Okami is a Guiness World Record holder. For real. However, it's not a very good one, as Okami is the least commercially successful winner of a game of the year award (2006) in gaming history. To call this an underappreciated classic is an understatement. However, as part of the problem, I've never played this game until recently. When this game came out for Steam, I decided to give this HD re-release a shot. What a game. Why the hell didn't I play this sooner?

The player controls Amaterasu, the Shinto goddess of the sun in the form of a wolf. With the help of Issun, a wandering artist, Amaterasu runs around Nippon gathering up all the abilities she lost from before in order to save Nippon from evil. Along the way, Amaterasu befriends allies and battles enemies to achieve this goal. That's really all I care to speak about the story, due to potential spoilers and the sheer length of the game. Okami took me 40 hours to beat, and that's without grinding for any particular item or anything. It simply has an epic tale that is a joy to experience.

At first play, it is impossible for the player to not notice the unique graphics Okami uses. I firmly believe that cel-shaded games benefit most from these HD remakes, and Okami takes almost full advantage. The watercolor vibe really does give this game a ton of character, and it being in HD helps keep its graphics looking great even in 2018. Every single level has immense character due to this, from the foliage of the trees to the evil emanating from enemies. At some points, seeing the sky blue colors contrast with the sunset red is simply awe-inspiring. Okami is truly a beautiful game.

However, there is one issue that ties in with the graphics -- this game is 30fps in gameplay (60fps in menus). This was an initial problem for me, as I play first-person shooters in 144+fps, so my eyes had to adjust to the blur. This is probably moreso a problem for PC Master Race gamers, who expect more out of any game today. However, being that Okami was originally a PS2 title, the framerate is tied in with its physics and gameplay. I'd rather have a fun game to play at 30fps than a broken game at higher framerates, and as my eyes adjusted, this became a non-issue.

The only other thing about Okami is that, well, it's incredibly easy. I promise I say this without bragging, but I didn't come close to dying once during the 40 hour playthrough. However, in an age where people claim things like, "Crash Bandicoot is the Dark Souls of platformers," maybe its lack of difficulty isn't the worst thing in the world. Should the player want a challenge, there are no other difficulty levels, but Okami enthusiasts told me its de-facto "hard mode" is playing without upgrades. Its difficulty could also be interpreted as child-friendly, too, for parents looking for a gift for their kid to play. Ultimately, this is a non-problem.

That's because Okami is just so much fun to play. It is incredibly charming, with memorable characters, an epic story, and an engaging adventure. Its combat is so simple, but it works so well. Amaterasu's main ability is her Celestial Brush, which allows her to use a multitude of abilities against enemies while attacking. This is done very well both with a controller or with a mouse and keyboard. The exchange between painting your enemies to death while attacking them is seamless and also satisfying. This style of gameplay help make Okami's boss battles clever and fun to fight. The brush abilities extend to out of combat, too, where they're used to complete puzzles and progress to new areas in the game. These aspects all make Okami a rewarding and satisfying game to play, despite its lack of difficulty.

The sound deserves a special mention, too. The music is wonderful. Okami is a very chill game to play, and its music fits within the mood of the world Okami creates, whatever the situation. Thematically, it showcases a style of traditional Japanese music that matches the Shinto backstory it tells, and really helps immerse the player into the story or the battle. The sound effects are almost as vibrant as the graphics themselves. The "dialogue" comes from the school of Banjo-Kazooie, and its Sims-ish speech only lends to the game's charm, in my opinion. The sound this game delivers is on the same level as every other aspect of it -- excellence.

However, Okami's brilliance is its ability to tie all of its excellent parts together into one amazing package. Its gameplay gimmick ties in with Okami's graphics itself, which dovetails perfectly with its music, which is further buttressed by its story, which showcases the charming characters, and so on. All these aspects complement each other so well, it makes Okami the brilliant game that it is. And while this game wasn't fully appreciated in the past, I'm glad that we get a second chance to experience playing it in 2018 and beyond. It would be a shame to continually miss out.

Okami is a masterpiece.

Okami is a Guiness World Record holder. For real. However, it's not a very good one, as Okami is the least commercially successful winner of a game of the year award (2006) in gaming history. To call this an underappreciated classic is an understatement. However, as part of the problem, I've never played this game until recently. When this game came out for Steam, I decided to give this HD re-release a shot. What a game. Why the hell didn't I play this sooner? The player controls Amaterasu, the Shinto goddess of the sun in the form of a wolf. With the help of Issun, a wandering artist, Amaterasu runs around Nippon gathering up all the abilities she lost from before in order to save Nippon from evil. Along the way, Amaterasu befriends allies and battles enemies to achieve this goal. That's really all I care to speak about the story, due to potential spoilers and the sheer length of the game. Okami took me 40 hours to beat, and that's without grinding for any particular item or anything. It simply has an epic tale that is a joy to experience. At first play, it is impossible for the player to not notice the unique graphics Okami uses. I firmly believe that cel-shaded games benefit most from these HD remakes, and Okami takes almost full advantage. The watercolor vibe really does give this game a ton of character, and it being in HD helps keep its graphics looking great even in 2018. Every single level has immense character due to this, from the foliage of the trees to the evil emanating from enemies. At some points, seeing the sky blue colors contrast with the sunset red is simply awe-inspiring. Okami is truly a beautiful game. However, there is one issue that ties in with the graphics -- this game is 30fps in gameplay (60fps in menus). This was an initial problem for me, as I play first-person shooters in 144+fps, so my eyes had to adjust to the blur. This is probably moreso a problem for PC Master Race gamers, who expect more out of any game today. However, being that Okami was originally a PS2 title, the framerate is tied in with its physics and gameplay. I'd rather have a fun game to play at 30fps than a broken game at higher framerates, and as my eyes adjusted, this became a non-issue. The only other thing about Okami is that, well, it's incredibly easy. I promise I say this without bragging, but I didn't come close to dying once during the 40 hour playthrough. However, in an age where people claim things like, "Crash Bandicoot is the Dark Souls of platformers," maybe its lack of difficulty isn't the worst thing in the world. Should the player want a challenge, there are no other difficulty levels, but Okami enthusiasts told me its de-facto "hard mode" is playing without upgrades. Its difficulty could also be interpreted as child-friendly, too, for parents looking for a gift for their kid to play. Ultimately, this is a non-problem. That's because Okami is just so much fun to play. It is incredibly charming, with memorable characters, an epic story, and an engaging adventure. Its combat is so simple, but it works so well. Amaterasu's main ability is her Celestial Brush, which allows her to use a multitude of abilities against enemies while attacking. This is done very well both with a controller or with a mouse and keyboard. The exchange between painting your enemies to death while attacking them is seamless and also satisfying. This style of gameplay help make Okami's boss battles clever and fun to fight. The brush abilities extend to out of combat, too, where they're used to complete puzzles and progress to new areas in the game. These aspects all make Okami a rewarding and satisfying game to play, despite its lack of difficulty. The sound deserves a special mention, too. The music is wonderful. Okami is a very chill game to play, and its music fits within the mood of the world Okami creates, whatever the situation. Thematically, it showcases a style of traditional Japanese music that matches the Shinto backstory it tells, and really helps immerse the player into the story or the battle. The sound effects are almost as vibrant as the graphics themselves. The "dialogue" comes from the school of Banjo-Kazooie, and its Sims-ish speech only lends to the game's charm, in my opinion. The sound this game delivers is on the same level as every other aspect of it -- excellence. However, Okami's brilliance is its ability to tie all of its excellent parts together into one amazing package. Its gameplay gimmick ties in with Okami's graphics itself, which dovetails perfectly with its music, which is further buttressed by its story, which showcases the charming characters, and so on. All these aspects complement each other so well, it makes Okami the brilliant game that it is. And while this game wasn't fully appreciated in the past, I'm glad that we get a second chance to experience playing it in 2018 and beyond. It would be a shame to continually miss out. Okami is a masterpiece.