"Momma’s Boy"

REVIEW |

It’s no secret that most well-versed gamers hold the original Okami in the highest regard. It’s impossible to overstate Okami’s excellence, both as a game and as a deeply spiritual work of art. For those reasons, Okamiden, the Nintendo DS sequel, has a great legacy to live up to. Is this handheld successor to a godly gaming experience truly divine?

Okamiden picks up roughly nine months after where the original story left off. The canine goddess Amaterasu has returned to the heavenly realm, but when demons are once again found to be tormenting the denizens of Nippon, Amaterasu’s celestial pup shows up to save the day.

You take on the role of Chibiterasu, son of the savior of ancient mystical Japan (Nippon). As his name implies, Chibiterasu is a wee god, though his appearance greatly resembles that of his mother. The game gets underway by equipping Chibi with many of the same powers found in the first game, and you’ll be covering a lot of familiar ground in your adventure across Nippon.

When I first set out upon my journey in Okamiden, I was admittedly concerned the game would do a little too much hand holding. A giant arrow appeared before Chibi, showing me exactly where to go at all times. After just a short bit of play, however, the game removed the training wheels and set me off on my own. Though Okamiden isn’t a completely free-roaming experience, there’s ample freedom given over to the player as the story progresses.

For the uninitiated, Okamiden (and Okami before it) is an adventure game comparable to the likes of The Legend of Zelda. You’ll travel across a vast overworld, explore dungeons, fight enemies and bosses that require special techniques and strategies to defeat, and uncover a plot and characters that are profoundly satisfying.

Interestingly enough, Okamiden, when compared to its predecessor, falls in line much like its main character. There is certainly greatness here, but it lacks the power and beauty of the original. There are laugh-out-loud moments in the story, yet the dialogue often stumbles with lines such as “that sucks” or “this looks hella bad.” In spite of perceived missteps and technical limitations due to the hardware, the spirit of Okami shines through in Okamiden.

Rather than take an approach similar to Zelda on DS, Okamiden uses the D-pad and face buttons for main control of Chibiterasu. Of course, the Celestial Brush is still a major component of the DS experience, so you’ll be required to keep your stylus on hand at all times. You move Chibi with the D-pad, attack with the Y button, and jump with B. Like the first game, most enemies are represented on the overworld as scrolls; once you run into one, you’ll enter a combat area where dodging is added to your list of abilities.

Your starting repertoire of Celestial Brush techniques is much the same as it was in the previous game, making use of your powers in similar fashion. That’s not to say Okamiden brings nothing new to the table. On your travels, you’ll also take control of companions by using the Celestial Brush, and though it’s not a completely unique approach to using the DS touch screen, it’s a welcome addition that fits perfectly alongside Okamiden’s other gameplay elements.

Having played through the Wii version of Okami, I’m well familiar with the issues associated with use of the Celestial Brush. For some reason, the Wii version of the game often had trouble reading commands properly, which added frustration to an otherwise transcendent experience. To be sure, Okamiden does exhibit a few minor rough patches in that regard, but tinkering with the camera will usually solve any such problems. The camera auto-scrolls in the direction the game thinks you should be heading, and to that end, the developers have done an admirable job handling the third-person view.

Though I wasn’t completely satisfied with the presentational transition of the franchise to DS, the meat of the gameplay here is very impressive. For all intents and purposes, this is a full-on Okami adventure on a handheld; that's no small feat for any developer. As a player, you’ll need to make concessions in terms of what you see and hear, but the combat, puzzles, and exploration are as satisfying as they were in the console version of Okami.

Unfortunately, the visuals in Okamiden pale in comparison to the original Okami. Capcom seems to have mined the DS hardware for everything it’s worth, but Okamiden still fails to inspire the same overwhelming beauty of its predecessor. Animations aren’t nearly as exciting, and the color palette is occasionally muted; landscapes and other textures are often pixelated when the camera zooms in close. Additionally, issues with pop-in can cause a bit of trouble when searching around for things in the overworld. The character models, however, are detailed and attractive, and once you settle into the experience, you’ll once again believe you’re back in mystical Nippon.

The aural presentation can be surprisingly satisfying at times, with sound effects and utterances mixed to near perfection. Themes from the original Okami make a welcome return in Okamiden, though some of the beauty is lost in translation. Occasionally, thematic loops aren’t as transparent as they should be, and when transitioning from cutscene to gameplay – or vice versa – the music will often get abruptly lopped off, compromising the emotional cadences the story sets up.

Add up all my minor criticisms – trust me, they are minor – and they don’t hold a candle to what Okamiden does right. It will take the average player quite a number of hours to see the adventure hit its stride, but those willing to push onward will be greatly rewarded for their time. Okamiden for Nintendo DS is fully housebroken and wonderful to have around. Like any pup, however, it will nip at your ankles. The developers have given us a portable Okami, and that’s a huge deal. At the same token, a bit more care could have been taken to preserve the essence of what truly made Okami special. Okami wasn’t just a great game, it was an inspiring journey, one in which the fine details helped to shape an unforgettable experience. Okamiden is a worthy successor that still has some growing up to do. It oversteps its bounds a bit, and in some areas leans a little too heavily on a hand-me-down foundation. Where it counts the most, however, Okamiden hits all the right notes.

GameDynamo's Score for Okamiden (DS/DSi)

Graphics Visually, Okamiden makes a somewhat disappointing first impression when compared to the original Okami. As you delve deeper into the adventure, however, you’ll be treated to scenes that are often gorgeous - some of the best stuff we’ve seen on the system, actually. Sound Like the graphical presentation, Okamiden stumbles a bit at first. Once the adventure truly gets underway, Okamiden shows its true aural palette, and oh, how sweet it is! Gameplay This is the area where Okamiden truly shows its pedigree. Unfortunately, the first six to seven hours of the game feel much too familiar. It’s when you break the midway barrier that things start to get really interesting. Play Value Okamiden offers a complete Okami adventure you can take with you on the go. The gameplay and presentation aren’t perfect, but there is still an enormous wealth of godly adventure here. Final Score 88 Okamiden is a dream come true for many gamers. The story takes some crazy, fun twists, the bosses define the term “epic,” and all of the game’s component parts eventually come together to make for one of the most satisfying adventures this handheld has ever seen. Okamiden has a sense of humor all its own, but it’s still very much a chip off the ole block.

Posted on 03/16/2011 | Game Played on: N/A

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