 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Okami (Wii)
- Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2
- Price: $39.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
A revival of a great teen paint-to-play adventure.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this game might look like a kids' game with its cute cel-shaded graphics, but it features some content not appropriate for children, including violence and blood (slash a creature using your "celestial brush" and you chop them down, and see some animated blood) and characters in the village who smoke and drink. It's not excessive, nor is it out of context, but this game was designed with teenagers in mind, and not younger kids. This is a revival of the 2006 PlayStation 2 version.
What's it about?
In an industry where innovation often takes a back seat to sequels, movie tie-ins, and "me too" clones, it's refreshing when a video game breaks convention to deliver a fresh interactive experience. Such is the case with Capcom's OKAMI, a Japanese-made adventure originally released on the PlayStation 2, and now available – and perfectly suited -- for the Wii. You take on the role of a sun god named Amaterasu, in the form of a wolf, who must help restore world peace and beauty by defeating the eight-headed dragon, Orochi. While traveling to dozens of regions to regain her "Celestial Brush" powers, Amaterasu quickly learns how to paint onto the world itself and the effect is immediate: paint a bridge to traverse rapid rivers; draw a horizontal line through rocks and trees and the obstacles are cut in half; slash an enemy with a paint stroke through its body; or add a sun to the sky with a painted circle. These moves are now handled intuitively with the motion-sensing and wireless Wii remote.
Okami, which means "wolf" in Japanese, also lets you master combat moves during fighting sequences. This includes head butting, jumping, tackling and springing off adjacent walls. Weapons will be acquired over time, divided into three categories: Reflectors (magical mirrors), Rosaries (special beads) and Glaives (mythical swords). You will eventually learn new skills from the Grand Master at the Dojo, such as a "Holy Eagle" (jump and kick at the same time), "Fleetfoot" (quickly sidestep to avoid a monster attack) and "Digging Champ" (dig through rocky surfaces).
Is it any good?
Okami and its paint scheme is much more than a gimmick; this clever game-play mechanic lets players tackle puzzles and fighting in a new and innovative way and helps separate this action-adventure hybrid from the hundreds of others in the market. That, and the game's interesting story, memorable characters, and clever visual style all help to make "Okami" a fresh and fun addition to your Wii library. This immersive, intuitive, and visually impressive adventure is well worth your time and money unless you have already played the 2006 PlayStation 2 version. With the exception of revamped controls which take advantage of the Wii Remote, the two games are virtually identical.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how games like Okami take full advantage of the Wii Remote to create a unique and intuitive interactive entertainment experience. But does it make these games more immersive? Are you drawn into the adventure more as a participant because the controls are more natural? On the flipside, does "killing" creatures by performing the movements desensitize you to real-world violence more than simply pressing buttons?
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AGE
The best game you never played.
This game has finally found its true home on the Wii. Yes, characters drink sake, smoke, and swear, but a 12 year old can handle it. The story and graphics are deeply rooted in Japanese culture- and it's truly amazing. This game has my favorite graphics on the Wii/PS2, they a just gorgeous. Controls work smoothly for the most part, however the Celestial brush was finicky at times, and the nunchuck motion controls do not work. The ball pushing physics are bad, but a patient player can deal with it. The characters are funny and enjoyable, and you'll never know whether you'll get a deep part of the game or a funny part. I enjoy this game very much, and you should pick it up for your 12+ year old now- they'll like it!
~UPDATE 7/14/11~
I just completed the game and... wow! This is my new favorite game. The story at the end was just utterly amazing. The final battle and ending made me cry. I'll reiterate; this game is amazing and is a MUST buy.
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AGE
PERFECT GAME with very,very minor setbacks
This is perhaps the only good game that has a plot of sorts. It is lined with Japanese mythology, such as Susano-O and Amaterasu. Sure you got violence like cutting the imps in half for their floral finisher, but I have never really seen blood, except in the cutscenes. Either way, the monsters burst into flowers when they die. That gives out the message that you can use your powers for good or evil...but it radiates to do more good than evil. As for the pervert of Issun? It is not that big. Any guy I know would do the same thing with Rao, a large chested priestess. He is a a human male. Nothing wrong with that. Although Sakuya's dresses are a bit too perverted. But it has funny flitacoius scene when Issun meets the Queen and he falls off Ammy's head with little hearts.
This game can encourage kids to learn about different people and their beliefs and a different culture's mythology, not just Greek or Roman. Plus, you have French talking Waka, whcih will encourage kids to learn French.
The sake, It is a small part in the game, beside Orochi and power-ups. I myself did not know what sake was until I looked it up, so that would just fly over kid's heads like a airplane.
Overall, it is my #1 game I have ever played and if you don't have it..GET IT! Totally worth the money.
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AGE
good for ages 5-12
This game is a little weird but great! The drinking sake a young child wont even understand!
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AGE
Amazing All Around
This is a fantastic game, delving kids into a solid world called Nippon, based directly off of Japanese Mythology. Almost every character has some root in the mythology of Japan, and kids can learn quite a bit about a very interesting country. The gameplay is easy to learn but hard to master, and you'll have hours of fun trying to pull of combos and moves. The characters (Except for the villains, that is) all mean well, but like any normal person have their faults, making them great characters with quite a bit of depth. The dialogue is entertaining and will bring quite a few laughs, particularly that of your one-inch sidekick, the Wandering Artist Issun. The main character herself, Amaterasu, is a sun god taking the form of a white wolf, with the power to alter the world around her using a magical brush, the Celestial Brush. The brush is legitimately useful, and you'll find yourself hanging on the edge of your seats for the next powerful ability - some are as simple as blooming flowers and making a waterspout, others can change day into night and create infernos. The puzzles can be challenging, but not unreasonably so, and the game's few faults (such as the sometimes infuriating ball-pushing physics and digging mini-games) are far outweighed by the great points: The art style is beautiful, influenced by Japanese woodblock prints and paintings, the music is well-orchestrated and always fits the mood, and the characters are so entertaining, it would be a pity to miss it.
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AGE
The Story Background
I think this is an educational game for the purpose that it is actually based of of old shinto and edo-period stories (i.e. Story of Susano-O, the Great Warrior Issun Boshi, and The Great Tale of Amaterasu). It also goes in-depth of how you should respect nature, because if you attack the big sleeping bear, Issun would reprimand you. Also, you have to revive the land to the lush and verdant place it once was.
I will not lie, though, about Princess Sakuya's "Revival of Sakuya" attire--it is far to revealing around the bosom and legs/backside. I will also stress this with Rao (in ancient lore known as Tsuzurao) and her impossibly large breats and revealing cleavage, not to mention all of this being the looks of a priestess, no less. Cursing was not as large of a dilema most would think, but Issun's behavior towards beautiful women is quite a problem. He uses far to many inuedos and is a rather flippant pervert--not excessively, but enough to grate on my nerves personally.
This game on its own, though, is an absolute masterpiece with their story line, characters, and the creative use of ancient stories into something new and refreshing. It truly makes me emotional when I think that this beautiful, artistic, magestic, and absolutely amazing game was the final work of Project Clover. Capcom has done it, yet again!
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AGE
Awesome For Wii
A great game! Awesome for the Wii!
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AGE
Perfect game for the Wii
This game is perfect for the Wii. Every Wii-owner should have this game in thei collection, it is truely a masterpiece. That being said, some things in this game are mature in content. For example, one of the main bosses (the evil Orochi) must be defeated by getting him drunk first. Also, a sprite named Issun is very flirtatious around the female characters. However, everything is done in moderation and nothing is worse than a mere PG-13 flick.
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AGE
Whoever wants to play it, GO FOR IT
Okami is one of the best games made for the wii so far and ive beaten it three times, so i should know. and in those three times i never once saw ONE obsenity or words deemed as "inappropriate". even the drinking in it is not substantial. you they mention sake all but 5 times? and you get to beat a dragon by getting it drunk? i honestly dont see the harm in any of that.
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2 |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | Capcom |
| Release date: | April 15, 2008 |
| Price: | $39.99 |
| ESRB rating: | T for Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Use of Tobacco |
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