Okami

E3 Preview 2005

Those familiar with Viewtiful Joe or Steel Battalion will be able to vouch for the fact that Clover Studios is always trying something new. Even if the particular genre isn’t new, the way it’s presented has never been done before. So with that in mind, Okami is Clover Studio’s newest adventure starring a god in the form of a wolf that must paint a world back together.

The evil monster Orochi has turned the world into ruin, and you must play as Okami, a wolf incarnation of the sun god Amaterasu. The title plays a nice double meaning, since the word okami means both wolf and god in the Japanese language. Being in a new form, Amaterasu must seek out his powers and relearn them to restore his world.

Okami is a third-person action game that features some of the most beautiful graphics ever seen in a game. In no way do they try to be realistic, but instead simulate an animated watercolor. This is no coincidence either, since painting plays a huge part in the progression of Okami.

In the playable build at E3 I began the game by learning one of my abilities: the ability to draw directly on the world. To learn the skill entirely I had to pass a trial, where I was required to complete a constellation using my calligraphy brush. Once the pattern was complete I had learned my painting skill and continued onward. A short while later I came to a stream I could not pass. So, I took out my calligraphy brush and painted a path across the stream to cross. As I was running across I noticed that what I had painted earliest was beginning to dry up, so half way across I pulled the brush out again and completed the path.

Gameplay elements like that really set Okami apart from the rest of the action/adventure games you see anymore. This is definitely not the whole game, though – combat will play a role in Okami as well. In the demo I was only able to dash and ram objects with the shield on my back, but as you progress and learn new skills Amaterasu will also learn new combat techniques.

Okami is sure to offer a dynamic, exciting, and entertaining play experience. Unfortunately we won’t see it until sometime in 2006, but from what I played it should be worth the wait.