Okami HD

Genre: Action-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Okami HD is the graphically-enhanced port of the Action-RPG that has been ported back and forth from one platform to another since its original release on the PlayStation 2. This game has you in the role of a white wolf god exploring a Japanese-inspired kingdom rendered in an art style designed to look like a classic Japanese watercolor painting.

The game’s graphics look absolutely beautiful, and there’s nothing else quite like them anywhere, though I have to say I find them a bit unsettling too, since everything seems a bit hazy to me. It’s not a matter of texture or resolution, though – there’s a filter here that’s causing the visuals to look that way. I personally don’t care for it, though others may not mind.

I’ve heard this game repeatedly compared to the Zelda series, and while there are similarities here, this is definitely its own creature, with some very unique, unusual things it does to set itself apart from the rest of the genre, not the least of which is the “celestial brush”, an ability that allows you to freeze time at any given moment and draw on the screen to interact with the environment, chopping enemies in half, causing trees to grow, or even solving puzzles. It’s a clever addition that again helps to make this game stand out in the genre.

When it comes to the actual exploration and action, I found this game not to be quite on part with a typical Zelda game, but it was enjoyable nonetheless, and gradually cleaning the world of its curse and bringing color back was satisfying.

The Nintendo Switch version of the game brings with it both motion-sensing support for the Joycon controllers, as well as touchscreen support when the Switch is in portable mode, so you can draw directly on the screen for the “celestial brush” moves. I think this is a nice addition, but it’s not one that fundamentally changes the game.

In the end, Okami HD on the Switch is a solid port of a solid game. It’s not without a few rough edges here and there, but it’s absolutely original, and well worth a look for fans of Action-RPGs.

tl;dr – Okami HD is an Action-RPG where you play as a wolf exploring a world designed to look like a Japanese watercolor painting. This is a solid port of the old PS2 game, and it still plays well, although it’s not without its flaws.

Grade: B

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