Superb balance and a dark, atmospheric game world help this mission-based action title stand out from the crowd. If knuckle whitening, sword-and-sorcery combat is what you crave, Otogi might be a good import to kick off 2003.
Otogi is a Japanese word meaning “fairy tale†or “fantasy.†Set in Heian period Japan, this third-person action game is steeped in imagery from Japanese mythology and religion. The story follows the adventures of a warrior-priest named Raikou (whose name is derived from “Raikouki,†the title of a collection of Japanese legends) through a series of battles against various supernatural creatures. An all-around solid title, Otogi delivers impressive and entertaining, accessible gameplay.
Graphically, Otogi contains all the eye-candy we’ve come to expect from recent video games, sporting realistic dust and smoke particles and detailed character models. Two things really set Otogi apart visually, however. First, there is the stunning level-design, inspired by traditional Japanese folklore. The story takes players to ancient shrines, a ghostly ship’s deck and to the heart of space. None of the levels are very big, but they are richly detailed and convey the fantasy Heian period setting perfectly. Second, the environments are highly interactive, containing huge numbers of destructible objects. Wanton destruction is a good thing in this game; smashing objects often reveals hidden items and sending monsters through walls not only looks cool, it also does more damage. The only real annoyance is that sometimes the camera becomes completely blocked out (by a wall, monster, etc.) at a critical moment. This problem seems to crop up in most if not all third-person perspective games, but never gets less irritating.
The game’s audio portion is almost equally good. The music is fantastic, managing to be simultaneously beautiful, mysterious and spooky. Comparatively, the sound/environmental effects seem somewhat spartan. For instance, the same monster roar is used for most of the creatures. Still, the sounds manage to provide solid, visceral feedback.
The individual missions in Otogi vary. A few have unusual goals, but most require the player to destroy one or more enemies or objects. This can get a bit repetitive, but fortunately the combat is top notch. With his weapon, Raikou can perform a light, combo-friendly attack, and a strong knockdown blow that sends enemies flying. He can also cast spells, but these require careful timing as they take awhile to charge. He can chain sword and magic attacks in virtually any combination and 100+ hit combos are possible when fighting large groups of monsters. There are a large variety of weapons, offering the player various offense/defense tradeoffs. Some weapons are also imbued with magic and other special properties.
After each mission, Raikou is awarded money (to purchase accessories weapons, or new spells) and experience points, which build up to increase his level over time. The amount of experience and money he receives is based on the player’s attentiveness during the game. When Raikou defeats an enemy glowing orbs are left behind. These must be studiously collected during the stage in order to receive money and experience. Raikou may also unlock items for purchase by finding symbols hidden throughout each level.
An interesting twist is the interaction between Raikou’s magic and hit point gauges. Magic is represented by a bar, and hit points by a series of spheres, which drain as Raikou takes damage. Once a hit point becomes totally drained, it disappears, but as long as Raikou has some magic, a partially drained hit point can recover given time. However, if Raikou runs out of magic, his remaining hit points begin to slowly drain away. So, while spells are extremely effective (particularly against hordes of enemies) preserving Raikou’s magic is of utmost importance. Fortunately, Raikou can earn magic simply by destroying enemies. The amount of magic awarded depends on how the enemy was destroyed -using a combo gives Raikou more magic and doing a mid-air combo more still. This connection between magic, hitpoints, and combo attacks adds quite a bit of depth to the combat.
Otogi is a medium length game, requiring perhaps 15-20 hours of really focused play to complete. However, once the game is beaten, a “second play†mode is unlocked. As implied, this simply allows the player to replay the entire game. However, instead of beginning from zero, Raikou’s stats will start from the level where they left off, and he will have access to any loot collected during his first foray. Since not every item is unlocked by completing the game once, the player is given a bit of incentive to check out the second play mode. This may not be seem very tempting to all players, but it is certainly fun to revisit the lower levels and wreak havoc on enemies that gave you heartburn the first time through.
Overall, Otogi is a very well rounded game. Although it may not have quite enough sheer volume to satisfy every gamer, the interesting combat system, great design and excellent music make this a distinctive, involving game.
Importer’s Outlook
While the Japanese used in Otogi is a bit archaic, the missions themselves are fairly easy to figure out. Thankfully, all menu items are presented in both English and Japanese, making this game relatively accessible. On the down side, the item and weapon descriptions, which in some cases are very important, are in Japanese only.
Pros & Cons
Graphics
+ Great Heian period settings
+ Destructible/deformable environments
- Sometimes camera becomes blocked
Sound
+ Gorgeous, spooky soundtrack
+ Somewhat unvaried but functional sound effects
Gameplay
+ Excellent sword and sorcery combat
+ Interesting magic/life/combo interaction
- Missions somewhat repetitive
Replay Value
+ Lots of weapons, accessories and spells to find/buy/unlock
+ After finishing, players can replay the game with all their loot intact
- May leave some gamers wanting more.
Final Score
Graphics: A
Sound: A-
Gameplay: A-
Replay Value: B
Overall: A-
