Okami HD is a high definition port of the PS2 game released in 2006. However, you'll be hard pressed to tell this because Okami HD looks absolutely fantastic and if you didn't already know this was a PS2 game, you would have thought it was built for the PS3 from the ground up. Okami HD carries a distinctive design style, everything is like a piece of art. Based on Japanese folklore, environments and objects have an outline that suggest it was painted by a brush. The colors are vibrant and give the whole game an appreciative quality. This art style is what allowed Okami HD to age so well, the graphics are amazing, crisp and clear. This is Okami HD's strongest point. The other difference is that the game now plays in widescreen as well.
The gameplay of Okami HD is unique with many people comparing it to the Zelda game series. The more differential gameplay element is the fact that the character, Amaterasu, wields the Celestial Brush, which is able to influence the game's world. Pressing the R1 shoulder button pauses the game and shows the current scene as an ink illustration. Using the analogue stick, you can now draw one of various simple symbols. These symbols include a straight line for slashing, a circle with a dash for summing a bomb and multiple dots for ink bullets. Not only can you use these effects for the environmental objects, it plays a huge part in battles as too. Battles are against demons based off Japanese mythology. Enemies start off easy and simple but with each new introduced, they require a different strategy.
Enemies may require you to hit them in certain ways before you can do some real damage or you might have to wait for the most appropriate time to attack. These enemies roam around the field as floating demon scrolls so you can choose whether to attack them or not. Boss battles occasionally occur and the ones against huge demons are where the game shows its true potential. These boss fights are epic and while they rely on you recognizing the attack patterns and working it to your advantage, they're nothing short of amazing. The rest of the game is exploration. Okami HD allows you to explore its version of Nippon (aka Japan) and it is a huge place. From the very first map that was revealed, it is a huge place filled with things to do.
Amaterasu is tasked with restoring the land to its natural beauty, after the land was soured by the demons. You'll be able to find hidden treasures in nooks and crannies as well as places to restore which may involve fighting enemies or using another brush technique. The game encourages returning to old areas to get everything as there will be objects where you can't do anything until you've learned a new brush technique later on. Okami HD packs in a ton of sidequests too, all of these are optional but they help extend an already loaded game. There is a fishing minigame which is pretty fun, races, fetch quests, monster extermination quests and a digging minigame.
The story as well as the gameplay starts off slow but as more is revealed and you learn more abilities, you will get hooked to the game. 100 years ago, a hero and pure white wolf defeated the demon Orochi. Now, the demon has broken free of his bonds and it is up to Amaterasu to defeat Orochi. Amaterasu, the sun goddess, who takes on the form of a pure white wolf, will meet friends and foes along her journal. One of the best things about Okami HD is the humor. There are many moments where the characters' actions are so funny that it will pull a genuine smile or laugh out of you. Okami HD is a long game, easily taking 30+ to finish if you take the time and explore every area that you get to.
Just when you thougth the game was going to be over, it turns out that you're only a third of the way in and the next chapter begins. While this does feel only slightly tacked on, it makes sense at the end of the game and the relationship built between Amaterasu and his companion, Issun, really touches you emotionally. With that said, the last dungeon (if it can be called that) felt like padding with you fighting through the same bosses again (some of which will have been the third time you've faced them already) and the final boss battle is long... too long to the point where it doesn't feel epic anymore. To increase the longevity of the game, there are many collectibles to get including 100 "stray beads" which are just there to be collected, no benefits are earned in-game from collecting these until all 100 have been found.
You can also earn "praise" by restoring nature and helping others, which allows you to upgrade Amaterasu such as health or able to carry more money, this adds a good incentive to do everything before you carry on. The game in general is quite easy and forgiving. A small nitpick is that in certain cutscenes, for whatever reason, you cannot speed up the text that shows on screen. If you read faster than the pace the words are appearing, prepare to get frustrated as you're forced for it to catch up. A weird choice considering that other cutscenes' text can be sped up. Overall, Okami HD is an amazing game that's really fun to play. While there were times where I felt I was over the game and that I wanted it to end already, the story ending was fantastic and made it all worthwhile. Carrying good gameplay, unique aesthetics and a nice story, Okami HD is a game that really deserves to be played.
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