An amazing experience that will immerse you at every fast-paced step.
Story: As the ancient evil known as Orochi is released upon medieval Japan/Nippon by an unknown man, it is up to the sun-goddess Amateresu to fight back under the guise of a wolf. (Though, it's never clear whether you are playing simply as a demigod reincarnation of an ill-fated wolf named Shiranui hosted by Amateresu's abilities or the sun-goddess herself). After the tides of Orochi's power is held off by a local forest-spirit, it is up to Amateresu/Shiranui to slowly take back the island one village at a time from the clutches of Orochi and his hench-demons.
The game is deep with subtly referenced Japanese mythology and characters that feel human despite there lack of expressive capabilities amid the aforementioned style of graphics. The player also helps develop a connection with the game through the loud-mouthed artist/warrior sidekick who tags along throughout the game. On the down-side the nature of the game's story, while immersive, tends to bog the player down significantly in the early parts of what is an essentially long game, but picks up speed afterwards. 9/10
Graphics: Some of the best graphics presented last-gen. Originally slated to be adjusted to technical realism, Clover leaned instead to the a stylistic approach that imitated Japanese wood-block painting and calligraphy. This approach not only add to the beauty of the game but tied the player even more with the game's world and theme of artistry. It is, by far, the one of the best-looking games on the PS2 and manages to fully immerse gamers by its graphical appeal alone. 10/10
Gameplay: The gameplay is a full package of action and adventure. On the one side there's a full fledged world to explore and interact with, and on the other is a carefully balanced set of magical capabilities alongside an assortment of melee-weapons that add a very dynamic element to the combat. The magic abilities are smoothly summoned through joy-stick motioned brush strokes. Each is generally based on nature and involve everything from summoning a tree from the ground to inducing enemies in a cyclone of fire.
Combat is at its best when you face-off against regular enemies who have their own variety of attacks. There is also a good variety of enemies you fight with dozens of mini-bosses interlaced throughout the game. Otherwise, most main boss-battles, while epic in feel, will come off more as mere showcases of new abilities. Mini-bosses typically present more of a challenge as they're require harder timing and more complex patterns.
All in all, the gameplay is a fresh and exciting experience with the combination of a dynamic set of capabilities with an equally dynamic grouping of enemies.
Exploration is also a fun experience yielding everything from powerful weapons, to extra currency, to even hidden boss-battles. 9/10
Sound: Music presented in Okami features a few set pieces that never really get old and do well not only to set the tone of the game but also the feel of medieval Japan. Sound effects also do well to shape the somewhat cartoony atmosphere of the game and add humor. Voice-acting is null and replaced by a series of different chirps and yelps that sound vaguely like gibberish.
This gibberish is a nice gimmick that easily fits with each character, but also has the tendency to be annoying depending on the character. The high-pitched females are heard sparingly but your sidekick unfortunately is the among the most annoying and the most heard through out the game. 8/10
Overall: Despite a few minor short-comings, Okami is a PS2 classic not to be missed out on if you are a fan of the action-adventure genre. 9.5/10