[PS2] Okami

I played the demo, and this game looks and plays amazing.

However, I am curious as to how deep the game will be. Will it just be doing random chores for the towns people?

Or will it play more like a Zelda type game?

I was just thinking what kind of game it would be, in terms of action/platform type games.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Anyone pick up last months issue of Play for the cover story on Okami? It has an interview with Atsushi Inaba, president of Clover and a preview before that. I scanned it because I planning on maybe using some of the art in a sig but if you guys are intrested in seeing the article i might up it.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'd like to see the article. We, for some reason, haven't seen anymore issues of play come in the mail at work, so yeah I'd really like to see that article.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Not the greatest scanner in the world but you can read everything and the pictures are pretty good (did some minor correction in ps as well): http://rapidshare.de/files/18203188/Play.rar.html

I was speaking idiomatically.

http://bt.eastgame.net/download.php?...4bb5788608d526

Game's out, and there's the torrent. I won't be downloading it, though, as I'll probably import the game directly when I'm not so busy.

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So hows the gameplay so far? Can anyone here give a review or impressions on the game?

EDIT: Never mind, I'm playing it.

Granted I've only played the beginning part, first village, but wow, the style and look of the game is amazing, it may be cell shaded and all that, but its one of the best looking games in the PS2. Like Shadow of Colossus, the graphics may not impress the people who like techinical graphical breakthroughs (Like the new MGS4 trailer), the art style and look of the game is amazing. The framerate is decent in the game, and animation is flawless. There are little details such as puffs of cartoon dust appears when you run, and the more you run the faster you get , and trails of flowers follow behind you. The whole Oriental calligraphy brush strokes are everywhere in the game, it looks like a moving Japanese art.

Gameplay wise, its fun, Okami has a headbutt move for combat uses and breaking pots for items, jump movements and swimming, which like most platform games lets you swim till the life meter runs out. The best thing though, is naturally the use of the BRUSH to solve puzzles and for use in Combat, there are many strokes and symbols you can gain as you play through (Since Im still beginning, I only have 3), and they assist you in many ways.

The first one I've got its a zig zag symbol(though for differenrt puzzles you may need to draw different shapes, as I'll tell you now), the symbol or stroke is used for repairing broken things like Bridges or a Watermill. You need to draw the approximate shape to fix things to keep going.

The 2nd one I've got is a very basic one, use in both combat and field. A horizontal stroke creats a Slash attack. it can cut down trees and certain boulders for Item pick ups, it can also be used for combat. In combat when you headbutt the enemies long enough, they turn Black and White, thats when you hit R1 and Draw a line on them to finish them off.

The 3rd one is a circle, which is used to draw a sun, which lights up the sky, and is used in later puzzles as well.

So far, I've been running around the first village helping people. There are also mini games you can participate to gain Items and such. One I tried is to dig up all the 10 radishes in this field without this Mother woman punch me. Once I do so I can talk to her son and he would give me a reward. There are other mini games that come later as well, so far Ive heard theres a whack-a-mole game somewhere later.

Overall so far, I'm having fun with this game.

FELIPE NO

Oh, this is fantastic.

It's almost like a breath of fresh air when a game like Okami comes to such a relatively stagnant industry. The visuals, the presentation, the gameplay - everything's nearly perfect, save for that damn Navi ripoff who's just as annoying. Calling a goddess "furball" should automatically get you annihilated.

Anyway, the presentation is absolutely top-shelf stuff. The visuals are wonderful and vivid, and I adore the fact that flowers spring up everywhere Amaterasu steps. I also enjoy her breakneck speed - she moves, she moves faster, and then she speeds forward with yellow flowers blooming behind her. It's incredible!

I love the fighting as well. Being a wolf and tearing into the enemy's bodies is so much fun and I love splitting them in half with the Celestial Brush. Speaking of which, I thought the brush's mechanics would feel a little awkward, but they really don't. In fact, it's really easy and enjoyable to pick up and play with.

This game is going to be excellent, no quesiton. At the very least, most artistic game of the year and likely most innovative game of the year, or at least a nomination for it. Sadly, this demo will have to keep my occupied for quite a few months before I get my hands on the real thing.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I've been wanting to grab this game since I saw a preview on TV. It looks really fun, moreso than most games that come out nowadays. The brush functions look really cool! Also, the soundtrack is quite the feat.

I can't wait for it to hit the shelves.

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A rip of the game's BGM has surfaced. Here's the torrent to it. It' about 410 mb.

Also, I got an update from CDJapan, apparently the game's OST is now 5 discs! I never would have expected a game like this to have so much music. Anyway, should be shipping at the end of the month, can't wait!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Okami has been on my wish list ever since I saw the TGS 2004 trailer on Cinamatech (of all places). It's been a long wait, but like so many other masterpieces in videogame history, it is well worth it. I've been playing through the Japanese version, and I really can't think of a single bad thing to say about it. Even the wierd character voices that some have complained about don't really bother me, and though Issun did kind of annoy me at first, I actually like him now.

Spoiler:

I think it's cute that when he and Amaterasu first meet they don't really like each other. Issun questions Amaterasu's divinity and her ability with the celestial brush, and Amaterasu obviously doesn't like being mocked by a bug (or whatever Issun is). But as they travel together, Issun begins to respect Amaterasu and she in turn protects him. The intro to the she-spider boss was particularly funny/cute. Amaterasu saves Issun from the arachnid by carrying him in her mouth, but Issun thinks that she's trying to eat him again, the way she did when they first met. I could imagine what Amaterasu was thinking at that moment: "You're an annoying loudmouth, but I kind of like having you around..."

I know I don't have to talk about how utterly gorgeous this game looks, but I will say this: as pretty as the screenshots at the official website are, the environments look even better in motion. Leaves flutter down from the trees, wisps of wind curve through the air in the distance, and reviving the dead trees across the land creates a swirl of color that explodes into a tidal wave of greenery. I'd have to say that this is probably the most unique looking game I've ever owned, with practically nothing borrowed from other titles visual-wise. When I think about how this game was originally supposed to have "photo-realistic" graphics, I'm grateful that they couldn't get it to work. There's a lot of time honored tradition and appreciation of that tradition apparent in the game as it stands now, and I think that had Clover Studio achieved what they were originally going for, all of this would have been lost.

As for the gameplay, it's fun and easy to pick up. All of the expected platform/adventure controls (running, jumping, combat, camera, etc) work well, and I'm particularly impressed by how easy it is to use the Celestial Brush. When I first heard about the concept, I was worried about how it would control with the analog sticks, but it actually works quite well. As for what you actually do in the game, a lot of it involves simply exploring the environments, reviving the land and undoing the damage caused by Orochi, an eight-headed dragon. Each area also has people who need your help, and while some can be ignored others are essential to progessing through the game. There are a fair amount of minigames (radish digging, fishing, whack-a-mole, racing, etc.) and sidequests are also in abundance--you can hunt special youkai (demons), feed the various wildlife you find in each area, and apparently there are special brush strokes you can get that aren't a part of the main storyline.

Now on to the music (my speciality ^_^). Everyone needs to download the torrent Hantei mentioned. Now. The music is, in one word, extraordinary. Traditional instruments--like the shamisen, koto, Japanese flute, and taiko drum--abound in this huge, 200+ track rip, and there is a noticeable nod to the traditional music and theater (in particular Noh) of Japan--that is, if you know what to look for. Most of the music features Western rhythms and chord progressions, though, so those who aren't fans of Japanese traditional music won't find themselves in completely new territory. Instruments aside, the music is beautiful, and even though there are some tracks I don't care for, there are also a ton of tracks I love to death. For example, the theme from the TGS 2004 trailer that I mentioned earlier is included in the game, and Issun's theme is turning out to be one of my favorites. I absolutely can't wait until the soundtrack is released at the end of the month. It's a "must buy" in my book.

Oh, and if the torrent is going too slow for anyone (it doesn't have a lot of peers at the moment, according to Isohunt), I can upload the rar file Shylph provided earlier this month (it's the same rip as the torrent) to someplace like File Factory or any other file sharing site that allows uploads in excess of 400 MB.

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Actually Lian, if you could post the .rar somewhere else other than BT, I'd really appreciate it. I equally share your excitement, maybe even more so since every day at work I get to play the demo. Shh don't tell my boss or he'll get mad.

Right now though, BT's no longer seeding anything and I barely got anything from what little was being seeded.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Sure thing, SouthJag. Here is a Megashares link. I've never used this site before so let me know if you have any problems downloading the file. By the way, the rar file itself is password protected, and the password is "rpgmm" (minus the quotation marks, of course ). Enjoy!

I was speaking idiomatically.

Awesome Lian. I'm gonna let it download as I sleep tonight. Thanks again!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

The last game I saw that was this visually appealing was Shadow of the Colossus, and Okami makes that one look bland in comparison. The latest E3 trailer has escalated my hype for the game tenfold. Wind Waker wishes it could have looked this good.

FELIPE NO

I had a chance to play through some of the japanese version.

First of all, you don't want to import it. Do you? Of course you don't. It's extremely text based and even the opening is about ten or fifteen minutes long. Of scrolling japanese text. And then BAM, japanese wall scroll transforms into 2D/3D world.

The most obvious thing in this is, it's entirely in japanese. There's not a hint of english in here, even if you tried to search. Which I didn't. But I don't need to. The game starts out by showing a person going into a castle and attempting to steal a sword, and by doing so unleashes an evil on the world.

The signs of evil alert the people of the town, and Issun (the female woman) summons the statue of Amaterasu to come alive. It does so, and then she proceeds to lick herself. Not the woman, the dog. Although that would probably have made the game even better.

Your tutorial assistant is (from what I can tell) a cricket which bounces on your nose. Amaterasu tries to eat it at first, but no such luck. Your first task is to enter a castle and slice a statue with the paintbrush, which releases your attacks. The second part is a tutorial, explaining how the paintbrush works, how it changes scenery, and what your different attacks do.

If you dig up this guy's vegetable patch he'll come and smack you. Yeah, pet abuse.

Square is a headbutt attack. X is your typical jump attack (and you can double jump easily if you're next to a wall or whatever). Circle allows you to drag people by the arm with your teeth to different areas (which isn't only pointless, but horribly entertaining) and triangle allows you to dig.

After the tutorial forces you through painting in the sky, creating a bridge from one end to another, slicing enemies in half, and whathaveyou, now it's on to gameplay. Proper gameplay. The first thing you'll notice is that your speed is greater depending on how long you're in motion.

It all makes for a really cute game, but you can't really follow the depth as it's in japanese. The graphics are awesome, but they are a bit blurry as everything has a glow to it. Some of the key features in the game are: breaking/slicing things with the paintbrush to reach new areas, changing day to night with the sky, cutting people's grass, generally helping the townsfolk as much as you can.

If you don't do anything for awhile, the "evil" will shroud the town yet again. I'm not sure how you get rid of this since I'm at a point which I can't get past, and haven't tried, but I don't think you're on a timer or anything like that. Thank god this isn't like Majora's Mask.

I will definitely pick this up by the time it's released outside of japan, because it's obviously going to be good. Call it Zelda with a dog, if you will, but it's still a great game. From what I hear it's quite lengthy, too.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Been listening to the soundtrack, which came in a few days ago, and man is it good. Definitely a worthwhile purchase, the illustrations used for the packaging itself are quite beautiful too. I especially liked how they even included the unused and image pieces on the 5th disc, which were great too. If you can't afford to import it, then definitely download it, as gamemp3s just recently released it.







How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Hantei

Been listening to the soundtrack, which came in a few days ago, and man is it good. Definitely a worthwhile purchase, the illustrations used for the packaging itself are quite beautiful too. I especially liked how they even included the unused and image pieces on the 5th disc, which were great too. If you can't afford to import it, then definitely download it, as gamemp3s just recently released it.

Yeah I just got it!! 5 CD's man that's a lot or what?!?! 40-60 tracks on each it took me 2 days to listen to all of them. I was only hoping that it will be one of the good ones and it is =). Great OST! Can't wait for the game!

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Could someone upload okami eng demo from OPM 103
to megashare or rapid?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Why would you want the demo when you can download the entire game? Obviously it's in japanese but that doesn't stop you "testing" it before it's released outside of japan.

Also, can someone please tell me why I'm not subscribed to my own thread.

How ya doing, buddy?

If this game is as good as the OST, I'll be buying it FOR SURE. Seriously. This is aural bliss. So, is this more of an adventure game or more action styled?

I was speaking idiomatically.

I have to say, I'm not usually a fan of that type of Japanese-style music, but I really like the Okami OST. I don't know why, I just can't stop listening to it. It's just amazing how the tracks flow together, not to mention how freaking many there is (5 discs?!? Has there ever BEEN a soundtrack that's that big before?). I'd pick up the soundtrack if it wasn't so expensive, I just can't bring myself to spending upwards of $60 for music . Not exactly much chance of a domestic release, either...

When I first saw the game I thought it looked a bit...odd...but it was interesting. After reading and seeing more of it, I'm starting to get excited about it. It certainly looks unique, and while I still don't like the look of some of the characters, it looks much more tolerable to me than Wind Waker was. Thanks for that description and rip, Lian.

Oh, and I did have to lol at Gamestop's description of the game:

Quote:

Okami takes place in a time when people still believed in the existence of God.

I'm sorry, I just found that humerous.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I'm listening to the soundtrack right now, and I have to say it's pretty awesome. Actually, it's incredible. That's something I say extremely rarely, but this soundtrack deserves a lot of praise. Not really music I can "get into" and groove along with, but it creates a really nice ambiance.

Wouldn't know about the game. Haven't played it yet.

FELIPE NO

I think the original soundtrack is really great, the style is really good but I still didn't any strong music in it, like you know those kind of music that you just love so much at the first listening and you want to listen over and over? there's only the Reset song that I'm listening over and over, it's really good. The rest of the album so really good too but I don't think i'll listen to it very often, overall there's really not a lot of song that I would like to listen more then once or at least listen them outside of the game.

and I have to say that I HATE that more then half of the tracks on those 5 cd are shorten then 1min >.> which even if it's fun to have all those "music sound effect" I doN,t think they belong in a OST...

but still I suggest it to anyone, they really can't go wrong with it.

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Any news for a European/Australian release date for Okami? If it didn't get a PAL release, I would be absolutely furious, this looks like 10/10 Gamespot & IGN material. I mean, Famitsu gave it a 39/40, jeez...I'm loving the soundtrack, as I am trailers and images. Okami looks like it's stunning in all aspects of gaming.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Through the ICO thread, I found a fanart site that has Okami fanart on it! It's really quite adorable.

tatsu.sakura.ne.jp/fp/home/index.html

Click on the second link under ICO・ワンダと巨像 (その他) to see it in all it's adorable glory.

There's nowhere I can't reach.