Every so often you see lists pop up online chronicling history’s greatest underappreciated games, and there are a few titles that are consistently included: Psychonauts, Ico, and Beyond Good and Evil just to name a few. No list of this type would be complete, though, without including Clover Studios’ Okami, a PS2 game that was not only one of the best adventure titles of all time, but also showed that you don’t need next-gen graphical muscle to deliver a truly beautiful game. It received high review scores from just about everyone, but as it was neither a) part of an established franchise and b) particularly easy to explain, both plot- and gameplay-wise, it was a commercial flop. Luckily, Capcom decided that the game was worthy of a second shot, and tasked Ready At Dawn Studios (best known for Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus, both for PSP) with bringing the game to the Nintendo Wii.

Okami begins by recapping the events of a hundred years prior to the start of the game, showing us how the powerful multi-headed beast Orochi was defeated by Nagi, a legendary swordsman, and Shiranui, a white wolf. Flash forward a century and all is well in the land of Nippon, until someone releases Orochi from the Moon Cave it has been sealed away in for all those years. The creature’s reappearance leads nature spirit Sakuya to call upon Amaterasu, Nippon’s sun god, who takes the form of the white wolf Shiranui reborn. Amaterasu, along with a miniscule traveling artist named Issun, must travel the land, dispelling the evil curse that has overtaken the land. The game’s story is heavily steeped in ancient Japanese folklore, and many sections of the plot directly correspond to specific Japanese folk tales. At the same time, the plot is unique and fresh, and features a cast of memorable characters. The story ranges from hilarious to exciting to remarkably touching, but it all comes together as a truly epic tale.

 
The story begins rather traditionally, but over the course of the game it enters into unexpected territory.

The gameplay structure takes most of its cues from the Legend of Zelda series, so anyone familiar with Link’s adventures will have a good idea of what to expect here. Players will explore vast expanses of countryside, battle countless imps and demons (all based on creatures from Japanese myth, of course), perform quests for various characters, and make their way through puzzle-filled temples, complete with epic boss encounters. Sure, it may not be the most original game structure-wise, but all the elements come together seamlessly, to form a truly cohesive whole. The most original gameplay element here is the Celestial Brush, which essentially allows you to interact with the world by literally painting various symbols — everything from wind and plants to the sun itself — directly into the game world. It’s an ingenious system that feels like a natural extension of the game’s art style.

Ah, yes, Okami’s art style. The game is designed to look like a Japanese sumi-e ink painting come to life, and it succeeds beautifully. The game’s story centers around the beauty of nature, and this is captured in the various environments you travel through. Each different area, from caverns to plains to forests to beaches, feels like a living, natural place, not a static video-game stage. Characters have real expression and animate smoothly, while still looking like a natural part of this stylized world. Equally impressive as the game’s visuals are the game’s audio elements. The soundtrack is gorgeous, done in the style of traditional Japanese folk music, and every song is memorable and fitting to the scene. Sound effects are also second to none, with the sounds of nature surrounding you at all times. And though there’s no voice acting (characters speak in a Simlish-style nonsense language), this adds to the timelessness of the story, while still allowing you to hear the emotion and intent behind every spoken line.

 
As good as the game looks in still shots, it looks even better in motion.
It really does feel like a Japanese painting come to life.

Everything I’ve said until now applies to Okami’s original release on the PS2, but there are a few differences to be found here in the Wii version. Right off the bat, you’ve got the option to play the game in widescreen, as well as progressive scan. These two minor additions go a long way toward making this already beautiful game look even better on a high-def set. The controls have also seen some changes for the Wii version, with the addition of motion controls integrated into every aspect of the game. And as natural a fit the game seems for the Wii’s motion controls, I have to say I preferred the controls on the PS2 version. Don’t get me wrong, many elements of the controls work flawlessly; navigating Amaterasu has never been easier, and basic exploration is as simple as ever. Sadly, it’s the Celestial Brush controls which present the real problem. Using the Wii Remote to control the brush is far too finicky, and even correctly performing the requisite motion only registers about 80% of the time. I also have problems with the fact that basic attacks are performed with a shake of the Remote. Not only does this get tiring by about the third battle, it also doesn’t register your movements nearly as well as it should. Numerous times I had an attack combo interrupted because the system simply didn’t register my movements, leading to Amaterasu simply standing there while the enemies onscreen got in free hits. All these issues could have been solved by merely including some control options, like the ability to use a GameCube or Wii Classic controller instead of the Remote-Nunchuk combination, but sadly that’s not an option.

But these are minor quibbles. The truth is, Okami is an amazing adventure and a true must-play, regardless of which system you try it on. Do I prefer the PS2 version? Yes. That doesn’t change the fact that Okami on Wii is more dramatic, engaging, intelligent, and entertaining than 95% of the games on the market today. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and give Okami a try. It’s a stunningly beautiful epic and easily one of the best games available for the Wii.

Gameplay: 9.5
Zelda-style adventure gameplay has rarely been executed this well, even in the Zelda series itself. Whether you’re fighting monsters, taking quests from the townspeople, solving the game’s countless puzzles, discovering its myriad secrets, or simply exploring the game’s world, you’ll be engaged and entertained every second of the 40+ hours it will take you to finish the game — not that a game like this is ever really “finished.” Even after you’ve beaten the final boss, the game is so full of interesting things to see and do that you very well could play Okami forever.

Graphics: 9.4
Okami shows that you don’t need billions of polygons and tons of processing power to create a gorgeous game. While the game looks the same as it did two years ago, it’s still just as visually stunning, and the Wii’s new graphical options only add to that. A true work of art.

Sound: 9.3
Again, Okami cements its place as video-game art with its soundtrack. Every song is a beautiful composition, perfectly fitting the tone, style, and emotion of the scene. Sound effects further immerse you in the game’s world, and bring to life every gust of wind, every flock of birds. Considering the amazing quality of the game’s visuals, it’s truly impressive that I can honestly say that it sounds as good as it looks.

Difficulty: Medium
Okami’s difficulty curve is smooth as they come, throwing more and more challenges your way as you become accustomed to your powers and the ways you can influence the world. The game’s puzzles are sometimes tricky, but no matter the problem, there’s always a clever, elegant solution at hand — all you have to do is think of it.

Concept: 9.4
Okami manages to take influences as diverse as the Legend of Zelda games, Japanese folklore, and traditional Japanese ink paintings and merge them into a single cohesive whole. From beginning to end, it’s accessible and familiar, yet breathtakingly original.

Overall: 9.3
While some minor control issues here blemish an otherwise flawless package, Okami remains one of the best games of recent years, if not of all time. It’s engaging, original, and a true work of art — Wii owners looking for a game worthy of their time need look no further.