Okamiden

[illdog]

Ive only played 20 mins or so before work this morning so cant really give any impressions as such, but its a lovely looking game already - feels just like the PS2 game just a little sharper. Same kind of music as well, sounds awesome through headphones. You get two difficulty options, Greenhorn (if you need guidance) and Old Hand (for the full experience). Obviously i went for the latter.

All ive done is sit through the long (but not as long as the original) intro, attack a few dudes, explore the starting village then head out into the fields where i saved it. So far its had an arrow pointing me in the direction of where it wants me to go, im hoping that will go away after its guided me through the first part of the game.

Chibi is cute as a button. Issun is as awesome as ever. Good times.

[HandsomeDead]

There is a demo on the Ninty channel and I played that. It's just the tutorial but you can tell it plays well.

I do want actually; I'm gonna see what the funds look like after I've paid my bills, might drop some cash on it as I also suspect it hasn't had a big enough print for it to go cheap.

[Craymen Edge]

This should be arriving from Amazon today, fingers crossed.

[illdog]

Im about 4 hours in now. This is very similar to the PS2 game, same setting (but 9 months after Amaterasu fought Orochi), same people and similar music. It was awesome to step into Shinshu Field and hear a reworked rendition of the PS2 track.

Obviously the main differnce in this game is the fact that there are two of you this time round, little Chibi and his new pal and son of Susano, Kuni. This makes for some nice puzzles perfect for the touch screen.

I was worried the camera followed to close to Chibi when he runs around but you get used to it quickly and it follows the action well, its obviously implemented this way to give you as much visiblity as possible. Fighting is the same as in the PS2 game aswell, lots of mashing the attack button and the using the celestial brush for high power attacks with Kuni jumping off your back every now and then to offer some sword related pain.

I love the fact that everything you do is all about duty and honour, the characters you help thank you in a humble and genuine sort of way and the way the dialogue is written makes you feel proud of what youve just done.

Its a really beautiful game. Its making me feel ashamed that i pumped over thirty hours into the original but didn finish it, something i do plan on correcting but im happy playing this at the minute. Ive just entered a very cursed Agata Forest...

[illdog]

The Zelda-esq dungeons are pretty big. When i loaded up my save last night i was in the first room of said 'dungeon' (its not a dungeon) with 5 hours 30 mins on the clock. Ive trevalled and de-puzzled the main body and i saved again just before what im guessing is the boss room and exactly one hour had passed. It felt like half that time.

Im a little wary about the impending battle, the enemies are getting tougher and the weak spots less obvious, but i have just got a nice new weapon that seems stronger than the entry level one, that should make a bit of a difference.

Ive read this is a 30 hour game so im only just over a sixth of the way through.

[illdog]

I pwnd that boss btw, he was piss easy. It was all action afterwards, this is an awesome game.

Lots of talking though. Lots.

[HandsomeDead]

I've also pwnd a boss, just the first one.

I traded Epic Mickey and A Shadow's Tale for £28 and picked it up for a couple of quid. I'm pleasently surprised that it's still very much Okami even with the developer change, they really know what made that game what it was.

Impressed so far.

[illdog]

I've also pwnd a boss, just the first one.

I traded Epic Mickey and A Shadow's Tale for £28 and picked it up for a couple of quid. I'm pleasently surprised that it's still very much Okami even with the developer change, they really know what made that game what it was.

Impressed so far.

Yay!

[DANGERMAN]

agree with what's been said above. Considering it's not Clover, this feels like Okami. Helped I guess that so far the locations have been exactly the same to the point where there's even the same weak spots in walls. I was a bit worried that the humour wouldn't be the same, either removed or neutered, but nicely within 5 minutes Issun's making a crack about Ammy's sex life.

I'm not too keen on the way the camera swings around, I wouldn't have said no to the shoulder buttons letting you move it around, with maybe the Y button (or something on the touch screen) bringing up the canvas.

there is a fuck load of talking, and I'm struggling to see the point of getting into fights. On Okami I rarely avoided a rumble, but I don't feel like I need the money, and there's not really any other reason for fighting. To be fair to the game though, the kid does say to avoid them.

I am really enjoying it so far though, especially when you're allowed to just get on with things in a dungeon. It looks brilliant too, I can't think of a DS game that looks better (though there might be something), it looks great on a 3DS too