Okami HD Nintendo Switch Review

It’s fairly common practise these days to get remastered re-releases of games that have seen success in the past. Many of these are made just to get the game onto a more modern system and to get it in front of a set of eyes that may not have been able to play it when it originally released. But very few re-releases innovate and improve on the original further than a visual upgrade. Thankfully Okami on the Nintendo Switch not only brings the game to a new audience but has intertwined native features of the Switch with existing mechanics in the game to improve the gameplay aspect of this much loved adventure. Resulting in what could be argued as the best version of Okami yet.

Okami is a 3D action adventure game that was originally developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom back in 2006. It doesn’t take long to realise that the game is very inspired by many of the classic Zelda games, with it’s storytelling, puzzle platforming and boss battle structure being quite recognisable. To this day many fans of Okami still believe that the game manages to surpass some of those games that directly inspired it’s creation.

The game looks gorgeous on the Nintendo Switch whether you play it in handheld or docked mode and thanks to the cel shaded sumi-e (Japanese ink painting) art style it still holds up well today.

Set in ancient Japan, the game blends numerous Japanese myths and legends to set up the world of Nippon for it’s story. You play as Amaterasu, a sun goddess who has taken the form of a white wolf as she tries to fight back against an evil force terrorising the land of Nippon, suppressing it’s once lush and beautiful environments into aged decrepit ones. As Amaterasu you will travel the lands to restore it’s beauty and rid the world of this impending dark threat.

While the initial premise sounds simple, starting off as a good force needs to overcome the evil force, the story builds and then hits you with numerous twists and turns that lead Amaterasu towards a new area or threat that needs to be dealt with.

Your quest will take you to all all corners of Okami’s visually striking landscape where you will learn new abilities along the way that open up new area’s or allow you to solve existing puzzles. Using a tool that separates Okami from every other action adventure out there that you’ve already played. The Celestial Brush.

The brush is Amaterasu’s tool of the trade. Most mechanics in the game use the brush in some way. At any point in the game you’re able to activate the brush which pauses the game and allows you to paint patterns on the screen that will directly impact what is going on in the game. For example you can inflict damage on enemies by drawing a slash/line through them, fix destroyed bridges by re-drawing in the walk-able area, help flowers and tree re-bloom by drawing a circle around them among many, many other things you’ll learn in game.

Using the Celestial Paintbrush feels natural, which is great to see as it is an integral part of Okami. And the Nintendo Switch has the best representation of this mechanic when it comes to overall feel and immersiveness for the player. Making it feel like your strokes are really impacting the world of Nippon. The PlayStation and Xbox versions of Okami in the past have used the right analogue stick to draw the patterns which can be tricky to get just right and the Wii version which did try and implement movement controls didn’t quite nail it due to the system not being able to pick up smaller, intricate movements. But here on the Nintendo Switch they’ve nailed it. It feels great whether you choose to play the game docked or in handheld mode.

In docked mode the brush mode is activated by holding the right bumper, which pauses the game and allows you to paint on screen the pattern you’re wishing to use. It is quick to do, it seamlessly pauses and then returns you to the game when you need it to and the hardware capabilities of the Joy-Cons allow you to accurately paint ink patterns over the screen with a high level of precision.

For those playing in handheld mode, the game will pause and activate the brush mode as soon as you touch your finger to the screen allowing you draw and slash away enemies directly on the touchscreen.

Now if you’re looking to jump into Okami just know it’s a lengthy investment to reach the end of this incredible tale. Taking around 40-50 hours for a first playthrough. The pacing in spots does get slow, there are moments in the second half that do outstay their welcome but are usually quickly forgiven once you reach the next big event in the story. For the most part its linear story will keep you engaged with the game thanks to it’s large cast of interesting, colourful and quirky characters you’ll meet along the way.

Even though it’s not the biggest of game worlds, there’s still plenty to do outside of the main linear quest line. There are hidden beads to find, clovers to uncover, demon scroll arena battles, animals to feed, demon fangs to obtain and a number of mini game’s available to keep you entertained in the world of Nippon for a long time.

Those that do stick out the game to the very end will be treated to a fantastic and fitting conclusion to the lengthy tale. And may even want to jump straight back in and play again with the game offering a new game+ mode that allows you to keep your collectables and play using any of the character skins for Amaterasu you unlocked upon completing the game.

Final Thoughts

Okami on the Nintendo Switch is straight up fantastic. Whether you’ve played it numerous times before or wanting to jump into it for the first time, the Nintendo Switch offers the definitive experience when it comes to the feel of the gameplay thanks to how accurately the Joy-Cons are able to pick up and display your brush strokes on the world. Fans of the action adventure genre will thoroughly enjoy this adventure through Nippon playing as Amaterasu. The story is long and does have some pacing issues but is well worth the payoff when you finally hit those closing credits.

A Nintendo Switch review code was provided by the distributor for the purpose of this review.

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