OKAMIDEN

 

PLATFORM: EXCLUSIVELY ON NINTENDO DS.

GENRE: ACTION.

In Okamiden, the player takes control of Chibi, an adorable white wolf who just happens to be the son of Amaterasu, the hero from the first game. It shares the same battle style and use of celestial brush techniques as Okami, with the addition of a brand new partner system, pairing Chibi with a variety of different buddies to help him throughout his journey. The game takes place nine months after the events in Okami, and shares not only the same gameplay mechanics, but also the same gorgeous, painterly art style and quirky sense of humor.

Also like the original, Okamiden draws a healthy dose of gameplay mechanics and literary devices from a certain Nintendo franchise of the same genre, but this most certainly isn't a bad thing. Much like in The Legend of Zelda, which the creators have admitted was a huge influence, players will find themselves solving puzzles with the help of acquired items and learned abilities, stepping on switches, solving riddles left by NPCs, slashing enemies/trees/pots (yes, you even smash pots), and so on. 

After debuting on the PS2, and later being ported over to the Wii, this burgeoning series has finally found the definitive control scheme for its brush techniques with the DS's touch screen. Using the stylus to wield the celestial brush is intuitive, captures the sense of magic they were trying to convey with the original concept, and just plain feels right. A quick Power Slash, for instance, can be performed with a simple flick of the stylus (or your thumb, if you don't feel like busting your stylus out of its holster), and even more complex drawings are perfectly easy to pull off. 

Even with the great controls and pacing, however, I did find during my play through that I learned the bulk of the integral battle techniques right away. While boss fights and certain side quests required me to think creatively and use the celestial paintbrush in a new and interesting way, the bulk of the game is generally less experimental. The fact that brush techniques cannot be combined, varied, or used simultaneously to create new results also has the unfortunate side effect of making it feel like this brush is more of a handyman's tool for overcoming simple obstacles than it is any sort of artistic device. Outside of trying the different brush techniques on different enemies, it simply doesn't encourage experimentation. 

Okamiden's story is another thing it has going for it, as the narrative is simply beautiful and the characters are incredibly loveable. From Issun the flea to Susano the drunken warrior, familiar faces from Okami are all around, and the new characters (especially Kuni, whose story is truly moving) are just as memorable and lovable as the old favorites. What's especially impressive about the story is how integral it feels to the action, which really goes a long way in connecting you to the world. 

Okamiden has all the right ingredients for a spectacular adventure game, though it never quite reaches the heights of the titles it seeks to emulate. Even so, it shows tons of promise, and has me really excited for the future of this franchise in the making. All in all, there is nothing lacking in this package. An engaging tale, memorable characters, epic boss battles, and cute wolf puppies-- it’s all here and it feels great. Good news for gamers: it seems an old wolf can learn new tricks.