The Video Game Critic

Hmm. All this fuss has me wanting to play Okami, which I can probably get on the cheap. I'm loving Zelda, but I cannot make a decision on this until I give Okami a fair shot.

 

Funny thing about those tried and true formulas, though. It is a fine line between "beating a dead horse" and "a classic formula that works well for a reason."

 

I don't like to criticize something for being "not new," and I don't like to praise something "just because it is new." But (sorry if this sounds like a paradox), if the game is fun and well executed, it is possible that its newness OR "oldness" were contributing factors. I'll certainly praise that aspect of a game in that case.

 

-Rob 

I think it speaks volumes that when Sony's PS3 had nothing but garbage this year, the GOTY went to a decent PS2 game over very solid Xbox 360 and Wii titles.   I bet if the PS3 had had better games Okami wouldn't have even been brought up. I also bet that if Gears were a PS3 title, it would have won hands down. 

To me Gamespot loses it credibility when it gives a WarioWare Smooth Moves a 9.1.  Don't get me wrong, I love Warioware, but there is no way in hell that the game deserves a higher score than Twilight Princess.  It just doesn't.  Twilight Princess is overall a much better game and certainly deserving of at least a 9.0. 

 

[QUOTE=feilong80]

I'm loving Zelda, but I cannot make a decision on this until I give Okami a fair shot.

[/QUOTE]

 

Well, I'm glad to hear that.  Perhaps with all the glowing praise critics and players are giving Okami, it'll inspire more people to give it their attention because, trust me, it's well worth your time.  

[QUOTE=Michael D]Well, Zelda will be remembered more than Okami only because it sold well and, hey, it's Zelda; it has a rabid fan base. I think that if all the people who played Twilight Princess also played Okami, it would resonate with gamers just as much, if not more than Zelda.[/QUOTE]

 

I don't agree that Zelda will be remembered only because it's Zelda.  Twilight Princess was such a stellar game, it would be remembered if any other name were attached to it.

 

Okami was a good game, and I particularly love the art style.  It took genius to do that kind of flowing Japanese impressionist art style as a moving picture.  Still, I agree with the critic in terms of the fact that what lies underneath as a game was just a standard adventure.  I think it will resonate with anyone who plays it, but I do not agree that it would resonate with gamers as much as Twilight Princess.  I don't think it was even in the same class in terms of excellence.

[QUOTE=m0zart][QUOTE=Michael D]Well, Zelda will be remembered more than Okami only because it sold well and, hey, it's Zelda; it has a rabid fan base. I think that if all the people who played Twilight Princess also played Okami, it would resonate with gamers just as much, if not more than Zelda.[/QUOTE]

 

I don't agree that Zelda will be remembered only because it's Zelda.  Twilight Princess was such a stellar game, it would be remembered if any other name were attached to it.

 [/QUOTE]

I have two big problems with Michael D's logic there in any case.

1) To think Zelda has a rabid fan base is fair, but to think that that fanbase is not rivaled or surpassed by the combined Sony and Capcom fanbases is obviously incorrect.

2) There are 106 million PS2s out there and only 21 million Gamecubes (and a couple millions Wii's maybe).  Also, Okami got glowing reviews.  Thus, if Okami really is that good it will not only resonate and be remembered by as many people, but would likely be remembered by far more, as there are far more people who could play it. 

[QUOTE=Atarifever][QUOTE=m0zart][QUOTE=Michael D]Well, Zelda will be remembered more than Okami only because it sold well and, hey, it's Zelda; it has a rabid fan base. I think that if all the people who played Twilight Princess also played Okami, it would resonate with gamers just as much, if not more than Zelda.[/QUOTE]

 

I don't agree that Zelda will be remembered only because it's Zelda.  Twilight Princess was such a stellar game, it would be remembered if any other name were attached to it.

 [/QUOTE]

I have two big problems with M0zart's logic there in any case.

1) To think Zelda has a rabid fan base is fair, but to think that that fanbase is not rivaled or surpassed by the combined Sony and Capcom fanbases is obviously incorrect.

2) There are 106 million PS2s out there and only 21 million Gamecubes (and a couple millions Wii's maybe).  Also, Okami got glowing reviews.  Thus, if Okami really is that good it will not only resonate and be remembered by as many people, but would likely be remembered by far more, as there are far more people who could play it. 

[/QUOTE]
Michael D's logic sorry.

 

***Corrected for you***

[QUOTE=Atarifever]

I have two big problems with Michael D's logic there in any case.

1) To think Zelda has a rabid fan base is fair, but to think that that fanbase is not rivaled or surpassed by the combined Sony and Capcom fanbases is obviously incorrect.

2) There are 106 million PS2s out there and only 21 million Gamecubes (and a couple millions Wii's maybe).  Also, Okami got glowing reviews.  Thus, if Okami really is that good it will not only resonate and be remembered by as many people, but would likely be remembered by far more, as there are far more people who could play it. 

[/QUOTE]

 

I think what he was trying to say was that Zelda sold more copies than Okami.  Okami sold like crap...more people are going to remember Zelda:TP because more people played it. 

 

There are more people that could play and remember Okami...but they haven't.  That game will go down as another cult classic that the couldn't find a big enough audience to appreciate it.

 

Between the two version of Zelda: TP its going to sell between 5-10 million copies.  I would be shocked if 500,000 people bought Okami.

 

 

[QUOTE=JustLikeHeaven]

There are more people that could play and remember Okami...but they haven't. [/QUOTE]

 

You nailed it there. All the people who have PS2s and bought Madden 07 and Lego Star Wars 2 in droves last September (and for that matter, owners of multiple consoles who also played Zelda) could have given Okami a chance, but they didn't.  I believe that that's, at least in part, due to consumers' general unwillingness to give original franchises the light of day. The only original properties that did well at retail recently are those that had (and certainly earned their) M ratings, like Gears of War, Dead Rising, Fable and Manhunt.

 

And this isn't a problem that took only Okami down.  Many critically acclaimed games based on original properties have underperformed at retail, such as Psychonauts and Bully (yes, Bully didn't sell well, amazingly). 

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when people discover great games based on non-existing properties, do your part to support these efforts and then do what I've done with Okami since October; get the word out there about how great games like these are!

[QUOTE=Michael D ]The only original properties that did well at retail recently are those that had (and certainly earned their) M ratings, like Gears of War, Dead Rising, Fable and Manhunt.[/QUOTE]

People bought Manhunt?