Okami is a game I had heard so much about over the years, but was one I had never actually played. With the release of the HD remaster on the Switch however, I have now had the chance to play the game myself for the first time.
Okami is definitely a unique experience to be sure. The game is very much inspired by The Legend of Zelda, but manages to give itself a very different feel. In fact, I can see where the Zelda series itself borrowed some ideas, and not just in the idea of a wolf protagonist. I am instead referring to the towns visited in the game, as I feel that Breath of The Wild took some ideas from here.
Okami beautifully incorporated Japanese culture and mythos into a from that can be appreciated and understood by anyone. If you were already familiar with Japanese folklore, myth and legend, then you will appreciate Okami’s storytelling even more. But the narrative is only half the presentation, as the beautiful cell shaded art has aged wonderfully. Okami doesn’t look like a remaster, but like a game that was only recently made to begin with. This is a testament to the cell shaded graphics, and the agelessness of them.
In terms of controls, Okami was more fun than I anticipated. The touch screen controls work perfectly for the brush mechanics in the game, but the joy-cons also work well and give you a good feeling of control. As for the rest of the game, it is perhaps the best Zelda game not made by Nintendo. The exploration is fun, and the combat and puzzles took from the best of its inspiration and put a new a unique twist that could only be done here.
For fans of Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, you will feel right at home here. Okami is an epic on par with those games and has only a few flaws. One of those is the way the camera works, which does feel dated by today’s standards. That being said though, it does not get in the way of enjoying the experience of Okami. If there is one thing I feel iffy by, it was the HD rumble. It is not bad by any means, but did feel like a bit much to me. However, this is a personal gripe and I have seen others say that the HD rumble is completely fine.
Overall, I loved Okami. I never had a chance to play it before as I said above, and I was worried about the possibility that I would end up feeling the game would suffer from hype backlash. I am pleased that, camera issues aside, the game truly does live up to the reputation that has been built up around it. I love the work that was put into this port and encourage everyone to give Okami a try on Switch. Whether you play it in docked mode, or in handheld mode, the game plays wonderfully. This is a must have title for all.