Okami HD

Okami is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The HD remaster is stunningly gorgeous.

I originally played Okami on the Wii many moons ago, but I got frustrated and stymied with my struggles with the motion controls, as I did with every game that required motion controls. Sure, I've only played for 4 hours so far of this version, but I know a) I am not significantly better at video games than I used to be if only because I'm aging and my hands don't work as well as they used to, and b) I am actually finding controlling the Celestial Brush mechanic with my mouse much, much easier than using motion controls on the Wii (or the Switch, for that matter). The game runs extremely well so far on my rather middle-of-the-road gaming laptop, and I can't stress enough how well it's working with keyboard and mouse rather than controller, especially for the brush. Occasionally I fight with the camera, and sometimes the camera wins, but are you really playing an action-adventure game if the camera isn't one of your many enemies?

The game has its juvenile moments, but in my "old age", I'm now just sort of shaking my head and laughing at them more than I was in my 20s when I took everything much, much too seriously. I'm finding it much more charming now. Without going into spoilers, Okami has the sort of narrative that just keeps getting bigger and bigger, which it balances out with charm and silliness, some surprising cleavage, a lot of monkey butts, and its bright, colourful beauty. One of, if not my biggest, complaints about Okaimi is that it definitely falls into that writing trap of "this is a for a wide audience" so the dialogue (unvoiced; all text-on-screen) is not particularly sophisticated.

Okami is the kind of game I will point at very insistently when I say that art style is just as important as the high-fidelity true-to-life graphics--and if I may be so bold, I sometimes think that's more important if we're going to look at video games as sitting at the crossroads of "art" and "toy". I cannot stress enough how gorgeous this game is with its real-life-art-inspired art direction, and its heavy focus on nature. If you can relax and let go of a need to count pixel-people's pores, this game is stunning.

But above all else, since I picked this game up for the first time in 2008, Okami remains one of the best Zelda games I've ever played (and I've played all of the console releases of Zelda since my family got a NES in 1988). I guess if I was forced to concede to pedantry, I'd say that it's actually one of the best Zeldalikes I've ever played--but that's genuinely not what I mean. Okami captures the spirit of a Zelda game with breathtaking joy, but with enough of its own charisma and skill that it doesn't matter if it's copying Nintendo's homework or not. It looked at the Zelda framework and said "hold my paintbrush". The ramping up of combat difficulty, the secrets and treasures, the character progression through upgrades to skills and weapons, the colourful cast of characters, the (annoying?) helper-companion character who travels with you, the dungeons and their bigger-than-life bosses, the linear story with digressions and, yeah, backtracking... the formula is there, and beautifully done at that. As much as I love Breath of the Wild, Okami is far more Zelda than BOTW is.

So, if you are good with a charmingly silly Zeldalike with often juvenile dialogue-writing that does the Zelda spirit/formula better than modern--day Zelda, with a gorgeous art style, give this a shot.

Ōkami HD is a game that feels like a living painting, a love letter to Japanese folklore wrapped in a stunningly unique art style. I first experienced it on Xbox One when it came out but never finished it. Now, with the news of a sequel on the horizon, I finally found the motivation to revisit it on PC—and I’m glad I did.

Every environment, character, and enemy feels meticulously crafted, making the entire experience feel like an interactive painting. It’s rare to find a game where the visuals remain timeless, but Ōkami HD still holds up beautifully.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the combat system is another highlight. The use of the Celestial Brush to perform attacks and interact with the world is one of the most unique mechanics in any action-adventure game. Slashing enemies, restoring nature, and solving puzzles with brush techniques never gets old, and the fluidity of combat keeps things engaging throughout.

However, one aspect that has always bothered me—and still does—is the inability to fast-read through dialogue. While the writing and storytelling are charming, the slow text speed can feel frustrating, especially during long conversations. It’s a small issue in the grand scheme of things, but it occasionally disrupts the pacing, making certain moments feel dragged out.

Overall, Ōkami HD is still a masterpiece that deserves to be experienced by anyone who appreciates artful game design, creative mechanics, and immersive storytelling. Despite my minor gripe with the dialogue speed, the game’s beauty and depth more than make up for it. With a sequel on the way, now is the perfect time to dive back into this classic.

One of the best PS2 games (And there are a lot) and it's even better with widescreen and HD support. Still holds up in 2025.

Playing through this game again on the steam deck has been genuinely one of the best times I've had in a long time, with videogames at least. I played originally on the Wii, 100%ed the game over months, and I'm sure I'm gonna do the same with this version. Classic game even if there are points where you can tell this game was originally made in the PS2 era (the amount of jokes that revolved SA towards women at the start was mildly unpleasant), but the issues are momentary and fleeting, even if you end up love hating that jumping green BUG that lives in your equipment pouch.

Gameplay is fun and Story is Perfect. Played the game since PS2 era and it still is fun and memorable. Ahhh the nostalgia..

10/10 Masterpiece

A fantastic version of one of the best adventure games of our time. The camera has that good ol' PS2 jank to it still but the game otherwise holds up really well. The characters are charming, the story is engaging, the level design and world are interesting, the boss fights have unique gimmicks, the music is moving, and the art! OH THE GORGEOUS STYLE of this game!

If you can't tell, I love this game. I've loved it since playing it back on the PS2 and I'm sure I will continue to love it long into the future. The sequel announcement was a good excuse to pick up this version and own the game a 4th time so I could play it on stream and I'm so glad I did. There are parts towards the end of the game that I had forgotten about and I will say the ending had me moved to tears. I've grown into such a big silly softie anymore but man does this game hit just right.

An absolute classic that is worth your time and money. Don't sleep on this one. Especially if you're a fan of like Zelda games and similar. It's a standout among the formula.

Not just an unforgettable adventure, but simply a fun and lovely way to bring art into a game

so excited this game is getting another in the series. One of my favorite story games of all time. Artwork is incredible. Game is super fun and there are tons of cute characters

Fantastic game. An absolutely brilliant experience that despite being almost 20 years old is still holding up to this day. It measures up to the all time greats of video games. What an experience! Highly recommend it even at full price.

Gaming really doesn't get much better than this!

Not sure how I haven't played this game earlier. The gameplay isn't anything special but the game oozes so much charm it's hard to put down.

I remember watching a playthrough of this game nearly 15 years ago. I'm glad I waited this long to play it for myself because it was amazing to experience this masterpiece for myself and hardly remembering any of it. Great story and great gameplay. There were a few frustrating parts that I had to look up, but overall an amazing experience! I'm really excited for the sequel! It definitely has become one of my favorite games!

9/10

I started this game focusing on how the combat was gonna be like since I was shown it by a friend, but realized that this game did not focus on that, rather in exploration. It was not exactly the game I expected, but it was for the best in the end. Great and unique artstyle, Amaterasu feels fun to just move around with, the level/map design always encouraging you to explore more, and the good story all combined make a really fun experience. While this isn't an open-world game, it's something pretty close to that, and I enjoyed it despite me not typically going for that genre of games. Definitely recommend, and I am officially seated and waiting for the sequel :)

It was one of my favourite games when it came out in 2006 and it remains one of my favourite games 19 years later. Stunning graphics, engaging gameplay and a brilliant soundtrack.

It's a great game to play on the Steam Deck; the graphics work really well on the smaller screen, though I do recommend changing the aspect ratio to the original 4:3.

I'm seeing most reviews in here praise the artstyle, while others are criticising aspects like the pacing and gameplays and whatever else. I can see what they mean, but honestly all aspects of the game come together extremely well to make an unforgettable experience for me.

Firstly to get it out of the way, visuals. They're pretty perfect, we know this, and I know I'll never get tired of the brushstroke style it portrays.

Gameplay and world is really solid. The world itself and the characters you meet are varied and interesting, and there's a lot to offer from just running around. Travel itself never felt slow for me, it just felt nice to run as a wolf and watch the wind blow through you. Plus plenty of optional encounters and hidden treasures, and enough different weapons to keep fights tense but never impossible, alongside the many brushstrokes to interact with the environment.

The story and side stuff can get tedious, whether due to just running around from one place to another or RNG, but there's a lot there to keep you engaged and drive you to even fully complete the game if you wanted to.

Overall, I do understand that it can be tricky to recommend Okami to people. The artstyle draws you in immediately, but you may not be interested in what the main gameplay has to offer initially.

That being said, I'd highly recommend anyone to try this game at least once. It is well worth the effort to at the very least test out the gameplay for a bit so you can say that you have. But you will feel a
hell of a lot more rewarded to get through the full game, hell I encourage you to go through the main story at least.

People say it's a masterpiece for good reason. We've been waiting years for more, and I can't believe we finally get an official sequel to relive the magic and experience a new journey in Ammie's life.

on yod it’s peak man very unique gameplay, a lovely art style and i really liked all the funny little freaks you meet along the journey (susano’s my goat)

10/10 i NEVER want to see blockhead again!!!

I think this game is pretty good. Haven't gotten that far into it yet but i definitely see what's all the hype about Okami

An amazing story and beautiful graphics.

very creative gameplay, old but gold

A masterpiece. It is to the Legend of Zelda what Sleeping Dogs is to Grand Theft Auto. Excellent puzzles, story, atmosphere, and flow. The best game I have played in years.

Definitely enjoyed the game, only real issue I can recall is the wonky camera at times.

Played the original version on the PS2 and decided to get it again when I saw it was on sale. It's just like the original version with the added boon of better graphics.

It runs like a dream and I haven't seen any bugs or glitches during my time playing. Using brush techniques is a lot easier with a mouse than it was using an analog stick on a controller.

The one caveat is that you're going to have fiddle around with the options to change the screen resolution, rebind keys, mouse/camera sensitivity, etc. When I first started it launched in windowed mode so unless you enjoy that, you're going to have fix it yourself. It also doesn't support larger screen resolutions such as 1920 x 1080 which is what I have. I found that using the largest option available is enough and I don't notice too much of a difference.

For those who haven't played Okami before know that it is pretty story/dialogue heavy. This is no more obvious than with the opening story and cutscenes. If you're the type that wants to boot up a game and get right into the gameplay, this is not the game for you. But, if you enjoy a good story and dialogue than you'll likely enjoy this game.

Overall, there are a few little bumps here and there, but it is a great game that I can't recommend enough especially if you've played the original on console.

The artstyle and visuals in general are very unique. The combat is satisfying too. If you want something different from the games of today, then give it a shot.

Honestly one of my favorite games and would genuinely if you like running around as a wolf with powers with a Japanese art style and music, recommend getting this game.

A Nostalgic Gem!
Classic Old Action Adventure with a lot to discover. Some Hilarious Events and scenes.
Main Issue with game is achievements. for some reason it appears on activity but not on steam achievements until i finished the game once.

Absolute masterpiece of its time, a gorgeous tale based on Japanese mythology with a familiar and friendly atmosphere that can't be found in any other game. I would love to see more games like it, but talented people don't always get the recognition they deserve... It's a shame that this game didn't pay off.

so far this game is really dang fun, i was introduced to Ammy thanks to Marvel vs Capcom and i'm glad that i finally choose to check this game out. the game looks great though i do wish i set the aspect ratio right because i had it set to a lower one and when i fixed it i really got so see how good the game looks, it really put the HD in Okami HD

A great classic that has aged surprisingly well in most areas (excluding Issun's lechery). A fairly easy one to breeze through too if you're looking for something light; I didn't die once and never even came close to it tbh and I wouldn't consider myself an expert by any means. Despite this, the fun story, solid gameplay, enjoyable world to explore and fantastic art direction keeps it engaging throughout.

Overall one of my favorite games. amazing story, fun charicters, simple gameplay and honestly the best Zelda like game out there. It is a game I never tire of playing and will play through many more times in the future.

fun and innovative gameplay, great story. beautiful art style and amazing soundtrack. that's all I really need to say


.....blockhead can go fuck himself though

Okami HD is a game I've come back to again and again since I first beat it in the 2000s. Even putting aside the nostalgia factor, the game is an incredibly fun experience with some really unique mechanics for a Zelda-style adventure game. The art style is gorgeous, the story is fun, the characters have life, and best of all, it just feels fun to play. It may not be perfect, but it was perfect for me.

Fantastic game. One I wish I had played way earlier on in my life as it probably would have been a life-long favourite.

This game is beautifully made, the art direction is on point. And despite being HD remaster, I feel like i have my old playstation again.

- I hate the digging mini games tho

There are many games that are well-known, either because they come from renowned studios or because they have prequels from earlier releases. However, there are also many that are true gems but haven't gained the recognition they deserve, often due to marketing. These are the so-called hidden gems.
One of them is the incredible Okami, first released in 2006, but I experienced it for the first time on the Wii. Despite attempting to finish it twice, I never managed to complete it. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to play it again, this time in HD. It’s a game that offers almost everything: storyline, action, puzzles, adventure, drama, and even plot twists.
This brave wolf, Amaterasu, will always remain in my memory, as it taught me how beautiful it is to help the weak, that hope always dies last, and that you should never give up until the end. In my humble opinion, it’s a game that stands toe-to-toe with titles like Zelda, but it never achieved the fame of AAA games.
With the arrival of sequel, I am hopeful for an outstanding sequel. This is yet another game that proves video games are not just a way to pass the time; they are an art form capable of making you "feel" while you play.

This is a weak thumbs up - the game is very long and slowly paced with a lack of deeply engaging gameplay for that time. It does not have the quantity and depth of dungeons of a Zelda game nor is the combat that enticing. But the worldbuilding and other aspects are just solid enough to make it worth the price and time.

Beautiful game, great writing, compelling gameplay. Played the original when it came out on the PS2 when I was a kid, and it's just as good as I remember it being

o jogo é bom, o problema é que é muito fácil e chega a ser enjoativo. no meu primeiro playthrough eu morri literalmente 0 vezes em 30 horas de game

I can't quite put my finger on what exactly makes Okami so great to me. You clearly notice that the original game is a decade old, the game is a bit clunky to play. The combat feels awkward at some points and the game overstays its welcome a bit.

However the graphics have aged exceptionally, which is clearly helped by this being a HD Remake but the main element is the amazing artstyle of the game. Characters are endearing and the brushes as a main feature in combat, exploration and puzzle solving are an interesting concept, even if they get samey at the end of the game.

The first act of the game is one of the best experiences I have had so far in gaming and it makes me wait eagerly for the sequel.

So; Lets look at the negatives.

Okami HD for sure works better on a controller, while the mouse and keyboard support is not bad at all, and having a mouse for the celestial brush work makes it easier, I think playing this game with a controller is just the easier option.

The game lacks modern options in both the graphics and controls, but it does its job well enough.

The positives

This game is beautiful. The art style is timeless and because of that it is a beautiful game to experiace. The uniqueness of the games look really does allow it to be beautiful even in todays gaming landscape.

The combat is effective and very complex at times, and the unique weapons Ammy gets makes it fun.

The puzzles are fun and engaging, but can be a bit dated at times.

The story is fun and can be quite well written and funny at times. Though it does lack a really interesting hook.

Overall, Okami HD is a great game, a solid 8/10 and with the sequel on the horizion, its worth picking up at full price, even more so if its on sale.

Its an interesting and fun game. Doggy goes woff woff and then goes God mode. *surprise pikachu face
This is basically a legend of zelda style game mixed with light platforming. There are puzzles that you solve by using abilities that you acquire. You got the dungeons that at the end you fight a boss. The only difference from zelda is that there is A LOT of storytelling in this game.

Some aspects that i didn't like:
- You can tell this is an old game. this is demonstrated by the limited fast travel, how characters are horny for females, some mechanics in boss battles, no 60 fps or higher, objects and NPCs popping into existence when you get closer to them.
- When the game opens up you may get lost...like not knowing where to go next to progress the story cause the game whats you to first "fully" talk to an NPC AND THEN you can actually progress the story.

What i did like:
- The world its kinda fun to get through. The NPCs look interesting and most of the time they have something interesting to say (like a hint/start a sidequest, world building info, etc)
- The world looks beautiful
- The abilities that you get are fun to use in puzzles
- The painting mechanic worked for me 90% of the time. this is a hot take from what i saw from other reviewers (i played the game using keyboard and mouse)
- There is a ton of story telling. At times lol-ing around and then hitting you with some sadness. I can't say that i was ever bored with the game's story
- I love that the "Level up" of the character is not accumulated from killing enemies cause the combat in this game is kinda repetitive. so basically you can finish the game by only fighting the mandatory enemies/bosses.

Old but gold.

Played the first time on PS2. After seeing the announcement of the sequel (and almost having a heart attack because of it) and finding out it had a PC remaster I came here and 100% the game.

It is as awesome as it was back then. Truly an ageless masterpiece.

Just played this for the first time. Genuinely did not think it would be too crazy of an experience, but it has left an impact for sure. The experience is put together so well that you can only come away feeling satisfied once you are ready to put it up.

Definitely worth the try if you haven't played it. Also. Good dog.

Art so uniquely stylized, forever beautiful in spite of hardware limitations from its time. Traditional Japanese music that is sure to catch even the unperceptive ear (you can even play the tracks in-game after completion). Heartfelt dialogue, also unapologetically hilarious, which could only be manufactured by the minds of some very eccentric individuals. I should mention, the dialogue does linger a bit much at the beginning, but it's easy to get used to it. Just like it's easy to get used to 30 FPS. Don't let that be the reason you pass on it. Don't be that guy.

A hidden gem, which will likely see a newfound rise in interest due to its recently announced sequel. Many will come looking for copper and find gold. But be wary of a few quirks and mishaps along the way. I had about a dozen "occurrences" that glitched my mouse and keyboard and the only fix was to shut down my PC. Make sure to invert the X and Y axis, which are "inverted" by default. Also, alt-tabbing causes issues — find a workaround.

TL;DR: Fantastic game. Port rough around the edges.

Lost track of how many times I've played this game. First time on the steam deck though and loving it just as much! The game plays perfectly. This game always manages to put a smile on my face (except for when I inevitably cry when I finish it)

The game is good.


Though, if you hate drawing circles, I'd advise caution.

Didn't expect to be this insanely good, it become one of my favorite game

Platforms tested: Windows desktop, Steam Deck
[table]
[tr]
[th]Pros[/th]
[th]Cons[/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Incredible art and soundtrack[/td]
[td]Aggressive LOD, which makes finding things difficult at times.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Game has lot of content.[/td]
[td]30 FPS cap[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Classic dungeon adventure design.[/td]
[td]Heavy filter[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

Things to know

Game does not have auto-save. Save often!

The game has a very annoying fishing minigame which is required for 100% completion.

In windowed mode the cursor is bound to the window and win-key is disabled. If you want to use a browser, prepare to alt+tab.

There are no DLC or microtransactions.


This review contains spoilers.

Overview of Story and Gameplay

Okami is an action-adventure game. It was first released on PlayStation 2 in 2006 and later on Nintendo Wii. It later got an “HD” version on PlayStation 3 in 2012 before getting a release on modern consoles and PC in 2017. With the announcement that Okami would be getting another sequel nearly 20 years after its release, what better time than to try out Okami and to see why the game is so highly praised.

In Okami, the player assumes the control of Sun Goddess Amaterasu in the form of a wolf. Amaterasu, or Ammy for short, is called to the mortal plane in action after a certain moron accidentally releases Orochi, the eight-headed serpent, who promptly goes to curse the whole world. Amaterasu is accompanied by Issun, another moron and a wandering artist seeking out Celestial Brush techniques for himself.

The gameplay is a Zelda-like action adventure. You control Ammy in wandering around the world of “Nippon,” solving puzzles, searching for treasures, and fighting enemies. Occasionally, you stumble upon Zelda-like dungeons with a boss fight at the end.

Okami features light RPG elements in the way of allowing players to upgrade their equipment with specific items and enhance their health and ink pots (the game’s version of mana). The stat enhancements are done with specific currency that is obtained by exploring the world and doing good deeds, such as feeding animals or advancing quests. The battles only drop specific items used for trading, and no experience points or levels are featured in the game.

The special game mechanic that separates Okami from other Zelda-like games is the use of the Celestial Brush. At any time, the players can bring up a canvas to draw shapes to use special skills. Celestial Brush skills are used both in battles and out in the world for solving puzzles. On PlayStation and Wii consoles, it’s possible to use motion controls to draw the shapes, but on PC, it’s mainly done via mouse or analog stick.

The game features various minigames, both in loading screens and during your adventure.

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The Tech

Let’s get this out of the way. The game is locked to 30 fps (the menus run at 60 fps). There are no mods or anything to increase the frame rate. You can try external tools to generate more frames, but the game will run 30 fps, nonetheless. The game also has a very strong post-processing shader applied to it. You can reduce the intensity of it in the settings, but you need external mods to remove it.

The game has very aggressive LOD, which means that your viewing distance is not very long. This can cause the player to easily overlook things as certain objects may not appear unless you are right next to them! Fortunately, there are very few missable items during the game.

The game supports only 4:3 and 16:9 resolutions, in windowed, borderless, and exclusive full-screen modes. This means that on platforms like Steam Deck, you will get black bars. On ultra-wide screens, the game supports proper resolutions but just draws the game to a 16:9 frame in the middle of the screen. One thing to note with g-sync compatible displays is that due to the 30 fps cap, you may experience flickering on the screen if you don’t turn off g-sync.

Most display options, such as screen mode, v-sync, and resolution, can only be edited in the title screen. In-game, you can only adjust graphics settings levels from low to high (affecting AA and AF). Aspect ratio and loading screen minigames are toggled in the “Original settings,” while the Filter is on the top-level options screen. The sound settings offer only three different sound type levels. The game features no voice acting.

Curiously, something in the port uses a lot of CPU power. This means that the CPU draw is very high, be it on desktop or Steam Deck. This leads to a whopping 19W power draw on Steam Deck, resulting in around 2 hours of playtime.

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Misc.

DLC
The game has no DLC that affects the gameplay. The game has a wallpaper DLC and soundtrack divided into 6 different purchases.

Achievements
All achievements are achievable in a single playthrough. The game has no difficulty options, so no achievements are tied to difficulty. Some achievements are missable, and a few require completion of minigames. The game has a New Game+ mode, so if you miss an achievement, you can replay it.

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My Opinions

This game came out first in 2006, and the subsequent releases have not changed anything in the game itself. Surprisingly, the game holds up pretty well in 2024.

The adventuring is fun, and the dungeons, while short, are enjoyable to explore. The different powers keep the very long 40–50-hour adventure fresh. During your adventures, you also have the chance to play various minigames. In the original version, the loading screens had minigames. These are, by default, disabled on modern releases, but you can enable them in the main menu.

There are a variety of enemies to battle. Most of them can be blasted away, but there are plenty that require you to approach them with your Celestial Brush powers. The boss fights are generally easy but have some fun quirks. Just keep in mind that this game predates Dark Souls by a lot, so don’t expect Souls-like bosses.

The controls feel responsive and allow inverting the camera controls. The Celestial Brush may feel a bit awkward initially, but after playing for a while, one gets used to it.

That said, there are aspects of the game design that haven’t aged well.
The very slow dialogue speed (which you can mostly speed up by holding B on your controller) can make some of the cutscenes last very long.
There is no auto-advance for the dialogue, which can make some cutscenes annoying.
The fishing minigame, especially at higher levels, is extremely annoying and time-consuming.
The lack of auto-save can be surprising for some players, though save points are plenty and the game is very forgiving.


All in all, I really enjoyed my time in Nippon. At the time of writing this review, I am still finishing my 100% run, and I will update my review if my opinion changes.

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I highly recommend this game. It can be had for very cheap, and with the upcoming sequel, I have no doubt that one would enjoy this game.

Okami is my life's all time favorite game. It taught me just how much art can truly go into games, and for many years it served as an enormous source of inspiration from me. Having first played it on the Nintendo Wii thanks to a friends' recommendation, I've since then played this game from beginning to end nearly a dozen times by this point, spending hundreds upon hundreds of hours with it across a whole bunch of platforms (Besides this steam version, I own the Wii, PS2, PS3, PS4, Switch versions). And I've even once had a birthday cake made with Amaterasu and a cherry tree.
To know that there's a true sequel coming for this game, brings tears of joy to my eyes... From deep within, thank you for all your effort, Hideki Kamiya & everyone else who worked on this game and are working to make the sequel a reality.

Always saw the collabs in Monster Hunter from Okami since MH4u and I never had the chance to play it on nintendo DS, so I bought this piece of art and it's amazing, the art style is so unique and the voice sounds are honestly funny, the mechanics are also really cool, so now that we're getting Okami 2, I'm so damn glad I ended up playing this game, can't wait for the next.

Not even done with the game yet, but I have to say that this may be the best game I have ever played.

Amaterasu is a very good doggo. Peak game.

Slow start, but not bad. Combat is mediocre, but I enjoyed the fight with Waka. Here's hoping there's more like that. The paint brush, adding objects to the landscape either for utility or to attack enemies, is an interesting mechanic (I enjoy painting the bomb into a fight and blowing up everybody!). The graphics, of course, are gorgeous, though some of the character models leave a little to be desired. It looks a lot like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Characters are where the game shines, with figures like Susano and Onigiri Sensei standing out as humorous figures. It took a while for me to really get into, but I think it's turning out okay.

Recommended for players of moderate skill; it won't drive you bonkers trying to advance, like FromSoftware's titles, but offers the occasional difficulty spike which makes for a fair challenge. Combat starts absurdly easy, but grows on you after a while as you unlock new abilities (BOOM! lol).

Contains elements of light platforming and light RPG-style character advancement. Good for dipping your toes into a wide range of mechanics. Controls translate well to an XBox or PlayStation controller, would probably handle fine with keyboard and mouse as well (I haven't tried yet).