Okami in Japan in April; in America in May
by Dan Choi 
{ Dec 23rd 2005 at 1:33PM }
Okami, Capcom's next highly
anticipated game for the PS2, has been dated: 4/20/2006 in Japan, and a release date currently in May stateside.The concept for Okami is a lofty one: act as the lupine form of a sun god to restore a little color to the world.
For those without a GameCube (or Revolution), this'll be the only way for console owners to get their wolf-ier impulses down this spring. Here's to those flaming furries.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SynikaL @ Dec 23rd 2005 1:55PM
Isn't this on PS2 also?
-Kye
SynikaL @ Dec 23rd 2005 1:57PM
Arrrgh nevermind, I misinterpreted the last paragraph.
-Syn
the2bears @ Dec 23rd 2005 2:17PM
Kye,
Yes it's on the PS2, exclusively for now. The reference to the GC regards the next Zelda and playing as a wolf in that game. It's a rather ambiguouse reference to put in the story, quite off-topic really. Right Dan? :)
Bill
XanderC @ Dec 23rd 2005 2:17PM
Wow, I didn't think that they would bring this one stateside. Seriously, localizing this for an American audiance is going to be a bitch. Let's just hope that it's better than Viewtiful Joe.
fawazr @ Dec 23rd 2005 2:54PM
"Let's hope that it's better than Viewtiful Joe," or do you mean to say that it sells better than Viewtiful Joe? I don't know if you've ever played Viewtiful Joe, but if you did, I'd doubt you'd say it was bad. Different, yeah. Niche, definitely, but nowhere near being bad.
I also hope that Okami sells well. Capcom's been making some really risky moves these past few years, releasing games that are critically acclaimed but don't sell well.
AbleJames @ Dec 23rd 2005 3:25PM
This is not woodblock style--the style is Japanese ink painting.
Ukiyo-e woodblock style is very very different--you'd typically see the imposing samurai pictures or "japanese woman" pictures, or really any pictures of humans or inventiveness in this style, if you want to find an example.
In Japanese ink painting, the subject is almost always landscape and nature, which makes sense for the game's subject matter.
Of course there are always a lot of exceptions generally, but this game is definitely in the ink painting style. You can see because the lines look like brushstrokes, as opposed to the hard chiseled lines on a woodblock print.
Dan Choi @ Dec 23rd 2005 4:08PM
Thanks, AbleJames! I'll update the post to reflect that info.
Jago @ Dec 23rd 2005 4:35PM
"Wow, I didn't think that they would bring this one stateside. Seriously, localizing this for an American audiance is going to be a bitch."
Uhh...it was playable at E3 2005 dude. If a game shows up at E3 in the US, it usually means that it will eventually makes its way stateside.
Hachi_roku @ Dec 23rd 2005 6:03PM
The gameplay mechanics look like they were inspired by the DS. The fact that its not graphics heavy, but focused on artstyle, and that you can dispatch enemies with "brushstrokes" just screams DS game to me.
XanderC @ Dec 23rd 2005 7:25PM
@fawazr: Yes, I have played Viewtiful Joe. I beat it actually. And, yes, it was bad.
You may feel differently, but I thought the game was VERY boring, especially once you got the zoom-in power, at that point the combat consisted soley of zooming in, and punching. The puzzles where good, but the combat was very weak.
Momus @ Dec 23rd 2005 10:09PM
Grahg, this should be a Cube title. Memo to Sony: choppy framerates do not a welcome gaming experience make.
Rare Hare @ Dec 24th 2005 12:25AM
as quirky japanese PS2 exclusives go, Okami looks like it will blow Katamari Damacy out of the water. and i love Katamari Damacy.
Okami will probably be my last game for the PS2 before i pick up an Xbox 360 and start using it for most of my console game needs.
Zero_ @ Dec 24th 2005 3:02AM
The PS2 is the perfect choice for this game. Capcom wants to make money, why would they release it on a console that hasn't sold alot compared to another? The DS is a good choice, but that would probably not produce those nice graphics.
This game looks excellent. I saw the trailer, and the very oriental Japanese music is awesome.
Rare Hare @ Dec 24th 2005 10:48PM
i actually really hope capcom decides to release this for the DS... i'm planning and picking one up this holiday season, and i'd rather play it there than on any other platform.
i also don't think that the graphics would suffer too terribly, given the type of graphics the game actually contains. they're pretty, but they don't seem super demanding of powerful hardware.