Okami

Okami - (Wii)
Developer: in-house
Format: Wii
Genre: Arcade

Prepare to be dazzled by a wolf

Borrowing unashamedly form the Zelda franchise, Okami drops you into a stunningly rendered, heavily Japanese wood carving-influenced world. As Amaterasu, the sun goddess incarnate as wolf, it's up to you to restore the balance of the world that's under threat. What this really means is a huge quest peppered with levels and characters and a true flight of fantasy. The backdrop of this peculiar and beautiful 2D-like Japanese design will leave you speechless if you've not encountered it before, giving the title such a freshness and a rich appeal.

The title is built on the PS2 game of the same name but with superb adaptations to the Wii's unique control system. Movement via the remote is intuitive and responsive giving a fluidity to the gameplay as you guide Amaterasu through the environment casting spells, attacking foes and solving her puzzles. With an addition of a celestial brush, an interface that allows you to momentarily draw onto the screen in order to cast spells, summon bombs and slice through obstacles in the real game, the title becomes captivating. This brush function is a lot easier to understand and indeed use, when you experience it first-hand rather than from its description.

The game's hidden gems are the humour and detail in the environments, the rich diversity of the characters you'll have to interact with on your journey and the simple joy of just losing yourself in this captivating title.

Possibly the best game available on the Wii and if you're even slightly a fan of the likes of the Zelda titles, this is a must-have.

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