Parents' Guide to

Okamiden

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Adventure where you paint to play, but with some violence.

Game Nintendo DS 2011
Okamiden Poster Image

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3):

Okamiden is an enjoyable adventure about a young god and a wolf pup, who works with his friends to protect the land of Nippon from a menacing force. Using the stylus pen or a fingertip you'll wield a "celestial brush" to paint onto the world, bypass obstacles, manipulate elements (like fire, wind, and water), and battle forces of darkness as you go from town to town to perform missions for the townsfolk.

Perhaps inspired by games like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the game cleverly fuses combat with puzzle solving and puts a lot of emphasis on how and when you draw on the screen with your magical brush to complete the task at hand. The attractive "cel-shaded" visuals are inspired by traditional Japanese watercolor art. At 20-odd hours to complete, Okamiden offers a lot of bang for the buck, though the fetch missions can get repetitive after a while. But it's still a charming third-person adventure that's well worth the price of admission.

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo DS
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release date: March 15, 2011
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
  • Last updated: August 30, 2016

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