush techniques
I never got around to play this one. I should at some point.
I believe Nippon is Japanese for well… Japan
It is
56:52 This whole section was a good example of cultural difference, because on the other side of the planet this is not adult humor, but just humor. In Japan (and really Asia in general) female sex appeal is for the most part seen as same thing as cuteness. This is why so often Japanese media doesn't hesitate to sexualize female characters, because in their mind they're just making them cuter.
It's a bit ironic you bring up Zelda, since it also does that. So Okami has well endowed characters, but Zelda has the great fairies, for example. But neither have dick jokes.
I can't speak much on Japanese culture but come on, there's a gulf of difference between how Zelda and Okami portray women and the subject of sex. The fairies' designs might, in one of the games, have big boobs and cleavage but there aren't multiple women, each with multiple close up shots of huge bouncing breasts and a character that constantly talks about them. It's crazy to act like they're on the same level to invalidate my point.
@@thinreaper I'm pointing out the difference between cultures. The difference between Zelda and Okami, or whether your point is valid or not is irrelevant.
Guess who’s back, back again
Zelda wishes it was Okami. Fight me