It's amazing what an English-language version of a game will do for a story line. After months of playing Okami in the dark (though still thoroughly enjoying the experience despite the language barrier), we've settled in with a near-final build of the North American version of Clover Studio's magnum opus. Capcom has done the script great justice -- the characters and events now spring to life. Watching the opening storyboards -- which explain how the mysterious wolf, Shiranui, came to the aid of the fallen warrior, Nagi, in defense of the Kamiki Village and against the horrific advances of the hydra god, Orochi -- should succeed in putting hearts firmly in throat, thanks to the melancholy strains of the biwa (a Japanese lute) plucking softly away as the plot unfolds. While many cut-scenes in other games might have you dribbling the X button to speed things on their way, Okami's is gripping stuff. When Clover Studio president, Atsushi Inaba, told us that he wanted this story to tug at the heartstrings, he wasn't kidding.

By the close of the opening scene, Shiranui has sacrificed herself for the sake of the village. In homage, Kamiki Village erects a stone likeness in her honor.A hundred years later, as some treasure hunters seek the legendary sword of Nagi, the fearful nine-headed dragon Orochi is awakened from its eternal slumber. The world lies in ruins as the vengeful god wreaks havoc from which only one township is spared: Kamiki Village. The countenance of Shiranui, a statue erected in honor of the fallen wolf, watches silently over the tiny village as the darkness swirls around it. As if in response to Shiranui's stony gaze, the goddess Sakuya descends from the giant tree that sustained Kamiki, proclaiming, "How troublesome! What has transpired to trigger such a calamity?"

Using the last of her waning powers, Sakuya breathes life into the mystical mirror of the sun goddess Amaterasu. "Let your heavenly rays become our hope as you guide us all!" she cries, placing the mirror on the strong shoulders of the solemn wolf statue, breathing life and color into the once-stoic lupine warrior: Okami Amaterasu. The land of Nippon has its warrior returned to it, and so begins the game.

The game's vivid sumi-e art style has been well documented, but i
t's amazing how expressive Amaterasu is despite her lack of dialogue (unless you count howls and barks). The wolf's mannerisms, tics, and idiosyncrasies are marvelous to behold, making Amaterasu all the more majestic for the fiery mirror spinning on her back and the winglike appendages extending from her shoulders and joints. Okami Amaterasu is no mere mascot. A reincarnated sun goddess (though Capcom points out that the wolf incarnation is genderless), the wolf is a study in sublime character design.

 

As demonstrated during our time with the import version, the game is excellent. With the English version in hand, it's made even better now that we can see the personalities of each character fully fleshed out. From Amaterasu's Jiminy Cricket–like companion Issun (who's given to excitable chatter and calls the wolf "furball," much to her consternation) and Tachigami, the mouselike sword god to Mr. Orange, the village elder who adopts feeble karate poses in response to Okami's presence, and Susano, the boozy descendant of Nagi the hero, everyone has a mind of his own. Each one, in his own subtle way, helps Okami Amaterasu along the way to solving the adventure-long series of puzzles that fills the game. In order to pass through the first village, you must pass a large boulder. In order to do so you must enlist the help of Susano, who needs some sake before he will assist you. Unfortunately, the water wheel to the sake mill is broken and must be repaired -- and before you can even talk to any of these people, you must first wake them from their mysterious slumber. Everything in Okami transpires in a sequential chain of events, which unfold with all the grace and pacing of the best Legend of Zelda games. One thing, as they say, leads to another, and numerous optional side quests and enemy battles are available to keep you busy as you decipher puzzle after puzzle.

Completing side quests nets you praise, which raises Amaterasu's stature in the world; this in turn enables you to boost the wolf's stats (life bar, ink supply, and so forth) to make you more powerful. Money earned along the way (by defeating enemies or breaking open clay pots or other containers) allows you to buy items from merchants like seeds, which you can give to animals (birds, rabbits, and chickens, among others) which in turn makes them friendlier towards Amaterasu and gives you additional praise points. It's all a great big circle of life in Okami, which makes anything and everything worth exploring in this great world. Nothing feels like a strict "level" here, as nearly everything is of use in one form or another. The fruit that you can slice down from trees or find hidden in objects goes to fill Amaterasu's Astral Pouch, which, if full, will resurrect the wolf if she dies in battle.

While battle makes up a good portion of the Okami experience, it isn't so relentless and repetitious that you'd get sick of it. This is an adventure, not a beat-em-up. When Amaterasu finds herself in battle -- which gamers will recognize when the wolf is surrounded by glowing, mystical symbols and chakras -- the system is very simple. Though flanked by multiple enemies, it is the wolf who has the upper hand. Press the Square button to use Amaterasu's Celestial Mirror to attack and stun the nearest enemy. Once enemies go gray (from their normal color scheme), you can pause the action with the Celestial Brush and perform brush techniques to inflict damage -- for example, a slash-stroke across an enemy will cause an additional damaging hit, usually cutting the foe in half. Repeat the process for the other enemies in the arena, head-butting and ramming them as you please. The greatest danger is in running out of ink. The ink slowly recharges, but if completely consumed the wolf reverts to mortal form until the ink replenishes itself. Though Amaterasu is not defenseless when in normal wolf form, the going is definitely harder.

Every detail of Okami is so beautifully considered that even the menu -- which drops down into a Japanese paper fan when you press Pause -- is a welcome sight. The traditional Japanese music is employed to great effect, and even the font used for the menu and dialogue text is pleasing to the eye. To properly do the game justice, Okami should be promoted to a world beyond the traditional gaming audience, which is most likely already sold on it. This is a beautiful, majestic experience that everyone should see at least once, and one of game director Hideki Kamiya's finest moments. While Okami Amaterasu might be one of gaming's most unconventional heroes, this resilient character might also be one of its greatest.