The Beautiful Musical Textures of Okami
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- čas přidán 11. 05. 2024
- Okami's music is as beautiful and unique as its visual style, and in this video I take a look at how the approach to harmony, instrumentation, and texture are to thank for this!
Interview with Masami Ueda I referenced in the video: parkerchapin.wordpress.com/20...
0:00 - Introduction
1:32 - Japanese Aesthetic
2:59 - Cursed Shinshu Field
6:42 - Lake Harami
11:22 - Enter Waka
14:56 - Outro
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#Okami #gamemusic #8bitMusicTheory - Hry
this game is pure art, i think i never had another experience with games that can be compared with Okami. the music, the gameplay, the plot, the landscapes, everything is just awesome. it's one of those that you never get tired of playing.
This is gonna sound like a way off comparison but that's how I feel about the Dark Souls franchise lol the way the visual art, music (somber moments where there's nothing the sounds of the players footsteps clunking along crumbing castles, or squashing through muck filled swamps), and gameplay create a cohesive/immersive (albeit pointedly oppressive) world that's easy to get lost in.
@@peshkybee7721 Dark Souls is real life and anything else is just an pale imitation.
Fun fact! In the Japanese version of the game, Waka is speaking *English* instead of French! The localizers replaced it with French (rather than Japanese) in the English translation to keep the fancy-yet-out-of-place of it.
To me, Okami is so much more than "Zelda in Japan". The artistry on this games DNA is insanely unique. The presentation, music and gameplay are phenomenal in more ways than one and it truly saddened me that Clover studios closed after this masterpiece graced us.
Thanks for this great video dissecting one of my favorite soundtracks. )
Thank you. I feel the same way. I am just get so annoyed at Zelda fans who don't give this game a chance. Sure it was inspired by Zelda but it still has its own identity and is so unique. This is my favorite game of all time. I rebuy/redownload whenever I get a chance on my new gen consoles. I wish Clover Studio was still running but I am glad we are left with this treasure
Always funny when I see people say it's the best Zelda game, since Okami has more hand holding than any Zelda game and that was a major complaint online about recent-ish Zelda games. I replayed Okami like a year or two ago and the way the camera literally tells you the solution is ridiculous. lol
It always strikes me that Clover (mostly) became Platinum, with their next big hit being Bayonetta. Talk about thematic flexibility...
@@SolitareHeartz Okami is as much a "Zelda-like" as Final Fantasy is a "Dragon Quest-like." They're all variations on a core formula, not knockoffs. Those people are silly.
Really, they're just in the same genre, a genre which is in my opinion sorely undersaturated. Tunic is just about the only other game I can think of outside of those two series that feels like it's similar. Unlike Okami, it's clearly trying to evoke recognition of those similarities, and in fact, it felt to me like a modern re-imagining of Zelda 1, specifically. It's sort of... a very specific subgenre of the "action adventure" game like Horizon and God of War that focuses more on exploration and minor puzzles than on combat, though that's still present. The Souls formula on the other hand drops the puzzles and has a greater emphasis on combat, while the more modern zelda/okami games include a lot of dialogue instead. Such similar games can have incredibly different textures depending on which aspects their creators choose to emphasize.
My absolute favorite musical event comes just after Enter Waka.
PLOT SPOILERS FOLLOW
The first time you play through this game, assuming you didn't look anything up about the soundtrack, you don't know the names of the songs. They also play a bit of a mindgame with you; Amaterasu is a silent protagonist, and they play Waka off as an antagonist by making his language accusing and confrontational in that "you've lost so much power in your slumber" sort of way as if he's saying "you'll never defeat me now." Commence a battle with him after his dramatic sword-and-lightsaber unsheathing move, and the music becomes an energetic rendition of the common-enemy battle theme which soon gives way to letting Waka's shinobue theme flutter overtop while keeping the thumpy battle beat wumping away. Without New Game+ bonuses and equipment along with being early in the game where you probably haven't mastered the controls, the battle is actually quite difficult and you don't have time to really listen to and interpret what's playing in your ears as you trade blows.
Well, it turns out, that theme is named Playing with Ushiwaka. You later come to learn that Waka and Amaterasu aren't enemies; quite the opposite, ancient staunch allies. That energetic, upbeat version of the battle theme, with Waka's beautiful shinobue "solo;" they perfectly embody two siblings having a scuffle: yeah, it's serious (to them) and there probably will be bruises, but in the grander scheme they're really just playing together. Waka wants to see Amaterasu return to her former glory, and scolding and teasing her is his way to try to motivate her.
I listened to Playing with Ushiwaka on loop every morning on my walk to school for years.
That main melody in Playing with Ushiwaka is just too damn good. I remember listening to that song repeatedly also back when I first played this game. The entire game is just insanely magical.
Okami is one of those rare games for which a remake is not necessary. Timeless masterpiece.
As for the music, The COnsouls did a great job on re-imagining Enter Waka czcams.com/video/oJdv-y7orT4/video.html and also Reset czcams.com/video/scQD0UjDDbo/video.html
There was an HD remake, actually! Originally, this game was just on the PS2 and the Wii, and then in 2017 it was remastered for modern consoles and PC. But it was one of those ultra-rare instances (like Mass Effect: Legendary Edition) where the devs stayed true to the original copy and the only changes/additions they made were positive.
There was also a sequel on the Nintendo DS, but it wasn't really as good as the original and nobody really talks about it.
@@Lordgeorge16 oh I played the HD version on Switch. thought it was a simple remaster!
@@cooldebt wow a jazz cover?! Thank you for the recommendation!!
@@user-nt8dy4xw9r You might like to check out the 300+ other vgm jazz covers by The Consouls. Also if you tune into TwitchTV, they do request shows every now and then. Really fun stuff and brilliant jazz.
I remember seeing ads for Okami on Club Nintendo magazines during 2007-08 and wanting to play it so badly bc it looked beautiful. Finally had the chance to buy it in 2019 and my god it didn't disappoint, truly a work of art
You're lucky to have missed the Nintendo version of the game; the group porting the PS2 version to the Wii removed the papyrus filter which changed the feel of the art from textured like an ancient painting to flat fill-tooled technicolor garishness. Not to mention they _literally_ misplaced the beautiful heartstring-tugging end credits roll, so it just didn't get included...
@@OOZ662 yep, my first experience was on the Wii, I didn’t notice the differences until I replayed it years later
I played it for my third time last year, shortly after one of my cats died, as a comfort, and it served the role beautifully. It's truly a cozy game to go back to when I need a pickup.
@@OOZ662 Weren't the credits replaced because of licensing?
But yeah, everyone should watch the original credits after completing Okami.
Actually I just found that there is a mod on PC that restores the original credit.
Thank you for being the benchmark by which I judge my music theory understanding! I'm lost a little less each day/week/month that goes by.
How constructive! I wish I could say the same… maybe the way for me to do so would be to use the videos’ ideas myself, like how 8bmt did in the wind quintet video
9:28 not to mention having that F natural in the left hand of Harp on a strong beat 3 against an E in the melody. That's about as much crunch as you could get from a passage that rests on one primary chord, but again, it's all to enhance the atmosphere and aesthetic.
Okami has a fantastic OST and is an exceptional gaming experience overall. I hope this game continues to get the love and attention it so rightly deserves!
this game was my childhood. the pure artistry held within it is practically unmatched in how beautiful it is
I can't get over how gorgeous the art direction in this game is! From the music to the world and character design, it perfectly creates a solid sense of place!
by now, everyone knows Xenoblade 3 had custom flutes made for their main characters' diegetic music
But what few know is the Okami composer had a special lightsaber-flute made for Waka's theme, just for accuracy (and to fend off Capcom's meddlers trying to close Clover Studio.)
i know genuinely nothing about music theory, but this channel always has such amazing uploads. okami/okamiden are some of my favorites, and extremely underrated, so it makes me overjoyed to see this pop up on my page. waiting for the omori video 🫡
Really gonna need you to do a full deep dive on Okami, the music in this game is just incredible and is one of the main reasons why I've replayed it every year since it was released.
The entire soundtrack is actually around 6 hours long, which is absolutely insane.
The theme of the celestials is by far my favorite song in Okami. It hit me so suddenly but captured the feeling of the heavens without even ever seeing it so perfectly
cliche "never have i ever clicked so fast" comment, this is my favorite game, i still have the oregami that came with it on ps3 version!
Played this game when i wasaround 10 years old. I'm 23 now, but still one of my favorite games of all time. Something about the game's music just sticks with you forever.
This is great! Thank you again! This makes me want to put Okami at the top of my backlog. It also kind of makes me want to play Samurai Showdown
I may cry. My all time favorite game covered by my favorite channel. Such a dream come true
I've been waiting literally years for this. Okami is definitely one of my top five games of all time.
Still one of my top 5 games of all time, due in no small part to the music.
“The Sun Rises” is my vote for the BEST final boss theme. Going from Yami’s scraping music, to the sound of losing all hope then realizing your power it’s so daunting to make a theme that fully encapsulates what feels like the moment when hope is truly returned to Nippon. And yet they pulled it off beautifully by having the motifs following our journey fully realized in this song. Like this is my favorite game and I hated Yami’s design and was fully prepared for a lousy ending until this song kicked in and I truly felt like a god.
Fantastic video, as always! The care you take in selecting interesting topics and especially in making so many transcriptions to analyze really comes across in your videos! Impeccable work!
Legitimately one of my favorite games ever made. I've 100%'ed it on literally every platform but xbox, and I even have a ps2 japanese copy. It's pure art from every angle
I love your impression when reading the quotes xD
How convenient! A video about my current hyper fixation!
I was recently introduced to this game and fell in love instantly with its charming art style and engaging story and gameplay. So glad to see it covered here!
god I’ve been waiting for someone to make a video on its soundtrack
YES OKAMI CONTENT!! IVE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC! THANK YOU!
It just so happened the HD version was on sale when this video came out so I decided to pick it up and play it before watching your video and wow what an experience!
Okami has been my favorite game since I was 11. Thirteen years later, after countless replays, i find myself tearing up while watching this video. The emotions that well up hearing these beautiful songs…
Thank you for making this video. I know nothing about music theory, but seeing someone appreciate this game as much as I do really touches my heart. Thank you
Thank you for helping me to appreciate one of my favourite soundtracks even more!
Thanks so much for the analysis and breakdown dude! Definitely helps give me more clear ideas for my own music! ❤❤❤
You don't know how grateful i am you made this video, i love the ost of this game
literally one of my top games of all time thank you ❤
Okami has one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. Like you mentioned, it's one part of a beautiful harmony that synchronizes every aspect of the game, and every single aspect enhances the other. Thank you for making a great video on it.
I can't believe I almost missed this on my feed. And oh yeah I'm gonna have to play this baby again.
Okami was for me such a unique and magic game when I was just a kid and happened to watch a let's play of it.
This game created such beautiful memories in my mind and the music still rings in my ears...
I love your video, I really do even though I don't understand everything in music theory.
I am looking forward all your future videos and hopefully one of them will be about Genshin Impact's majestic ost.
I LOVE okami's music so much, it is SO great!
Woohoo! I just got back into this game and now you're covering it!
I've never played this game but it looks so good! Thanks for introducing me to it's beautiful visuals and sound
So glad you finally got to my request! Thanks!
I love this game tysm for making a vid abt it!
Even after playing this game way too may times, the music is still so good to listen to. Thanks for making an episode on one of my favorite games
Also great are the covers of Enter Waka and Reset by The Consouls czcams.com/video/oJdv-y7orT4/video.html and czcams.com/video/scQD0UjDDbo/video.html
I really wondered when you are finally going to cover Okami! Better late then never. Great video but I would've liked to hear more about the livelier tunes in the game as well.
Everything about the game is sheer brilliance. The sense of immersion is among the deepest of any title I've yet delved into.
Ohh, i love this one game, nice to see that you did a video about it, cool
Finally a video on Okami! Probably my 2nd favorite game of all time, only behind Banjo-Kazooie. The game is pure art, not only visually, but also in its soundtrack. Simply amazing!
Okami is one of my favorite games and I think it's incredibly underrated! Thanks for doing a video on it, I don't see a lot of Okami content and it's super deserved 😀
The Consouls have covered Enter Waka and Reset but I'm hoping they'll cover more czcams.com/video/oJdv-y7orT4/video.html and czcams.com/video/scQD0UjDDbo/video.html czcams.com/video/scQD0UjDDbo/video.html
Nice to see this game/genre
YAY! I'm happy to be alive for this to now be made. But real talk:
This game has had something about its music that i was wondering if there would ve talks for how it is and ways it just changes the music in locations
Finally, and this game is so underrated, solving the limited technology restrictions with artistic innovation.
I wonder if you would also analyze more fast paced pieces in Okami as well?
this soundtrack is overwhelmingly beautiful
8BMT: and so as you can see here the composer used the raised 14th instead of the natural 5th to create a violydian scale which some might call peptotonic which is exactly why this track feels so mysterious and ethereal.
Me, not a drop of musical theory in his blood: yeah too right bestie that's what I've been saying. *Likes* *moves on to the next 8BMT vid*
I slowly start to understand better your videos, you are a great teacher tho
How have I not found this channel until now!?!?! That k you for covering this game and the ocarina tunes of Ocarina Of Time!!
Not sure if I've never heard of this game or just don't remember it. Either way thank you. What a gift this game and this analysis of it's music are. I'm excited to find it and play it
I understood absolutely nothing, as usual. But I always love listening to you talk about what makes the music I love so great. Thank you for these videos, and have a comment for the algorithm in return.
great song choices from this OST!!
YESSSS THANKS FOR TALKING AB MY FAVE GAME
I'm so glad I'm finally early for a 8 bit video
Oh man, you finally talked about this masterpiece =D
The game has a quite beautiful soundtrack but, even though I'm studying music I couldn't decipher exactly the techniques used in the soundtrack (instrumentation aside), so thanks for this video, by the way, could you make a video about the soundtrack of Klonoa? The games also have an interesting soundtrack with dream-like characteristics, I tried to analyse it myself, but I still haven't enough knowledge of music theory.
This was one of my favorite games growing up, I beat the whole thing several times.
I would love if you were to cover music from another of my childhood games in the 'Gradius' series (mostly Gradius 3)
My favourite youtube channel.
Thank you. Okami is a masterpeace. It's all perfect and love. One of the best games ever.
SO MUCH CONTENT
i adore this game so much i got amaterasu as my second tattoo. planing on expanding it in the future into a sleeve to incorporate the brush gods. this game had such a huge impact on me as a kid
Okami! My brother left behind this game along with our Wii when he moved out and I can't belive I haven't even opened it since! I didn't know it looked this cool at all. Definitely need to play aaaa I love the style sm.
I'll recommend the HD remaster on PC and modern consoles, but of course play it however you're most comfortable. I understand that the Wii version lacks the "paper" visual effect that's pretty distinctive, but I actually think it's unnecessary. The drawing controls may be more enjoyable with a wiimote than a joystick. That said, honestly, they're not hard at all with a joystick, and the higher resolution of the more recent ports is absolutely a good thing.
Not sure on what topic you could cover on that one, as I am not very knowledgeable of music theory (beginner musician here), but could you please take your time to make an analysis of the Omori soundtrack?? It sounds kind of unique, a little goofy, floaty and otherworldly at times, and a little disturbing, epic and melancholic at other times.
Love your stuff, even though I don't speak music, I can somewhat understand what you mean through your examples, and I like to think that through your videos I appreciate the music that i listen to, especially vg music, even more than I already do, trying to notice patterns and rhythmic ideas that I would have never noticed before.
Also, side question, would you want to analyze any of the music from the new pokemon game?
Hi there, I just discovered your channel, and it’s fantastic. I was surprised you hadn’t done a video on Skyrim’s soundtrack. Would you consider it in the future? Thanks for the content!
okami is a master class in attempting to make an old style of music more "modern" and it fits the bill perfectly. the game it's self is filled to the brim with mountains of Japanese folk lore and myths like the 13 brush gods being a play on the 13 gods of japan that some people live by and even amatarasu the sun god is presented as a wolf dog because dogs usually mean loyalty as the sun god is portrayed in japanese history. and the art style of the game is absolutely beautiful more akin to a mix of japanese paintings from the edo and heian periods respectivly.
Best game ever made. I'll probably die before a sequel comes out, but I'll be waiting forever just as I have been since 2006
Love the music from this game.
I remember playing this game in my grandparent's house on the Wii probably one of the best games out there
Okami literally changed my life
I remember watching Chuggaconroy playing this around 10 years ago and I fell in love with it, now I bought it on my ps5 and I intend to 100% it one day!
god between the research into the origins of the roblox oof sound, the film about the origins of disney channel's main theme, and now this, the past week or so has been an absolute blast for detailing the intricacies and ingenious of music and sound in media and art.
This game truly will never be replaced by Anything it’s so unique and sadly not many people know of it
okami is a great game
Hi 8bit! Can you make a video or some kind of list that has both acceding and descending intervals in video games so we can use them in Music Theory? I think a lot of the songs they give us are starting to become less and less known and when Im a teacher one day, I need some fun stuff to show them! Have a great day and thank you for your great content
That's some good music right there.
I've played this game more times than I can count and platinumed it 3 times over. People love to chalk Okami up to "Japan Zelda clone," but the whole feel and fit-together of the world in Okami makes me want to keep coming back.
I replay the game every year or so and the music is extremely nostalgic. I used the clover 🍀 ⭕ blooming sound as my notification for like 10 years and only just changed it recently lol
It's very "zelda-like" in terms of structure, but I think that just means that it's one of extremely few examples of the *genre* of zeldalikes. It has entirely its own identity and never tries to ride the coat-tails of the Zelda franchise. It just has the same sort of gameplay design that emphasizes exploration, side quests, and minor puzzles over combat. (Also narrative, in the modern Zelda games and in Okami, though less so in Zelda 1 and Tunic, having less dialogue.) I'd love to see more games in the genre and am frankly astonished that there aren't more. Tunic is just about the only other one that comes to mind.
Okami is one of my favourite game OSTs of all time, to the point I ordered the CD of the game OST from Japan (before it was on any streaming service lmao)
You might like to check out The COnsouls' coveres of Enter Waka and Reset czcams.com/video/oJdv-y7orT4/video.html and also Reset czcams.com/video/scQD0UjDDbo/video.html
So did I!
It feels so good to have a physical copy of this beautiful music, that nobody can take away from me.
This is awesome. I never would have noticed if you hadn’t pointed out all the sus chords but I think there are similar harmonies and atmospheric intent in Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell? Maybe you could do a video on “video game music as concept album?” Or it’d make a great thesis for some poor musicology grad student 😂
Yes!
Awooo!
Never not thinking about this game. One of the few PS2 games I kept even after selling the system.
Enter Waka is one of my favorite vgm pieces ever, which is saying a lot. I have half a mind to buy a shinobue.
And Enter Waka is one of my favourite Consouls covers! (I also love what they did to Reset)
@@cooldebt A Consouls fan, we have a person of culture here folks (though, there probably quite a lot of overlap between their viewerbase and this channels)
Oh yea, I love Okami music 🛐
6:08 Actually, to MY ear, it sounds like more tension is CREATED when the Dm triad appears, compared to the previous Dsus2 chord. I guess the move from a major 9th to a minor 3rd sounds to me like a move to more sinister and maybe slightly more dissonant (it is further up in the harmonic series, even if the integer ratio interpretation of it's dissonance is not as much thanks to subharmonic series). This perception is weak, though, and I do hear the A7sus4-to-Am at 8:03 as a resolution.
it really is a special game
YES
Best game ost
Please also consider listening to the music of Oboro Muramasa! Combining traditional Japanese music with metal is amazing, and combines with the visuals to create amazing atmosphere. Highly recommend
Can definitely hear the original resident evil trilogy similarities in Okami. Love Masami Ueda's work.
great game, amazing soundtrack
3:27 - harp alone sounds like Oblivion
Fantastic video as always!
The A7sus4 over a minor scale is neat - my chord-scale brain did a double take before realizing that the 3 and 13 weren't in the chord, so it was all street-legal.
What makes it street legal?
Damn solid game. Maybe in my top 5 video games, particularly the Wii version.
Never played okami but love the music!
Also want to say I would love it if you a video about the xenoblade chronicles soundtrack