Okami is the Wii at its best

I will start this review off by saying, if you own a Wii, you should own Okami. That's because Okami is a fantastic Japanese styled action adventure game that uses the functions of the Wii to the fullest. If you loved Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, or if you're interested in an adventure played from the point of view of a wolf, then you've come to the right place.

Manufacturer's Introduction
Here is a summary of the background to setup the game that you learn upon playing. The manufacturers tell the tale... "Once upon a time, there was a small village called Kamiki Village, where everyone from the villagers to the animals, lived in peace and happiness. (Generally in this game you can define happiness by how much growth and vibrant color you can see in the surrounding nature.) But then one day, the legendary monster Orochi, came back to life and put an evil curse on the entire area. Everything that had a bit of life, disappeared from the face of the earth, and in their place was left a dreadful, barren wasteland.

Orochi's horrid curse spread all across the land, turning it into a hell on earth, invested with countless monsters roaming the earth. (You can see this because everything is devoid of color and life.) But there is one hope. The majestic, wolf-embodied sun god Amaterasu.

One-hundred years ago, Amaterasu used the godly power, the Celestial Brush (which is a key factor in this game), harnessing the power of the heavens to face Orochi. But they managed to kill each other at the same time, disappearing from the world, and Amaterasu lost the thirteen Celestial Brush powers in the process.

Now in the present, Amaterasu stumbles upon a mysterious fairy sprite named Issun, and together they set out on an adventure, as Amaterasu aims to regain the 13 powers of the Celestial brush, exterminate the monsters plaguing the land, and bring peace back to the world."

Gameplay
Okami literally means "great god" in Japanese, and is also a pun for "wolf". You play this game as a mysterious white wolf, seeking to restore color and happiness to the world. The wolf, supposedly a Shinto sun goddess named Amaterasu, has laid dormant for 100 years. In as much, you have forgotten much of your identity and magical powers and must relearn these talents as you play through the game.

You wander through the lands which are somewhat cartoon style creations, as if all of the setting was hand drawn with a calligraphy brush. The trees, the characters, the water... everything flows together in a simple and beautiful brush stroke, and it is all clearly Japanese.

As your story unfolds, you have to interact with the people and animals of the local areas to discover your path. No-one seems to be scared or bothered to chat with a brilliant white wolf-god, and this is exactly what you must do to advance in the game. Often times you have to talk to the same characters several times to get them to reveal your next step (luckily if they have more to say they will have a green arrow above their head so you don't waste time). Throughout the game people's lives are interconnected, so helping out one person with a problem they have can give you the information or materials you need to address someone else's needs. In this way, puzzles and challenges can be solved.

Wii Remote Interaction
The most significant aspect which makes this game so unique is that almost everything you do in the game uses your Celestrial Brush power. This is sort of a paintbrush (I think its actually Amaterasu's tail), that you can activate at any time you want by holding the "B" button. When you activate this power, everything in the game freezes, including Amaterasu. The color of the game instantly turns grayscale, like drawing paper, and you can paint on the screen with your brush. You do this by pointing the Wiimote at the screen (like a laser pointer) and pressing "A". You can draw whatever you want on the screen, but only certain actions will yield beneficial results.

The Celestrial Brush power is used for a diverse range of applications. For instance, it can be used to unlock a door by drawing in missing figures on a stone tablet. Or it can be used to regenerate a broken part of a bridge or missing component in the village. It can also be used to regrow flowers and plantlife into an evil area or blossom a developing bud. Different motions perform different powers. For instance, drawing a circle in the sky can create a temporary sun which can help nourish plants. By getting creative with the things you try to fix or draw, you can unlock secrets or find keys to help you along your path. In doing so, Okami excellently uses the Wiimote in an artistic and unique way.

The game also has its action and adventure. The evil beasts patrolling the land can often be noticed by their green flames. If you get to close to these flames you enter a temporary battle arena, in which you have to fight one or more enemies. You cannot leave the enclosed area until you have defeated the beasts (unless you find a way to flee... this will become apparent in the game.) These battles also use the Celestrial Brush techniques. You can slash an enemy by drawing a quick line through them, or you can slow them down by drawing a circle around them. There are numerous more techniques you can learn as you play the game. Besides the Brush techniques there are also regular fighting attacks and defenses that use the Wii Remote controls. By shaking the Wiimote you lunge at your enemies or by shaking the nunchuck you can dodge enemy attacks. The fighting can be very strategic, since certain attacks are much more effective against certain enemies. Experiment with your arsenal of attacks and listen to your guide Issun for advice on how to best your opponents.

Tips and Tricks
As you play its very important to read the "Traveling Scrolls" You discover along your way. These scrolls which are written by wise travelers can be accessed by hitting the + button. The scrolls contain very handy tips on how to better perform in the game. They teach you anything from how to use special attacks or how to run faster.

Another important tip is to use your tools. Tools can be found or acquired throughout the game and are helpful in beating enemies, boosting strengths/defenses, and staying alive. Dog bones, for example can be used during battle to boost your health. Many of these useful tools can be purchased using the yen you collect in the game. Yen can be acquired by searching all over the map, using your Celestrial Brush to uncover hidden coins, or by defeating enemies. You can also sell items you've found to vendors in exchange for yen.

It is also important to use your yen to buy ample supplies (I like to keep at least 5 of each) of animal feed in your stocks. This can be roasted seeds, herbs, fish, or meat. These animal foods are very helpful to feed various critters you find along your travels. By feeding these animals, they will give you a type of experience points which are a means of upgrading Amaterasu's abilities. You can use this to increase your total health, celestrial brush techniques, and wallet size (to hold more maximum yen). So it is always important to keep stores of these animal feed in your possession in order to get these upgrades. Different animals eat different foods, so you need to keep each of the 4 types.

Another tip to keep an eye out for are spots on the map that are illuminated by a ring of light. By repeatedly pressing the "Z" button in these locations you can dig up a 4-leaf clover. Using the celestrial brush to draw a circle around these plants will yield you experience points. Note: Some of these illuminated circles are only found at night so it really pays to keep your eyes open.

Summary
This is honestly one of the best games I have played for the Wii. It incorporates a beautiful and entertaining storyline, challenging puzzle solving, character interactions and action battles. The only downside to this game is that many parts of the game are pretty similar to Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. You play as a wolf and you have a little guide who rides with you just like in Zelda. Talking to the characters and completing the side quests (like fishing, as one example) is similar to Zelda as well. In fact, the director of the game, Hideki Kamiya, is a self proclaimed Zelda fan, so its not surprising that the game has a similar style. Still, Okami is unique enough to be its own game and is one that fully uses the Wii Remote to its potential. I recommend Okami to anyone who owns a Wii.

Note: This game is rated T for Teen and probably just undershot the Mature rating, so be careful before buying this game for younger children. It is rated T because of:
Blood and Gore
Crude Humor
Fantasy Violence
Suggestive Themes
Use of Alcohol and Tobacco