Welcome to the first official edition of Totschafe’s Reviews, an in-depth review of what’s new or awesome on the market and some things you may have never heard of! I’m Totschafe, as you’ve seen and here’s my review of Capcom/Clover Studio’s hit game: Okami.

Okami is a wonderful game made in the Japanese art style known as sumi-e, which is famous for its thick and pronounced brush strokes, the style that made Japanese art famous. It follows the story of Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess who is reincarnated as a white wolf named Shiranui. She is called on by a beautiful tree spirit who inhabits a great tree overlooking the tiny village of Kamiki. Kamiki is in danger, caused by the eight-headed serpent, Orochi, who has wreaked havoc on the village and the country itself. Amaterasu must defeat Orochi with the help of a small friend named Issun, the one-inch high artist who rides in Amaterasu’s fur.

The cool part about this game is your arsenal. You’re given one weapon on your back and a side weapon for close combat. Your back weapon is either a mirror or a sword, pertaining to the Japanese legend about the gifts of the three gods; a sword, a mirror, and a jewel. Your most useful weapon is one you probably wouldn’t expect; your tail. Amaterasu’s tail can be used as a paintbrush that is your long-to-close range weapon. You pause the game for a moment and take a screenshot of your fight, only to draw over it using symbols to represent different attacks. These symbols can also be used throughout the game to repair bridges, open caves, and many other things. Throughout the game, you learn thirteen brush strokes that aid you in all situations.

You may also find that in the game are large references to Japanese legends and myths. The Japanese creation myth is the main reference but beloved stories are used during the duration of the game. Some include the story of Issun Boushi, or Little One Inch. Others include The Bamboo Cutter’s Daughter, the Tongue Cutting Sparrow Eaters, and Urashima Taro. The more you play this game, the more you get into the legends, even re-enacting some. You also see the differences between different parts of Japan where you go to the northernmost part of the country to visit a tribe, which strongly resembles the Ainu tribe of Hokkaido, and get to become part of the famous Ainu legend about their hero, Oki.

Other than the legends and fighting, the scenery around you is a huge part of the game. You can interact with the scenery, blooming trees and feeding animals you see along the way, earning ‘praise’ points which can get you more ink pots, more life, and a larger bag to carry your money in. Make sure you pay attention to all of the scenery. Some of it may surprise you when you find that a pond is actually a portal to another part of Japan! Or if a couple banners actually make a bridge to another place!

Luckily, a good feature of the game is you can take it all at your own pace. You can go back to another place and do whatever you wish, returning to your original destination whenever you want. This comes in handy when you earn more money and you want to go back and buy something you saw at a merchant’s stand earlier.

The game can be challenging at times since some enemies must be defeated in different ways. Don’t be afraid to try something new if you come to a difficult stop. Sometimes creative thinking is the only way to get through the game! There are many interesting puzzles and some mini-games that are optional to play. There are also optional fights that can be useful as far as gaining money and praise. This game is made for just about anyone, such as those who like combat, mini-games, puzzles, or just enjoy the game for the look and feel of it.

This is a highly addicting game and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. The game play is awesome, the scenery is delightful, the music is amazing, and everything about it definitely makes this one of those games that will go down in history.