I’ve always argued that there was never a better Zelda game than Okami. Clover Studios’ epic will always hold a very special place in my heart. That’s why I’m so excited that Capcom has finally realized the potential of an HD remake.
That’s right, folks, Capcom announced the existence of Okami HD last night on the PlayStation blog. It’s the same game everybody didn’t buy back in 2005 (shame on you), but now better than ever. The most obvious improvement comes from the HD graphics, but the game also comes with Move support and trophies.
For those of you who skipped out on Okami on the PS2 and the Wii, here’s the lowdown: You play as Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess that has taken on the form of a white wolf. Players will use various weapons from swords to Buddhist prayer beads alongside the Celestial Brush which is used for all manner of actions from slicing through wood to creating bombs out of thin air.
As for the gameplay itself, it’s the best Zelda game ever made. It follows the open-world exploration coupled with dungeon progression that The Legend of Zelda made popular. It just does it better through the use of smart dungeon design and a huge world that makes the Hyrule from Twilight Princess seem small. It doesn’t hurt that the game has a wicked sense of humor and a fantastic story to drive the game progression.
Okami HD will be out on the PSN as a digital download later this fall for $20. If you didn’t buy it on the PS2 or the Wii, I implore you to pick it up this time around. If you already own the game, you should buy it anyway. Maybe Capcom will actually make a real sequel to Okami with Platinum Games instead of what they did with Okami-den on the DS.
