The Bottom Line: Okage: Shadow King is one of the most original RPG games that I have ever owned. If you're looking for one weird game to play, then get Okage today!
ChromeKiller's Full Review: Okage: Shadow King for PlayStation 2
Of our time, there have been a number of RPG games, in different shapes and sizes, colors and in quantity. But, never has there been an RPG game quite like this one. With artwork that looks as if it came straight from the head of the dark moviemaker, Tim Burton himself, Okage is quite a different game to play. It's an RPG much more acceptable by anyone who can enjoy a title for what it's really worth, without all of the hype. And for that matter, Okage: Shadow King is definitely one of last year's best sleeper hits.
What do you get when you tell a demon shadow king that he can live inside of your shadow, if only he'll save the life of your sister that can only speak pig latin? Well, it would look a little something like the team paired up of our hero, Ari, and his new evil master, Evil King Stanley Hihat Trinidad XIV (or Stan for short). But, with the promise of helping Stan conquer the world by finding the evil kings that stole Stan's missing power, Ari's about to head out on a journey to find more unfortunate situations where his shadow will plague him, his friends will mock him, and girls will taunt this 16-year-old skirt chaser. For one of the weirdest video games ever created, Okage's story is one that should not be missed out on.
Just like a cartoon, the universe that Okage is made up of is one to think about and wonder in how it even exists. Everything exists in 3D; but in certain aspects, there's a very peculiar sense of feel to the game. Townspeople are fashioned with spiky mouths, eyes that bug out, hair that's quirky in different styles, horns growing out of their heads; each of the game's unique characters is different in every way. Stan himself is only a shadow, and is the only object - I mean, evil king - that has a 2D look. But even so, the black and yellow Stanley also has an awesome graphical effect when compared to the rest of Okage's models.
On Ari's quest as a slave to a shadow, he'll meet a cast of friends and foes that each features a certain characteristic about them. For example, Stan, while evil, is mocked because no one can ever believe that a shadow could have ever been an unruly king that was locked in a bottle 200 years prior to the present. There's a parasol-equipped Rosalyn that seeks revenge on the king that changed her life. Ari's even got a wacky friend that goes by the name of Professor Kisling, who's fascinated by the research of ghosts. Unlike any RPG game, Okage's characters use a different sort of weaponry to fight with. Professor Kisling, for instance, uses books at his aid. This opposed to Rosalyn, who uses an umbrella to thwart fiends away. Even Ari starts out by using a branch to whack some sense into baddies.
When browsing around the map, and places like dungeons or towns, you'll notice how Ari and friends stand out in an interesting way. If for example you're running along the world of Okage, and the party follows the boy (like which has been done in many RPGs before), this time you'll see them all in 3D. The game especially shines when the objects in the far off distance that you're running towards are really there as you draw closer to them. So if you're headed towards a bridge, and were to just reach it, still pacing along... the land in the distance looks magnificent compared to where you were once placed. In short: Okage's graphics, while awkward, are truly breathtaking.
As for this new RPG's gameplay, it's very user-friendly. The game is a standard turn-based type. It being one of the first that I've ever played on the PlayStation 2, it's also a really good one. Hopefully, Sony will continue to develop future RPG games that share similar qualities of their ideas in such ways as this one. When in battle, you'll have the option of attacking, defending, using items, and of course, the special attacks (or magic). Your magical abilities will develop as your character's stats grow. Such qualities, like pounding multiple enemies with ice, lowering the enemy's attack power, and even casting flame swords or raising ally health bars higher, are some of the simple magical abilities that will become handy on your adventures.
These magic attacks that you have are based on the game's LP level. A number found in the game's battle menu shows you how much LP your characters have to work with. If a magic attack requires 2 LP points, then 2 points will be decreased from the count. The only catch is that each of your characters shares the same LP number. Using your magic attacks, and learning how to not use too much LP is one of the few moments where you'll need to really think when you're fighting. Through Okage's battle menu, you'll see the result of a time bar heavily borrowed from the Final Fantasy games. Both enemies and characters alike attack in the order that they come. However, the battles will pause whenever it's your turn to make a decision, so there's no need to worry too much about using your brain so heavily. Certain fights may take a little thought. For the most part, though, the battles are easy enough so that as long as you're regularly maintaining your characters properly, you won't lose.
From playing Okage, you'll find that a lot of the game is made up of puzzles. If you're thinking Resident Evil-type passwords, or elaborate collections of items just to open up a door, you're mistaken. In fact, most of these little brain busters are just optional mini-games. When strolling through populated locales, the people within them will each have their own tidbit of information to tell you, and at times, have special items to give you for use further on. These objects can later be used in the game to obtain objects, such as a special sword, or a type of ID card that will allow you access inaccessible areas throughout the game's storyline. But, note: not all of the puzzles are required to advance in the game. And so, they're just as easily engaged as in fighting monsters. To go along with everything else, Okage even sports a very nice rotating camera function for easier viewing of the town's inside, outside areas, and even the dungeons themselves.
A most interesting aspect to the game is its sound. The music is composed nicely, albeit sometimes a little awkward. But, never is the music intolerable. Sometimes the songs can roam into the soothing sound of melody, or leak into an outlandish orchestra of rhythm. While there's no voice-acting to boot, there are other in-game sounds, like during battle, or running around in the game. And, with each step, you'll hear what the music would sound like in reality. Running over a bridge, or a grassy field relates to their real life counterparts. Opening doors receive well like they should. Even when casting a magical nut on your ally to heal them mirrors that of which is found in life's same predicament... according to Sony, anyway.
Maybe Okage: Shadow King is a weird game. So what? Have you not ever played a video game and thought that it's not likely that a cartoon character cannot have arms in all sorts of different places? Or, how about a mystical ghost that only appears at midnight? For Okage, it's a humorous adventure that shows people what a game from the mind of Tim Burton might look like. For anyone that endures into the unusual, Sony's Okage: Shadow King is right up your alley!
Up for grabs is the rare Okage for the Sony PS2. This game is one of the best, but hardest to find, action games available for the PS2. As with all PS...More at eBay
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