Okamiden borrows the huge, breathing world from Okami but ultimately doesn't live up to it.

User Rating: 5 | Okamiden DS

The Good: Presentation is a technical achievement; cute, lovely characters

The Bad: Dragging; uneven difficulty; shallow

Built upon the lore of the cult Action-RPG Okami (PS2, Wii), Okamiden develops the original's story from the point it was left in the first title while trying to appeal to a broader audience by introducing Amaterasu's son--a cute puppy called Chibiterasu--in the leading role for this sequel.

From a technical standpoint--which seemed to be what worried Okami fans most in a portable cramming--there's nothing to yell at. Nippon still looks gorgeous and even the sometimes oversized pixels make it for a crisp, beautiful presentation. The same can be said about the expanded soundtrack, which sounds as epic as ever.

Nippon still looks gorgeous in the tiny screen.
Nippon still looks gorgeous in the tiny screen.

But unfortunately when it comes to content Okamiden fails to capture the grandeur of the original installment.

The game takes you by the hand in so many ways that' it's hard not to state it was dumbed down. Predictable puzzles, prayers evolving your powers automatically, the very combat... Even the poor (or lazy?) decision of making it controlled by the D-Pad (instead of a more intuitive touch-only scheme like in the DS Zeldas) produces another step down: the camera compelling you to where you should go next.

Chibi partnering a variety of companions throughout the adventure does help to freshen the experience and show the intended protagonist's fragility, but in the long run much of the plot and dialogue is plain dragging for the sake of it. What would be an otherwise charming cast of characters can grow annoying and tiring after some time.

That aforementioned overall mood/pace twist could have made it for a perfect kids-friendly first RPG... But the overly complex boss battles create difficulty spikes that can get in the way and turn beginners down.

Okamiden would fare better if it was conceived as a spin-off, or at least as a more compact title. As a main entry with the responsibility to carry the name on it just feels expendable.