Okami vs Okamiden

Okami will forever be one of my most cherished videogames in my collection. There were so many aspects to be admired--a huge map that could be roamed around freely, giant intimidating bosses that actually required effort to defeat, and a unique and absolutely beautiful design.

As an artist, the entire watercolor/ink painting feel of the graphics is what really made the game win my heart. Even as you play, you are literally granted the power of a brush. You paint symbols directly on the screen that represent elements or attacks that may be used outside and inside the battlefield.

Of course, you're given a variety of weapons as well. Each one you find or purchase is a work of art in itself. They're all different in their own way and look magnificent. You have your choice of Rosaries (beads), Glaives (swords), and Reflectors (mirrors). Other than the looks, the performance of each weapon is slightly different but they're all quite balanced. Reflectors are swung around in a circular motion and this is most useful for keeping back bunched enemies in front of you. Rosaries, on the other hand, act as sort of whip. You can hit more than one enemy, but it often only strikes one due to the use of combo attacks. The Glaives are more powerful in the sense of damage, but they require patience to use. You have to hold down the attack button to charge the Glaive and then release it to unleash a powerful swipe.

As you obtain more weapons, you're capable of using a sub weapon. When used as a sub weapon, the Reflector is an ideal melee companion; it acts as a shield and will block enemy attacks from all sides if struck while it is active. The Rosaries become projectiles to shoot at the enemy like bullets. There is a delay before you can use them again, but you still have your main weapon to defend yourself. The Glaive is probably the most interesting sub weapon. It serves as a sort of 'ride' that you can stand on as it flies towards the enemy. The blade pierces any foe in your way.

The world that you venture in is called Nippon. Luckily, this game doesn't suffer from overdone videogame cliché of having major climates around every corner. Rather then throwing a desert next to a jungle, which is in turn next to some volcanic islands, the entire landscape is mellow and beautiful. That doesn't mean it lacks in variety, however--there are a plethora of places to see and people to meet.

The main character that you play is not only a wolf, but the reincarnation of the great Sun God Shiranui who died defeating the evil that is Orochi. How sweet is that? This god is also known as Amaterasu, or Ammy for short.

All right, here's where I need to add that there's a dilemma on what gender the main character is. Fans often argue about whether Ammy is female or male. This is what I'd like to say to the fans: Amaterasu is a deity and deities are genderless. Those who argue that Ammy is a female, does that mean you're going to ignore the fact that she stared at Priestess Rao's "lofty peaks"? And the way Ammy gets heated when Sakuya shows her revitalized new form (which shows more skin)? Not that I'm trying to prove that Amaterasu could be male, my point is that s/he can be both genders.

Unfortunately, starting out the game, Ammy finds her/himself in a weakened state--not only does Ammy lack immortality, but s/he doesn't have most of her/his powers. It is established in the game that the 13 Brush Gods were once one god. That one god was Shiranui, and once Shiranui died, the 13 brushes were separated. The main objective of the game is to find them all and regain your powers back to defeat the 8-headed serpent that is Orochi (whom is back with a vengeance). Of course, you don't find ALL of them once you get to Orochi, because the story doesn't end there.

I honestly thought the game ended at Orochi (and apparently developers were originally going to stop at that point), but you've still got a whole game ahead of you! That was probably the most exciting realization in the entire game! There's a greater evil that still plagues Nippon, and it is named Yami.

Back to the immortal god thing, you're probably wondering if there's a code or item you can get that will let you become invincible. You are playing a god after all, why can't you be immortal? Well, there's a side quest where you must gather 100 stray beads that are scattered around Nippon and join them together in a necklace that grants immortality. Hunting them down is both fun and challenging then by the time you find them all, you can finally breeze through the game with no worries about dying. Trust me, it's still just as fun and even helpful when you're trapped in one of the underground caves that lets loose wave after wave of monsters.

This game is a masterpiece and it deserves Gamestop.com's rating of 9 out of 10.

And then came the sequel...

Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic to hear that a sequel was coming out for Okami. The worry set in when I learned that Clover Studios was no longer going to be involved with the franchise. I had a gut feeling that their absence might take a toll on the next game. In the previous game, Ammy had rid Nippon of all evil, so I figured perhaps they were doing a prequel and that you'd get to play as Shiranui. I was even hoping to see what the Celestial Plain was like. It was with dismay that I discovered you play Ammy's child named Chibiterasu.

Okay, you'll have to forgive me because this is where I pretty much rant--let me begin by explaining how I was introduced to the game. I saw the Japanese trailer on YouTube and was disappointed to find out that it's a DS game. Well, I know better than to judge a game by its platform so I decided to wait until I played the game for myself. It looked promising even though it was a bit downgraded.

At first I thought, "Why is Ammy so small? Is that the theme of the game?", but I was dead wrong. Get this, the great (genderless) Amatersau somehow manages to have a child. First off, who in the Celestial Plain did our poor Ammy have relations with? I fear to think too far into it. So...congratulations! It's a boy! And he's the spitting image of his parent. In all honesty, I think the pup should've had different markings. Just slightly different, because that would at least establish that they are actually different characters. Instead, he looks exactly the same. I understand that they're trying to show a resemblance, but even that isn't really necessary because they blatantly state that he's Ammy's kid.  

Oh and as far as the name goes--what were they thinking? The poor boy has the misfortune of being dubbed "Chibiterasu". I have to admit, I really dislike this name. Basically what they did was mix the word "chibi" and "Amaterasu" together. For those who aren't aware, chibi means small. Ah! Developers...I see what you did there. Get it? He's Amaterasu's offspring? They look exactly alike? He's a mini-Ammy? Clever...really clever. Not. Try absolutely ridiculous. How am I supposed to take the main character seriously when they give him a name so disgustingly cutesie? I apologize, but I must add that the entire trend of using Japanese words like kawaii, desu, and of course chibi completely grinds my gears.

Sure, it can be argued that when Sakuya saw Chibi, she thought, "Aww! You look just like Amaterasu but you're so small. You should be called Chibiterasu 'cause it's cute teehee!" ...question, Chibiterasu is going to grow up some day...what will they call him then?

Okay, now that you know my opinion on the main character, let's take a look at the side characters.

Since you're only a pup, you need a partner to aid you on your journey. In the first game, Ammy had a little sprite named Issun, a wandering artist that helps you communicate with the people you meet. Chibiterasu's partners basically fill the same role in this game. So who does Chibiterasu get? A kid...probably as big as he is. Actually, as you progress through the game, you get different partners...but they're all children. This bothers me. Sure, they help you in battle, but they all look 6-10 years old! It just doesn't seem appropriate to me. They could have been much more creative than that.

The partners you have are quite colorful characters. I don't really hate any of them and as long as they are there to help me, who am I to complain? Your partners are as follows: Kuni (a swordsman and the adopted son of Susano and Kushi), Nanami (a mermaid that can swim in underwater stages), Kagu (a spirit medium that helps you see ethereal elements), Kurow (a flute player that uses his instrument as his weapon), and finally Manpuku (whom wields the element of fire).

Kagu is probably my favorite of all the children, but Kurow, despite his terrible vocabulary, is this game's Waka and I love Waka. The most helpful in battle, however, would be Nanami and Manpuku. They each possess an element you can use to defeat enemies a lot faster. Obviously Nanami, being a mermaid, has the element of water and Manpuku, as previously stated, has fire. I take full advantage of their elements because the enemies take a while to kill and you'll earn more money if you defeat them quickly. What made me love the kids all the more was that they gave nicknames to Chibi so I didn't have to deal with the name he was cursed with.

With all the good guys out of the way, let's meet this game's new villain. I would imagine that it's not a 'real' threat to Nippon. I mean, Chibiterasu is only a pup. What new evil is plaguing the lands and seas that little Chibi can take care of? Oh, only the epidemy of evil that goes by the name of Akuro. He isn't just the Lord of darkness--he is the darkness. And his only goal is to become more powerful and rid Nippon of the sun.

And then there are plot holes. This villain is a major plot hole to the original game. You could argue that Akuro was the black smoke that emitted from each defeated boss in the first game and that they were all simply his puppets. However, I remember Akuro saying he wanted to create a world of darkness for Yami to rule, suggesting he was an underling. But then later it seems that Yami was just a vessel for Akuro. What is going on here? Is Akuro and Yami the same character, but just in different forms? Honestly, I don't really think that Akuro should be allowed to exist because it just complicates the hell out of the first game.

So if this Akuro fellow is the most powerful enemy, why is it up to poor little Chibiterasu to slay him? Even Producer Eshiro noted that, "he is a 'young form of existence' and not fully grown; he retains several abilities of Amaterasu, including the Celestial Brush, but lacks her power." So how in the world does this little guy stand a chance?! Only Ammy is capable of this big task.

Well, I did some research and found a few comments with some very good theories. On GameSpot.com there's an Okami forum where people shared some ideas that made sense of the plot holes.

Jackos12 explained, "we don't know how god's generations work on Okami, for all that matters Chibi could be Ammy who got killed in the celestial plain [...] and was reincarnated again, but this time as a pup, which explains both why Chibi could own Akuro at its prime (who is stronger than ultimate Yami + Day of Darkness) and why when Sakuya called for Amaterasu she obtained Chibi. This means that each incarnation of the same god counts as the parent for the next one, making a whole lot of sense in some sort of insane way."

I agree, even though it's a sad thought, I honestly believe that it's possible for Chibi to be a reincarnation of Amaterasu. Since Shiranui died and Ammy was born from Shiranui, it's not a fear leap to say that when Ammy dies, Chibiterasu is born from Ammy.

This is where it gets confusing for the Brush Gods. It turns out some of them have children of their own now as well! As I said before, they have a connection with Ammy, so maybe the Brush Gods died along with her. But they would still be around because they didn't die when Shiranui did. I prefer to think that their "children" are instead apprentices of the brush gods to replace them. But really this could indicate a number of things. This is up to you to be the judge.

Okay, enough about the big mess of character and their relations. Let's move on to the game itself.

The plot in Okamiden contradicts some key scenes that took place in Okami. For those who played both of these games, remember in Okamiden when you had to go through the ice cave to find amber? Then after defeating the boss, Shiranui falls from the ceiling where he was frozen solid. They make it clear that Shiranui is gravely wounded, hinting it was from the fight at the Wawku Shrine (from the first game). Remember in Okami, that scene where Shiranui went straight to the Orochi battle to save one more life before he dies. Then…WHY IN THE HELL DID HE MAKE A DETOUR TO THE ICE CAVE?!  There's no way he could've made it all the way there! During the "cutscene" after the Wawku Shrine battle, you can clearly see on the other side of the portal, that Shiranui was about to walk through, what looks to be either the Moon Shrine or arguably, Orochi's lair. Shiranui was near death, so he couldn't have gone far in his condition. Just one more plot hole to add to the pile.

Story wise, it says that it takes place 9 months after Ammy defeated Yami. Well a hell of a lot happened in that short time! In Shinshu Field, there's a cave that leads to a whole new village that never existed in the first game. Sure you can argue that someone found a big area to build a village in, but so much was built in such short time. How could someone have found that place? There was never a cave there before. Someone had to be bored one day and decided to dig a tunnel.

Speaking of tunnels, the one that leads from Shinshu Field to Agata Forest is closed off. Apparently there was a big earthquake and the tunnel collapsed. Well, you can say goodbye to roaming free, because you cannot willingly return to the places you've been to. There are only one or two times during the game where you're allowed to go back to other areas. You do that by warping using the Origin Mirror (save point).

Even though it's nice to see the places you've seen from the first game, they all are missing so much detail. I remember every nook and cranny that was left out from Okami. Like, there's no pillar in the water by the temple on North Ryoshima Coast, and there's some gravestones missing in that location too. Yeap, a lot sure has changed during those nine months. The DS couldn't handle all the details I suppose. In fact, unlike the PS2 and Wii versions, you can't wander the entire area very smoothly, the game has to load each little section of it. Tedious if you ask me.

While I'm talking about the Nintendo DS, it really was a nice idea to have an Okami game for the handheld. It'd be easier to draw with the stylus. The only problem is YOU BARELY DRAW ANYTHING. In Okami, you had over 13 symbols to draw in order to summon attacks and elements. On Okamiden, you learn the slash technique, the cherry bomb, and anything else is either tracing or just connecting one thing to another with a line.

You know what I really missed from the first game? The artwork. Yes, I'm aware that you can collect "Master Pieces" that piece together a work of art Issun did. But in the first game, it was like you were being told a story where the pictures said it all. When you've finished each boss, the narrator will begin talking and you see traditional paintings that reveal what happened after the boss fight instead of an animated cutscene. The paintings were gorgeous and gave justice to the plot.

Moving on, other than the artistic design of Okami, the soundtrack for the game was also what made it so memorable. I've never had such intense boss battle music play as I fought beasts 10 times my size. The music always set the right mood. I swear, there must be at least 30 tracks if not more. It's hard to pick favorites, but I personally love listening to Kaguya's Theme (Bamboo Forest) for its otherworldly mysterious feel.

As for Okamiden…not as much variety. And by variety, I mean fewer tracks old and new. I'm more than happy to listen to the music for the places seen in the first game, but it's not quite the same. The music is lacking something, it's just…different. Again the DS probably wasn't capable of what the consoles were able to handle. However I do enjoy one track that's both original and is influenced by previous Okami tracks: "Underground Ruins". The other tracks get repetitive and one I particularly have had enough of is what's called "A Knee-Slapper". It's first played when you meet Kuni. I thought it was going to be his theme song, but instead it's often played unnecessarily during other scenes. It's like, couldn't they have used another track? Is this all that they could come up with for Okamiden music?

I'd like to end this "rant" by saying I understand the struggle the team went through when trying to make this sequel. It still surprises me that the sales for Okami were poor and Capcom employee Chris Svensson commented, "a lot more people would have to buy copies of Okami to warrant a sequel to be produced." This is probably why more effort (and presumably funding) did not go into Okamiden. Aside from the squabbles Clover Studios and Capcom had, those who remained on the team did manage to make an 'ok' sequel. It kept my interest throughout, but the fetch quests were unfulfilling, music was repetitive, and it just made me wish I was playing the first game.

Oh, and speaking of fetch quests, the stray beads in this game mean nothing to you. They sell cheap, and serve as nothing more. What a blatant finger to the first game, wouldn't you say?

It almost seems like someone else tried to make an Okami game. This doesn't feel like the sequel and I don't believe it lives up to the reputation of the previous game. Others may argue that it does--that's their opinion and I'm ok with that. I wonder how different the game would be if Clover were still involved.

Okamiden hints that yet another sequel will be made and I've heard it may only be available to the 3DS. I don't have high hopes for it, but as an Okami fan, I'll gladly see if the third sequel will be any better…hopefully with a lot less grammatical errors.