Review: Okami. (PlayStation 2. Clover Studios, Capcom.)

Wearing its Japanese heritage on its flea collar, Okami is a game that casts the player in the role of the sun god named Amaterasu who also happens to be a white wolf. Still reading? Good, because Okami is truly unmissable. What you may not realise is that Okami is actually a unique and involving RPG, possessing all of the requisite depth that you’d expect with a healthy side order of invention. Some might argue that Okami borrows heavily from the Zelda series, especially GameCube classic Legend Of The Wind Waker. Take the ability to summon winds and change the time of day as just two examples, that we’re sure are just affectionate homage and not lazy rip-offs, but you get the idea. Forget all of that though because Okami stands out as yet another beautiful and majestic game worthy of mention in the same breath as Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus.
What strikes you about Okami is its unique look, like a watercolour painting comprised of elegant brushstrokes, it’s a treat for the eyeballs standing up as one of the most beautiful games on PS2.
Kicking off at a sedate pace, you’re tasked with assisting the inhabitants of the cursed Kamiki village. Involving anything from drawing a washing line for an old washerwoman to stealing turnips (!), Okami’s errands are amusingly varied. Drained of colour and life by the presence of demons, it’s Amaterasu’s job to restore the land to its former glory. Throughout your journey you’ll regain all of your lost powers, eventually transforming Ammy into an omnipotent being capable of all sorts of cool and useful stuff.
Okami’s much vaunted innovation is Amaterasu’s weapon of choice, the Celestial Paintbrush. Holding R1 temporarily freezes the in-game action making the screen your canvas. Using the left analog stick with  you can then scrawl a variety of different shapes to achieve accompanying effects. A deft flick of the stick to paint a line will cleave an enemy in two for instance.
After a good few hours, you’ll be able to blow stuff up with cherry bombs, draw lily pads to traverse rivers and lakes, even cast vines to swing up to certain inaccessible points that were previously out of reach. You’ll need all of these abilities as the action kicks up a gear after extended play, casting you deeper into its quirky universe, quickly evolving into a sprawling and immersive game that will eat up your time without you even realising it.
Our only tiny criticism would be that the dialogue, which consists primarily of incredibly high-pitched, helium-squeaky voices can grate after a while and to a cynical spectator it can look like you’re playing a kid’s game. But then, really who cares? Okami is both original and enormously playable. Highly recommended. Chances are that you won’t play a better game on PS2 this year which is why, for us, Okami is to be The Shed’s PS2 swansong. And we can’t think of a better way to end a magnificent, incredibly gratifying and fulfilling seven-year relationship. Woof. Blissful.
Bite: 9/10