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  So let’s talk about Okami. Released originally in 2006 for the PS2, it was the last game by Clover Studio before the studio disbanded and several members went on to form Platinum Games. While it was generally highly praised by reviewers, it’s sales numbers were… not great. As in “considered a commercial failure” not great. Despite this, the game was ported to the Wii, and then later received an HD re-release for PS3. There’s also a DS sequel, but no one cares about that  .So how would you describe the actual game? Probably the best way to sum it up is “Zelda with a heavy coat of Japanese mythology.” The visual design is basically a sumi-e style painting brought to life, and it looks gorgeous in motion. The game isn’t without it’s flaws though, most of the complaints about it are generally about how drat long the game is. A regular playthrough can easily run you about 80 hours. A quick note about the LP and the thread, I’ll be playing through the PS3 version with my good friends Tyty and Faerie Fortune. Fae’s never played the game before so the spoiler policy is  KEEP SPOILERS TO A MINIMUM. This policy is subject to get harsher if I feel like we’re entering CIA document territory. With each episode Tyty and I'll try to point out the various references to actual mythology, and I encourage the thread to point out anything we miss.        poorlywrittennovel fucked around with this message at 03:01 on May 11, 2017 |
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Feb 7, 2017 03:21
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Anaxite posted:A really loving good post about how Okami does it's art. Seriously click that link. poorlywrittennovel fucked around with this message at 03:04 on May 11, 2017 |
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Feb 7, 2017 03:22
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Episode 1 is literally just the opening cutscene, episode 2 actually gets into the gameplay. Anaxite posted:I missed the other LPs, so I'm glad you're playing through this one! poorlywrittennovel fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Feb 11, 2017 |
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Feb 7, 2017 03:22
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A good game about a good dog. I approve. Edit: Let's get this thread started right: 
Tuxedo Ted fucked around with this message at 05:07 on Feb 7, 2017 |
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Feb 7, 2017 04:31
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Best game about best dog. Shame it never had a sequel. (  )
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Feb 7, 2017 05:51
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This game is such a joy to play and is so charming and beautiful. It's like Zelda but you are a dog (and it's not Twilight Princess)! I only played the Wii version and had a lot of fun in spite of the lovely controls. I remember one of my roommates in college rented the PS2 version once and got burnt out on all the dialog in the opening scenes and just never got anywhere. There's so, so much of it holy poo poo.
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Feb 7, 2017 07:05
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Okami is a game that I feel like I really should like but actually hate, and it's almost entirely because of the sheer length of the thing. There's at least one (probably two) points where you could have just stopped and rolled the credits, and no one would have known anything was wrong, but it doesn't. It just keeps going and drags out what would be an incredibly good and charming 20-30 hour game into an 80 hour one that wore out its welcome 30 hours ago.
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Feb 7, 2017 07:25
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Artix posted:Okami is a game that I feel like I really should like but actually hate, and it's almost entirely because of the sheer length of the thing. There's at least one (probably two) points where you could have just stopped and rolled the credits, and no one would have known anything was wrong, but it doesn't. It just keeps going and drags out what would be an incredibly good and charming 20-30 hour game into an 80 hour one that wore out its welcome 30 hours ago. Counterpoint: It has a dedicated bark button. Whenever I needed a break from chasing the plot, I'd just run around like an idiot and bark at things. It never failed to improve my mood. The only real problem I had dealt with one very specific timed puzzle and how infuriating it was to try to complete while using a Wii control. You'll know which one when you see it.
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Feb 7, 2017 07:35
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EricFate posted:Counterpoint: I haven't played too far into the game, but I think I know which puzzle you're talking about. Other than that puzzle I actually really liked the Wii controls.
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Feb 7, 2017 07:48
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Artix posted:Okami is a game that I feel like I really should like but actually hate, and it's almost entirely because of the sheer length of the thing. There's at least one (probably two) points where you could have just stopped and rolled the credits, and no one would have known anything was wrong, but it doesn't. It just keeps going and drags out what would be an incredibly good and charming 20-30 hour game into an 80 hour one that wore out its welcome 30 hours ago. I do remember it being insanely long for a game like this, yeah. I don't recall being too bothered by it though. EricFate posted:The only real problem I had dealt with one very specific timed puzzle and how infuriating it was to try to complete while using a Wii control. You'll know which one when you see it. I don't remember this either but I have a feeling it will come back to me when we get there.
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Feb 7, 2017 07:51
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I was too busy hunting down 108 Prayer Beads to worry about the flaws.
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Feb 7, 2017 08:19
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Okami is a joyous video game that I love and also has some infuriating flaws, like that opening cutscene. I have also heard it said that the PS3 version actually runs internally at some ludicrous resolution and actually downscales to 1080p. Anyone else heard this?
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Feb 7, 2017 10:08
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i vaguely remember beating the final wall as a kid but damned if i can do it now
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Feb 7, 2017 10:13
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Tuxedo Ted posted:A good game about a good dog. I approve. This is the Good Dog content I signed up for! Have another 
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Feb 7, 2017 11:35
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Artix posted:Okami is a game that I feel like I really should like but actually hate, and it's almost entirely because of the sheer length of the thing. There's at least one (probably two) points where you could have just stopped and rolled the credits, and no one would have known anything was wrong, but it doesn't. It just keeps going and drags out what would be an incredibly good and charming 20-30 hour game into an 80 hour one that wore out its welcome 30 hours ago. There's a reason I like to joke that Okami is three of the best Zelda games. I feel like Clover knew this was going to be their last game, so they went and just made an entire series but released it as a single game.
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Feb 7, 2017 13:49
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Mak0rz posted:This game is such a joy to play and is so charming and beautiful. It's like Zelda but you are a dog (and it's not Twilight Princess)! I only played the Wii version and had a lot of fun in spite of the lovely controls. Admittedly, it's like Twilight Princess in that it explains its puzzles and has very obvious solutions you just won't feel too clever for when you do want to solve the problems of the dungeons. Admittedly, it's also like Twilight Princess (or any Zelda game for that matter) in that it is an absolute ballbuster to try and play as a three heart run (or three sun orb run, I guess). And a joy, besides.
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Feb 7, 2017 14:36
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Man, I should play this game, but I hardly have the time to sit down and crunch through three Zeldas one-after-another, especially with a new one coming in a month! I have played the sequel though, which I'm told is basically a retread of this game.Fedule posted:Okami is a joyous video game that I love and also has some infuriating flaws, like that opening cutscene. I did, though it was from you over in the SALP discord. I have a source though! The tldr version is that the game internally runs at 4k and downscales the image to whatever your PS3 output resolution is, which is insane for the PS3.
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Feb 7, 2017 14:38
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ChaosArgate posted:Man, I should play this game, but I hardly have the time to sit down and crunch through three Zeldas one-after-another, especially with a new one coming in a month! I have played the sequel though, which I'm told is basically a retread of this game. It makes a little bit of sense when you think about it. The PS3 is actually a monster when it comes to raw processing power; the architecture is just bizarre and difficult to work with. It wasn't designed to run videogames; it's a supercomputer CPU.
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Feb 7, 2017 15:14
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Ah this game, I enjoyed playing it when it came out and had no issue with the length. And Issun is basically Navi, or more accurately Tatl, if she talked to NPCs for you. Floral Finishers are actually dependent on the enemy in question and the Fangs are used for trading. You probably also shouldn't just ending your videos abruptly like that, it's fine if you have twenty minute videos. Chimera-gui fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Feb 7, 2017 |
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Feb 7, 2017 17:54
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I absolutely love this game, but it really has a problem early on with not knowing when to shut the gently caress up. Once things get moving it's a lot better, but gently caress... that opening... I've been looking for a reason to finish my savegame on the PS3 version, and this is as good a reason as any other!
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Feb 7, 2017 19:23
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SSNeoman posted:Best game about best dog. Shame it never had a sequel. What are you talking about? It got two, on the same disc even! Seriously, like PW said, it feels like three games in one. It even has obvious sequel hooks at various points... and then plops you onto dealing with that plot. (And the actual sequel isn't terrible, merely lackluster)
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Feb 7, 2017 21:25
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I actually like Okamiden a lot more than the original because it hits 90% of the same plot beats but does it in like half the time.
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Feb 7, 2017 21:27
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I think I got half a dozen hours into the game and still felt like I was going through the tutorial. Glad to hear they took out the tutorial minigame for the PS3 version though, I could never get the timing right.
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Feb 7, 2017 21:40
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Objectively, yes the game overstays its welcome. But it's the kind of thing I only noticed in retrospect--at the time, I was always excited to find more magical paint powers and animals to feed, and nature to restore, and so on. The only times I minded during actual play were during the mandatory minigames of... questionable playability. To be clear, I don't mind the challenge per se but some of them bring the plot to a screeching halt. (For me, anyway.) Either way, it's a fun game both to play and watch once it picks up steam and I would buy it again in a heartbeat if they bothered to release a PS4 compatible version.
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Feb 7, 2017 22:31
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So one thing I forgot to mention, the first session of recording is probably going to look at least a little worse than future sessions due to the recording set-up we have going. Basically, Elgato sucks and doesn't let you run it in multiple programs, so for Fae and Tyty to get the game audio I either have to set up virtual audio cable, or stream the game to them without my local audio. We chose the latter option, and are using a service that has basically no delay other than the baked in delay from the capture card. The issue with doing it this way is that I have no way to locally record, so I have to download the VOD directly from the streaming service we're using. I think we got the graphics in a good place in our last session, but for this first one at least there's definitely going to be some rougher patches.
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Feb 8, 2017 00:37
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Wait I think I know now what puzzle you guys are griping about. It'll be a while before we get there but goddamn I'm glad poorlywrittennovel's playing a not-Wii version. Edit: obligatory Ammy cosplay 
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Feb 8, 2017 01:52
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Ryushikaze posted:(And the actual sequel isn't terrible, merely lackluster) We'll have to agree to disagree because I hate it with a passion. Okami is one of the best games I've ever played, and Okamiden felt like a cheap retread that had none of the original's soul.
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Feb 8, 2017 01:58
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I love being a dog deity.
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Feb 8, 2017 02:45
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I missed the other LPs, so I'm glad you're playing through this one! A couple things from episode 2: Issun mentions the River of the Heavens in the video. The name in Japanese is 天の川 (あまのがわ, ama no gawa) , which you can see written on a stone. "River of the Heavens" is a pretty literal translation, but this is also the Japanese name for the Milky Way! And of course, it features in Japanese mythology. One such feature is in the tale of two deities Orihime and Hikoboshi. These lovers are separated by the Milky Way, but can reunite once a year. Their reunion is commemorated by the Tanabata festival in Japan. The Japanese names of the gods use kanji characters that match their functions, and the kanji that appears when they give you their power is the first of their name.
You also mentioned the word play for "wolf" and "god". In Japanese, the game is called 大神 (おおかみ, ookami), which is an archaic term for the "god". The word 狼, or "wolf", has the same pronunciation, which, well, that's the game right there. Japan has a lot of word play, in no small part due to a large amount of homophones. Anaxite fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Feb 11, 2017 |
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Feb 8, 2017 06:03
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Anaxite posted:I missed the other LPs, so I'm glad you're playing through this one! Keep posting this stuff because it's pretty interesting! There are a ton of cultural and lexical nuggets in games like this that are totally lost on us gaijin. See also: Goemon
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Feb 8, 2017 06:23
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I never finished my playthrough of Okami. The gameplay itself was great but the endless text was such a grind. I'm gonna make good use of Youtube's 2x speed feature during the cutscenes in this LP.
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Feb 8, 2017 10:49
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Okami always looked super rad to me but I never got a chance to play it. Thanks for doing an LP. Also at this point I just assume every Japanese name is an extremely clever pun.
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Feb 8, 2017 12:26
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SSNeoman posted:We'll have to agree to disagree because I hate it with a passion. Okami is one of the best games I've ever played, and Okamiden felt like a cheap retread that had none of the original's soul. I'm not saying it was a worthy successor, it was absolutely a step down, but it was functional and playable and didn't actively piss in the original's cornflakes, as it were.
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Feb 8, 2017 16:08
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Ryushikaze posted:I'm not saying it was a worthy successor, it was absolutely a step down, but it was functional and playable and didn't actively piss in the original's cornflakes, as it were. And it utilized a superior control scheme for the brush strokes. Also, c'mon, Chibiterasu.
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Feb 8, 2017 19:02
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Ryushikaze posted:I'm not saying it was a worthy successor, it was absolutely a step down, but it was functional and playable and didn't actively piss in the original's cornflakes, as it were. Disagree, I found the drawing to be way more unresponsive and fiddly than the original's which surprised the hell outta me. Ryushikaze posted:I'm not saying it was a worthy successor, it was absolutely a step down, but it was functional and playable and didn't actively piss in the original's cornflakes, as it were. Also disagree. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like stories and the puzzles were way worse. The game became so drat slow. Like Okami has its share of sphere-pushing bullshit but Okamiden seems intent on trying to see how close it can get to Towers of Hanoi level tedium (slash chest, draw path from you to chest for mermaid, wait for mermaid to get key from chest, draw path back, wait for mermaid, get key, repeat ad nauseam.)
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Feb 8, 2017 22:07
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We are not a good dog We are the best dog A godly dog A dogly god
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Feb 8, 2017 22:23
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Mak0rz posted:Wait I think I know now what puzzle you guys are griping about. It'll be a while before we get there but goddamn I'm glad poorlywrittennovel's playing a not-Wii version.
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Feb 8, 2017 22:58
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Alternative episode title: "Put that dog back you rear end in a top hat" Anaxite posted:There's a bunch of neat stuff in episode 3, and that's not even going into the mythology! Here's some of what I noted: poorlywrittennovel fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Feb 11, 2017 |
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Feb 8, 2017 23:15
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. They're meant to be burned/discarded at the lunar new year if you want to be super picky about it.
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Rangpur posted:There are several that qualify, though YMMV when it comes to that kind of stuff. I'm sure someone out there nailed all the digging/escort minigames on their first try. But there's one that stands out far above the rest on the Wii version. Those can be cheesed with the golden ink pot
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Feb 8, 2017 23:18
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I love this game to bits, but I disagree strongly with the thread title. Ammy is a very good dog.
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Feb 8, 2017 23:42
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