OKAMI HD: BEST WAY TO PLAY THE CLASSIC

Video Games have an expiration date. A life cycle that starts at launch and ends with an ultimate content update and for most multiplayer games its not more than a year. However much like fine wine, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege keeps on getting better with age.

What started out as a very promising new shooter quickly spiralled downwards thanks to poor netcode, no servers and too many hackers. However, Ubisoft had grand plans in mind for Rainbow Six Siege and as we complete two years since launch with the year two pass contents kicking in we can finally see what Ubisoft saw before. A diamond in the rough, an amazing and in depth multiplayer experience that definitely took its time to reach the users. Ubisoft’s continued support for the game and willingness to listen to community feedback has helped the game get over 25 million players.

The reason Rainbow Six Siege stands out from other shooters is its unique mechanics and playstyle. Destructible environments, diverse operators with varying skillsets combine to make each map different and unpredictable. Break a ceiling as a diversion, throw in multi- flashbangs that don’t affect your operator or if you’re on the defensive side setup a one- way mirror. There is just so much you can do and with each new operator the rules of engagement keep on changing. While those who buy the base edition of the game end up grinding a lot for new operators, buying the full game makes it feel like less of a chore. The new operators can be acquired without spending money if you’ve spent enough time collecting in game currency which is a great way to keep players motivated.

The latest operators with Operation White Noise add the South Korean Dokkaebi and Vigil alongside the Polish operator Zofia. Dokkaebi can hack enemy gadgets, making them pretty much useless — taking out one of the key features of the game making her extremely useful in most situations. Upon killing an enemy she can also hack defender cameras, a brand- new mechanic in the g a m e .

Vigil on the other hand is a n attacker who can hide from d e f e n d e r s u r v e i l - lance making him n e a r untraceable.

The third o p e r a t o r

Zofia, sister of the popular operator Ela is a much more versatile attacker who roams around with an under- barrel grenade launcher that is equipped with both an impact grenade and a concussion grenade. She can also selfrevive upon getting downed, once per round making her invaluable for most squads. Overall, the latest operation has once again helped players stay on their toes and rethink their strategies with the amazing new operators. Hopefully, we still have a lot more to expect from Ubisoft and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. Okami was an action- adventure game originally released for the PS2 in 2006. Since its launch, it has been rereleased several times and is now available on PS4, Xbox One and PC with 4k support.

A long cutscene in the beginning of the game describes events of the past, where a villager Nagi, along with a white wolf Shiranui, defeats an eight headed demon named Orichi. One hundred years later, Orichi is seemingly freed and the world falls into darkness. Players control Amaterasu, the sun goddess who is perceived to be a reincarnation of Shiranui, and your job is to bring back life into the world.

Okami looks like an interactive painting thanks to its incredibly unique art. Its use of cell- shading showcases breathtaking scenery, but the poor character models and constant pop- in can be extremely distracting.

Pressing R1 pulls up a canvas over the screen and Amaterasu can use a celestial brush to make changes to the world. You can use them for solving puzzles, such as building bridges to cross a river, or in combat to cut through enemies.

You can use basic attacks as well but they are secondary to the celestial brush. You can also utilise the brush outside of traditional gameplay sequences, such as cutting down trees which may drop an item. Different enemies can be dealt easily with the right brush pattern and mastering this mechanic is essential for the boss battles.

Pe r form well in battle and you are rewarded with money to spend on items, equipment and learning new techniques. Combat is simple and can get repetitive over the long 30- 40 hour journey though. Thankfully, the game dazzles you with wondrous sights at every turn, pushing you to move forward.

Camera can cause several hindrances as it often gets too close to the character, making it hard to see enemies or the path you must take. Pressing L1 allows you to zoom out, but puzzlingly after you interact with any object, it returns to its default position. While several parts of the game have not aged well, its eye- catching art, use of the celestial brush during gameplay and engaging story are well worth experiencing. It is a not a particularly great remaster and certain aspects like the unskipabble dialogue can get annoying, but this is the best version of the game deemed a classic by many.