Playing A Game Ōkami HD PC

Ōkami HD took quite a bit of warm-up time -- I don't mean the ridiculous 25 GB download, but the overlong non-interactive opening cutscene, and 30+ minutes of low-interactivity character introductions. It's slow to start.

Then of course I had to tweak the settings, because the default camera controls are just wacky, and the default volume for NPCs' cartoony chattering noises is ... too much. Like getting yelled at by adults from Peanuts.

But once it became playable, the charm I remember from the original game started to come back. Talking to quaint townsfolk about their problems; using the celestial brush to solve simple puzzles; Issun's impotent rage and Amaterasu's adorable dog noises. Largely down to its visual style, Ōkami is just fun to watch; and this HD iteration preserves that quality quite excellently.

The combat gameplay is somewhat milquetoast, which is basically how I remember it being before. So, hopefully that part of the game doesn't start showing its age too poorly. But I'm looking forward to rediscovering Ōkami's Japan, and unraveling its mystical adventure once again.

Progress: Just left Kamiki Village.