VIDEO GAME REVIEW: ‘Okami’ looks to knock Link down a knotch
Renowned film critic Roger Ebert has garnered substantial criticism from game industry officials for his claim that video games should not be considered actual art.
Considering the fact that Ebert’s statement followed his review of the film adaptation of “Doom,” the substantive nature of his claim is not unfounded and somewhat appropriate.
In an industry littered with GTA knock-offs, hack ‘n’ slash tie-ins, a seemingly unending drove of WWII simulators, and other inconsequential titles, it would appear that the bulk of the video game collective could never be justified as art. It would seem that Roger Ebert, despite his baffling praise for the “Tomb Raider” films, is actually right in this regard.
But Roger Ebert has clearly never played “Okami.” A bold and convincing rebuttal to Ebert’s pretentious argument, “Okami” is Sony’s visually stunning, contextually inventive answer to Nintendo’s famed “Zelda” franchise. Combining a vibrant, cell-shaded graphical style with immersive environments, puzzle-based dungeons, and an innovative gameplay element that should ignite every gamer’s inner Van Gogh, “Okami” is the Playstation 2’s last dazzling masterstroke.
Assuming the role of the lupine sun god Amaterasu, players must traverse the sweeping, cherry-blossom-tree-covered fields of Nippon to fight back the darkness of an ancient evil that has awakened to engulf the land.
Being the proactive wolf deity that “Ammy” (the affectionate nickname given to you by your Navi-like flea companion, Issun) is, players will have to battle an entire zoo of animal-themed demons, solve circumstantial puzzles of a Hyrulean nature, and, like any omnipotent being worth their salt, engage in acts of divine intervention.
Using the game’s imaginative Celestial Brush feature, players can freeze the on-screen action and paint symbols that serve a variety of functions once the on-screen action has resumed. Painting a circle in the sky will change night to day while painting a line across a broken bridge will repair it.
The game’s 13 brush techniques are similar to the reality altering accessories found in the games of the “Zelda” series and are essential to completing Amaterasu’s divine mission.
One of “Okami’s” most compelling features is the game’s breathtaking visuals. Inspired by the design of traditional Japanese woodblock art, “Okami” features a captivating style that is unique even among some of the industries’ most beautified cell-shaded success stories like “Jet Grind Radio” and “Wind Waker.”
And despite comparisons between the game’s appearance and pieces of static art, the world of Nippon and its cheery, stylized inhabitants all feel organic and alive. From engaging in the game’s gripping, psychedelic boss encounters to bounding across Nippon’s varying locales, every frame of “Okami” is dripping with game developer Clover studio’s resolve for aesthetic perfection. Fluid, ambient and striking, “Okami” is a Japanese calligraphy painting come to life.
Despite the game’s distinctiveness, “Okami” shares more than a few glaring similarities with its influential forbearer, especially in the realm of gameplay mechanics. Combat sequences are ripped straight from Ganon’s angular dungeons and you’d swear you were playing “Link” underneath all of that flowing, white fur (pretty ironic, considering the fact that transforming into a wolf is one of the key features of the upcoming “Zelda” title, “Twilight Princess.”)
Fortunately, these similarities only serve to reinforce the brilliance of Clover studios’ evocative ode to Japanese folklore and the Nintendo sensibilities come across more as a respectful homage than a shameless duplication.
So, it would appear that while Mr. Ebert could, in fact, be right about aesthetic status of the video game medium, it’s important to point out another consideration: just because a video game is not art does not mean it can’t be any less moving, complex, or, in its own way, “artistic.”
Clover studios has certainly proven this possibility with the creation of one of the greatest action/adventure titles in years.
Mack Perry is The Utah Statesman’s video game critic. Comments, questions and suggestions for games to
reveiw can be sent
to mackp@cc.usu.edu.