Okamiden: Sequel to Okami on DS

[The Vagrance]

I loved, loved, LOVED the original; played through it more times than I do with most other games, bought the soundtrack, been desperately searching for a cheap copy of the art book, hell my sig backs me up, but I can't say I'm looking forward to this sequel. The chibi thing doesn't turn me off so much as the fact that this game is being made for the DS. Yeah the whole painting thing was an integral gameplay idea but it wasn't the one of the reasons why the original was so great like the music, art, storytelling, and combat. I could be (and hope I am) wrong, in which case I'll take back everything I've said but I guess I was hoping they'd scale the game up instead of down, if that makes any sense.

[DarkeSword]

I think that might have been another goal of Okami, Shariq. To expose western gamers to the rich history of Japanese folklore, since it's so heavily dependent on that. Think about it this way, Lady Shinigami. Kaguya's story of amnesia was a plot device long before anything else that we know today. So everything else is copying it, in a way.

No I don't think that was the intention at all.

[Dr.Flintlock]

Well, regardless of whether or not it was designed to introduce western audiences to western folklore, I won't lie that this game caused me to go pick up a book on Japanese mythology, and I've read some of the stories that are touched on in this game. Stuff like Mr. and Mrs. Cutter and the afformentioned Kaguya and Mr. Bamboo. Also, if anyone remembers Benkei, the warrior monk turned fisherman, his background and story is actually VERY interesting and entertaining to read about.

In this regard, Okami did get me interested in Japanese folklore and I'm glad for it in that regard. Bioshock did something similar by actually getting me to pick up some of Ayn Rand's books for something besides a required reading assignment. I think Sephire once did one of his little presentational videos about how video games can educate people properly. He called it "tangential learning" or something to that effect.

In any case, I'd kinda like to see that get repeated in the sequel. I'm more just enthused we're even getting a sequel to that game.

[Bleck]

but ayn rand is an awful writer

[LuketheXjesse]

I'll play the first Okami sometime in the next five years.

[liquid wind]

I loved, loved, LOVED the original; played through it more times than I do with most other games, bought the soundtrack, been desperately searching for a cheap copy of the art book, hell my sig backs me up, but I can't say I'm looking forward to this sequel. The chibi thing doesn't turn me off so much as the fact that this game is being made for the DS. Yeah the whole painting thing was an integral gameplay idea but it wasn't the one of the reasons why the original was so great like the music, art, storytelling, and combat. I could be (and hope I am) wrong, in which case I'll take back everything I've said but I guess I was hoping they'd scale the game up instead of down, if that makes any sense.

have to agree with this, I tend to dislike games that over emphasize DS or wii controls and I'm hoping this doesn't take that route. I LOVE okami but I'm not really expecting this to be as good

[Gollgagh]

I'll play the first Okami sometime in the next five years.

go ahead and pick up a copy from gamestop while they're still common though

[Bleck]

I tend to dislike games that over emphasize DS or wii controls

you realize that the drawing mechanic is going to be the exact same except with a stylus instead of a joystick, right

I mean it is sort of irritating if you map a button press to a waggle but in this case there is little to no difference in control scheme

[Lady Shinigami]

It's not really an overdone plot device. That is actually the story of Kaguya-hime. Kaguya's story, much like everyone else's story in Okami, is based on a specific Japanese folktale.

Think about it this way, Lady Shinigami. Kaguya's story of amnesia was a plot device long before anything else that we know today. So everything else is copying it, in a way.

I'm sorry, but nothing in that link conclusively says that Kaguya-hime didn't know where she came from. All it said was that when everyone asked her why she was acting strangely she couldn't tell them what was wrong. That doesn't have to mean amnesia – it more likely means she knew but simply wasn't allowed to reveal herself. She even tells the Emperor of Japan that she is "not of his country", which implies that she's aware of her heritage even before she starts acting "increasingly erratic". Claiming in the game that it's amnesia doesn't mean that's what it actually was; amnesia simply appears to be the easy out that was used so that the developers didn't have to give her too much attention. Not that I blame them considering everything else they included, but I'm just saying it didn't improve her character any to make her amnestic, because that made it impossible to learn anything else about her. She was just one more hot chick Issun had a crush on.

And yes, I realize that the story is very old and the medical terminology would not be up-to-date, but if she had actually forgotten then the writers of the original story probably would have gone ahead and said that she had no memory of it. I say this because it's noted later in the story that a feather robe makes her forget about her family and friends on Earth. Why, then, would they not say she also had no memory of her Moon heritage?

Well, regardless of whether or not it was designed to introduce western audiences to western folklore, I won't lie that this game caused me to go pick up a book on Japanese mythology, and I've read some of the stories that are touched on in this game.

I actually do have a list, presumably complete, that summarizes the story of each piece of mythology as well as a lot of the cultural references – like the daruma and the little teru-teru boozu – included in the game. Which I love, because when I played the game the first time around I had no clue about any of it, yet it didn't detract from my enjoyment. Playing it the second (and third and fourth and fifth and maybe sixth) time around, with that knowledge, only made it that much more entertaining.

I think Sephire once did one of his little presentational videos about how video games can educate people properly. He called it "tangential learning" or something to that effect. In any case, I'd kinda like to see that get repeated in the sequel. I'm more just enthused we're even getting a sequel to that game.

I wouldn't necessarily say "properly", because like everything else games are entertainment and therefore subject to interpretation as opposed to reality and/or history, but they can certainly offer a springboard for the curious.

~LS

[liquid wind]

you realize that the drawing mechanic is going to be the exact same except with a stylus instead of a joystick, right

I mean it is sort of irritating if you map a button press to a waggle but in this case there is little to no difference in control scheme

if that's the only difference then it should be good. just hoping it doesn't do some foolish all touch controls like phantom hourglass/spirit tracks...spirit tracks could have been so good ugh

[Vilecat]

This looks really enjoyable, even if they chibified the main character.

Usually when a game is rather short they add extra stuff to unlock with achievements and such to make it longer (artificially but still).