Alright, so I purchased Okami for the Wii a few months ago and busted it out for the first time yesterday. Let me tell you now, it's not very redeeming.
But, before I go into the nitty-grit of why I dislike the Wii version, let me tell you why I enjoyed the original Okami.
What originally drew me to Okami back in 2006 was it's unique art style and story. It is set in ancient Nippon (Japan), where the legends of samurai and gods are played out all around you. More specifically, you play as the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omikami- only in wolf form.
The graphics for this game are not cutting edge, by any means. However, stylistically, they are a cut above other 'cel shaded' styles. Everything around you is rendered in Japanese style calligraphy, with cherry blossoms, leaves and even kanji blowing all around you, with mountains being drawn in the distance. Overall, it's very aesthetically pleasing.
The controls are very fluid in this game (for PS2). Everything is pretty basic and easy to control- even the celestial brush, from which the most advanced moves originate.
Overall, I'd give the PS2 version a 9.5/10. It is one of the best games I have ever played!
So, when I heard that this game was going to be ported on the 'fledgling' system, Nintendo Wii, I was pretty excited.
The original studio that made the game, Clover, folded the fall after the PS2 version was released, so it wasn't the original creators porting the game over. That being said, the port was rushed and sloppily done.
The first thing I noticed was the controls. They're HIDEOUS! I've been playing the damned game for almost five hours and I STILL don't know how to do a combo in melee battle.
Trying to draw a circle with the wii'mote is literally torture. I spent almost fifteen minutes trying to draw the circles for the Mr. Orange dance sequence and almost cried tears of joy when I completed it. Drawing a straight line across the screen is even harder. I had to cross one of the bandit's names of a list and it took a solid ten minutes of me yelling at the screen to complete what should be an easy task. Even enemies are hard to hit with the celestial brush. It's like, no matter how steady your hand is, you draw like you have Parkinson's.
The wii'mote just wasn't meant for accuracy- at least in the situations that this game calls for. I actually prefer the analog sticks to the free range motion of the wii'mote. At least I know the cursor will be on the screen at all times.
Another big beef I have with the game is the graphics. The original game seems to be a little more fluid as far as colors and pixels go, while the Wii version just looks muddy. Yes, I know the Wii is a super game cube, but still, there is no reason to leave such sloppy, muddy graphics in a 'next gen' game. Also, this game was ported in wide screen, however, some of the cut scenes are still shot in 'regular screen', which doesn't even make sense.
The porters also conveniently forgot to credit the original creators of the game in the first run, so Nintendo was forced to come up with a patch that included the proper credits. Also,
the box art was literally googled and printed off the internet with an 'ign' logo next to the wolf. They LITERALLY stole their own artwork.
So, I give the port for Wii a 6/10. It's barely playable in my opinion, and does little justice to the original. If you want my honest opinion, buy the PS2 version and save your money.
-Alyson
But, before I go into the nitty-grit of why I dislike the Wii version, let me tell you why I enjoyed the original Okami.
What originally drew me to Okami back in 2006 was it's unique art style and story. It is set in ancient Nippon (Japan), where the legends of samurai and gods are played out all around you. More specifically, you play as the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omikami- only in wolf form.
The graphics for this game are not cutting edge, by any means. However, stylistically, they are a cut above other 'cel shaded' styles. Everything around you is rendered in Japanese style calligraphy, with cherry blossoms, leaves and even kanji blowing all around you, with mountains being drawn in the distance. Overall, it's very aesthetically pleasing.
The controls are very fluid in this game (for PS2). Everything is pretty basic and easy to control- even the celestial brush, from which the most advanced moves originate.
Overall, I'd give the PS2 version a 9.5/10. It is one of the best games I have ever played!
So, when I heard that this game was going to be ported on the 'fledgling' system, Nintendo Wii, I was pretty excited.
The original studio that made the game, Clover, folded the fall after the PS2 version was released, so it wasn't the original creators porting the game over. That being said, the port was rushed and sloppily done.
The first thing I noticed was the controls. They're HIDEOUS! I've been playing the damned game for almost five hours and I STILL don't know how to do a combo in melee battle.
Trying to draw a circle with the wii'mote is literally torture. I spent almost fifteen minutes trying to draw the circles for the Mr. Orange dance sequence and almost cried tears of joy when I completed it. Drawing a straight line across the screen is even harder. I had to cross one of the bandit's names of a list and it took a solid ten minutes of me yelling at the screen to complete what should be an easy task. Even enemies are hard to hit with the celestial brush. It's like, no matter how steady your hand is, you draw like you have Parkinson's.
The wii'mote just wasn't meant for accuracy- at least in the situations that this game calls for. I actually prefer the analog sticks to the free range motion of the wii'mote. At least I know the cursor will be on the screen at all times.
Another big beef I have with the game is the graphics. The original game seems to be a little more fluid as far as colors and pixels go, while the Wii version just looks muddy. Yes, I know the Wii is a super game cube, but still, there is no reason to leave such sloppy, muddy graphics in a 'next gen' game. Also, this game was ported in wide screen, however, some of the cut scenes are still shot in 'regular screen', which doesn't even make sense.
The porters also conveniently forgot to credit the original creators of the game in the first run, so Nintendo was forced to come up with a patch that included the proper credits. Also,
the box art was literally googled and printed off the internet with an 'ign' logo next to the wolf. They LITERALLY stole their own artwork.
So, I give the port for Wii a 6/10. It's barely playable in my opinion, and does little justice to the original. If you want my honest opinion, buy the PS2 version and save your money.
-Alyson
