Okami Interview AU

Okami has become a critical darling of the gaming world, even winning IGN's coveted Game of the Year for 2006 award, as well as an excellent review. Why are we so enamoured? Well, not only is it a good old fashioned epic adventure, but it's infused with traditional Japanese art and mythology, lending it a unique look and feel. The characters are enchanting, the Celestial Brush techniques compelling and the overall design nothing short of stunning.

We were curious to find out more about how the visual design of the game came about, so we sat down with the game's Producer, Atsushi Inaba, and hit him with some questions.

IGN: When discussing the overall artistic direction of Okami, did the design team sit down and share ideas about how the game should look? And how much did the game's design evolve?

Atsushi Inaba: Originally the Director wanted to create a realistic looking world, but we had to give up on this concept as we were not able to realise the level of detail we wished for given the constraints of the hardware. One day an art designer came up with the brush painting style, we all liked it and it became the final style. Therefore I can say that team members did not talk to decide the direction but an inspiration of a designer stimulated the director's sensitivity and the art as we know it today was born.

If you compare the final retail version to the early development when we were still working on the brush painting style they are certainly very different. However, the basic concept was always the same.

IGN: Okami is heavily steeped in Japanese mythology - have you been surprised at how much the international gaming community has embraced it? Do you see Okami as something of an ambassador for Japanese/Eastern culture and aesthetics?

Atsushi Inaba: Since no one had developed a game with Japanese culture as a main feature before even we had our doubts as to whether the title would be accepted by Western gamers.

However, Kamiya-san, Okami's Director, felt strongly that it would be great if people outside Japan played this game and became interested in Japanese culture and I agreed with him. I am glad to see the game was well received overseas and hopefully it will take on the role of an ambassador for Japanese culture as you suggested in your question.

IGN: Do you think it's important to bring traditional cultural media forms into a modern entertainment context?

Atsushi Inaba: I'm not sure if it's important to do so, but I think it would depend on a creator wanting to do so. Using traditional culture in a game doesn't have to deliver a message but simply be used to help expand the expression of a theme. Obviously I was born and bred in Japan so I may qualify as the most suitable person to show our traditional culture in a game, however, everyone has a feeling of admiration toward different cultures so it may be interesting to have a take on our culture from an outsider's perspective. But, it would be important to appreciate this culture first though.

Having said that, while working on Okami, the team realised that we didn't have a complete understanding of our own culture so it was a good opportunity to rediscover our own cultural background.

IGN: Was there an emphasis on working more from pen and paper design, rather than digitally - keeping in line with the theme of the game?

Atsushi Inaba: Okami's art designer used brush and ink when creating the artwork for all the characters to complement the game aesthetic.

IGN: What were some points of inspiration for the team when creating the characters in Okami?

Atsushi Inaba: The inspiration for the design of the enemies was based on traditional apparitions or monsters from the old Japanese mythologies, but they were loosely based on them and their stories are not particularly accurate. We have incorporated so many stories from different mythologies in the game, so I doubt if there is anyone who can spot every single story or myth.

IGN: In your opinion, do you believe that it is becoming increasingly difficult to create games that are both commercially successful as well as original and profound?

Atsushi Inaba: You use the word "difficult", but I think that it is becoming almost "impossible" for an original game to succeed financially. This can't be blamed on anyone but it's a simple fact that an original game doesn't appeal to the majority of gamers. Entertainment does not have to be profound and we did not have any intention for Okami to be seen in this way. If you thought otherwise, maybe we should have developed the title in a way that it would have been received as pure entertainment.

IGN: Should games ever be viewed as art? Do you think Okami might qualify?

Atsushi Inaba: I would take the word "art" as a compliment. However, I think entertainment doesn't necessarily equate with art regardless of how high the level of entertainment. If Okami should be viewed as art or not, I guess this will be down to those who play the game to decide.

IGN: Were the limitations of the PS2 hardware an advantage or a disadvantage for a project like this?

Atsushi Inaba: We were as I mentioned previously, constrained by the hardware performance. However, this caused the 3D style of brush touch to be born so Okami as we know it would not have existed if we had not encountered issues with the hardware. All the consoles come with some restrictions, so this probably makes developing games more challenging and interesting.

Have something to say about the art design and influences in Okami? Hop on over to the forums. We've also posted some more artwork from the game over at the gallery.

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