Thursday 3 July 2008

Okami: The Complete Works


Capcom's Okami is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable adventures ever to grace a home console. The Wii version has been out for a couple of weeks now in the UK, and if you search around, you should be able to unearth the older PS2 version - and probably for a good price, too.

The story in each game is exactly the same, and the only differences between the two is that the Wii version features 16:9 widescreen, plays in 480p and includes obligatory Wiimote control. In my opinion, however, the PS2 version is the better looking game, especially if you are playing it upscaled through a 60GB PS3.

The game's stunning visuals are clearly inspired by Japanese watercolour paintings, in particular Sumi-e (black ink painting) and the background story is steeped in mythical Japanese tales and legends.

To celebrate Okami's breathtaking art design, Capcom have released Okami: Official Complete Works, a beautiful 288-page book, crammed with illustrations, sketches and concept art from the game. The book has been available since February in the UK, but it's taken me until now to get my hands on a copy.




Not only does the book feature some stunning artwork, but the development team have added their comments, with each page featuring descriptions explaining the thought processes behind the artwork.

Anyone who treasures Okami and wants to take a closer look at the game's development process, should definitely check this out. It costs around £20 and is available from most UK shopping websites.

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