PlayStation 2

Okage: Shadow King

I love Tim Burton movies, especially the animated ones and Okage: Shadow King makes me feel like I’m in one. Okage: Shadow King is definitely not your ordinary RPG, it’s a getaway from the everyday.

The gameplay itself is fairly classic RPG, with some minor twists to keep it interesting. While Okage is certainly a treat to look at, it does have some drawbacks, like lots of loads and town scenes that take longer than they should due to Okage’s odd logic. It gets so bad at times, I was tempted to throw this game out the window of our building more than once, but the story kept me coming back. Be warned that Okage is pretty text-heavy – there's plenty of story – but if you're looking for an RPG off the beaten trail, it certainly delivers.

While some younger players (and the humorless RPG fans out there) won’t get or appreciate much of the humor and innuendo here, everyone else should give this game a shot. Okage: Shadow King is a more than welcome change of pace from the standard console RPG fare. It’s not as “deep” as the yearly Final Fantasy update, nor does it pretend to be. As a welcome change of pace, it more than gets the job done.

While Okage: Shadow King certainly won't rank as one of the best RPGs ever made, it could be one of the strangest. Since role-playing games on the PS2 are scarce and, thus far, unimpressive, Okage does actually manage to be one of the best on the system. For anyone who appreciates bizarre characters and storylines, the game is especially appealing. The graphics are fantastic, although the gameplay itself is standard overall. Just the same, if you're looking for a new and different role-playing experience on your PS2, Okage is a worthy choice.

Okage: Shadow King has the same sort of universal appeal that Bugs Bunny cartoons have; there's humor that younger audiences will enjoy, as well as jokes that only older players will understand and appreciate. Okage is a good game for those who have never played an RPG, as well as those who have played too many of them and are looking for something new. If the game had been able to maintain the high quality established early on, it could have ranked as one of the year's best. Yet even with its flaws, Okage remains a breath of fresh air for a genre in desperate need of the kind of originality and variety that it provides.

I really enjoyed Okage. While it wasn't the next Final Fantasy or Phantasy Star, it was a very enjoyable game and a refreshing change of pace from the RPG norm. Its also a little short and can be beaten in around 24-35 hours. Still, despite the problems it has and its short length, I'd still recommend Okage to RPG gamers. Most hardcore RPG gamers may snuff it, but the more casual RPG gamer or beginner may find it just right. If you have any doubts then I'd advise you at least give it a rental. Great job but it still shows a lot of promise for a sequel.

With its wealth of visual inventiveness and whacked-out creativity, Okage is one of those games you really wish were more than just a console RPG starter kit. Don't be surprised if you see Okage walk away with top honors at this year's PS2 Weird Awards just don't expect it to have much of a shot at Game of the Year.

It's an offbeat title not meant for everyone. Still, I've seen offbeat titles done better. Their gameplay was unlike any that came before, and it followed a comfortable rhythm. Okage: Shadow King has its charm. But it is, ironically, too off-kilter for me to consider it a cult classic.

Okage is certainly a creative attempt, but while it succeeds in looking cool it fails in really making a unique gameplay mark. It borrows art from a popular film and clearly tries to be very funny, but it's distinctions from other RPGs sort of end there. If you have a very innocent sense of humor and are dying for a PS2 RPG, Okage might not be a bad rental. However, the only shadows Okage: Shadow King is going to be ruling at my house are the ones under the stack of other games I'd rather be playing.

Okage: Shadow King's window of opportunity is closing. Over the next couple months, PS2 will see the release of Shadow Hearts, Tsuganai: Atonement, Wizardry: Forsaken Land, and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, not to mention Jade Cocoon 2, Grandia 2, and the mother of them all, Final Fantasy X just around the corner. While visually diverting, Okage is only slightly above average overall; it was great when all those others were still weeks away from release, but will soon be overshadowed. If you don't own it yet, you can probably afford to wait a year for it to end up in the bargain bin.