Okami

Jan 4, 2008

Try playing Twilight Princess after staying awake for 72 consecutive hours and you’ll be well on your way to understanding what Okami, formerly developed for and released on PS2, is all about. Taking control of a Sun Goddess reincarnated in the form of a white wolf, and accompanied on your travels by - yes! - a talking flea, you set out to do… er… slay some demons, indulge in some lady rescue, that kind of thing. The plot (of which there is plenty, admittedly) isn’t so important. It’s about the ride, not the destination.

What makes Okami such a (ahem) stroke of genius - and a perfect fit for Wii - is the unique way that you interact with the world. You can turn the game world into an easel at any moment and ‘draw’ stuff onto the environment. You could draw a bomb, a gust of wind, or even a jet of water. The dungeon puzzles are about as taxing as a Saturday Morning TV competition question, it’s true, but it’s all so lovely, you won’t even notice. As mad as a brush, this one. Be sure to check out the screens.

Above: This tussle with Orochi is amazing; each of the heads needs a different brush technique to kill it off