Teaching an old dog new tricks.

Who would have thought that after 12 years, Capcom would still be releasing a game that never really sold that well when it launched in 2006. Yet here we are with Okami gracing another platform, the Nintendo Switch. With it comes the ability to do something that has yet eluded the game, using your finger to paint.

Okami tells the story of Amatarasu (or Ammy for short), the Japanese Sun God who likes to take the form of a white wolf. 100 years prior, with the aid of a mighty warrior, Ammy imprisoned an evil demon called Orochi, who was fond of eating young maidens. Fast forward those 100 years and someone accidentally frees the demon, so it falls to Ammy to return to the human world to try and defeat Orochi once again. But being out of the loop for 100 years, Ammy is a little rusty and must first awaken her fellow gods who will in turn grant her new abilities.

Platform: Switch (previously released on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One)
Price: $19.99
Price I’d pay: $19.99

Joining Ammy on her quest is Issun, a little bug who wants to tag along in the hopes that he will learn some cool painting techniques that will make him the greatest artist in Japan. Issun acts as an exposition and narration device, as Ammy does not have a voice. He can be rather annoying, as can the squeaking sounds that play whenever he talks. Still, he does add a lot of heart to the story and has some great comic moments. Nippon also plays host to many marvellous characters, many of which will lend their help to Ammy’s cause. The interplay between Issun and these colorful characters is always worth reading, and I recommend that you don’t speed through the dialogue, no matter how tempting it may seem.

The gameplay strikes a balanced mix of exploration, hack and slash combat, and puzzle solving. This isn’t an open world, but it is definitely a precursor to what would become what we call a sandbox game, with large open areas to explore; with many hidden secrets and paths blocked off until Ammy has learned a new skill. One thing that links all gameplay aspects of Okami is the Celestial Brush, a power that only a god can wield. Pressing the R shoulder button allows time to freeze and Ammy to paint. It doesn’t matter if the player is in combat or exploring the world, the brush can be summoned at any time to aid them. A slash across the screen when fighting can damage or finish off opponents. Circling corrupted areas of the map can bring them to life with flowers and grass. And drawing circles in the sky can solve a puzzle. It is a genius mechanic that is let down by the fact that drawing with an analogue stick is a pain in the ass. It’s only a small complaint, and if I was playing undocked then I could actually use my finger to paint, which was a much better way to do it. But this, of course, wasn’t an option if I was playing docked.

Everything about the game has stayed almost exactly the same, and it is a testament to the games original design that it holds up so incredibly well in 2018. The painted art style that brings so many colours to the screen has never looked more vibrant, and every painted line looks crisp and fresh. In motion Okami looks like a painting come to life, and clever tricks are used to make sure that the game runs incredibly smoothly; such as having the mountains in the background being simple thick painted lines. It may seem like a cut corner, but in fact adds so much flavour to the game.

It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows though, as although Okami still looks the part it can feel dated in places. The menus feel old and distinctly Japanese, and the options are a little convoluted. It also suffers from being made in a time when game worlds were getting bigger, but developers hadn’t found a suitable way to guide players as to where to go. It isn’t a total bust though, as part of the fun is exploring the environments and unlocking new areas as they progress. There were just a few times where the game wasn’t clear in where I needed to go and I would wander around for a while playing trial and error.

I never played Okami in any of its previous incarnations, and I feel that this was an injustice and I think it is fantastic that Capcom have continued to find ways to bring this game to as many people as possible. It is also great that Okami does not suffer from the dreaded ‘Switch Tax’, costing just $19.99, the same price as it is on the other current generation counterparts. Whether you fancy something a little different, or want to revisit a classic then grab yourself Okami and have a howling good time.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.