Okami HD is, as the name suggests, a high-definition re-release of Okami for PS4[1], Xbox One[2], and Windows PC[3]. Developed by Clover Studio for the PS2[4] in 2006, Okami met with critical acclaim, but little commercial success. It had the misfortune of hitting stores around the same time as the likes of Final Fantasy XII[5], Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and Call of Duty 3.
Nonetheless, publisher Capcom gave this watercoloured adventure another lease of life with a release for the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii, before bringing it to current generation hardware. Now, 11 years since its debut, does it hold up or is it just another cash grab? We tell you.
Okami is Capcom’s take on the Legend of Zelda. You play as Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, in the form of a white wolf. Just as traditional Zelda games usually have a fairy to drop hints or help take the plot forward, Okami has Issun-an atom-sized artist[6], belonging to a mythical race known as the Poncle, for a side-kick.
Taking place in a cel-shaded, ink-illustrated representation of Japan, Okami has you partake in numerous quests to save the land from a great and ancient evil. These range from the mundane, such as growing trees, to the magical, such as defeating gigantic demons. All of these result in money and Praise (the game’s take on experience points) which you can use to buy new gear and upgrade your skills. Combat in Okami takes place in cloistered arenas and is in real-time. Here you can use weapons, melee attacks, and even a brush to beat your opponents. Yes, a paint brush, or the...