If you're reading this, you've probably either just bought Okami (and want to make sure you've done the right thing), or you're considering it. If you fall into the first category then you can stop reading right now; you've bought a brilliant game and instead of sitting here you should be in front of your telly playing it. If, on the other hand, you're only considering it then perhaps I can convince you why you really should join those smart people in the first category.

There probably are people who won't enjoy this game. They'll find its graphics too colourful or too unrealistic. They won't like the sound effects; perhaps the cute talking noises will irritate them, or the violent snarls and swiping sounds of a wolf at war will hurt their ears. Maybe it's the gameplay that will put them off; after all, not everyone enjoys epic quests that will consume hours of their time and not everybody likes games that test their puzzle reflexes as much as their index finger. Perhaps they find the idea of playing as a wolf difficult to deal with; how, they might ask, can a wolf hold items or talk to other characters? I suspect, however, that the thing that will put the majority of buyers off is the fact that this is nothing more or less than a remade PS2 game. If you're worried about this, don't be. I must admit that I never played the original version so I don't know how much better this is, if at all. What I do know is that it doesn't matter; this is a superb game that has more than its fair share of innovative touches and some really great gameplay.

In Okami you play a white wolf who is the reincarnation of the sun god Amaterasu, and you must guide her to save the land of Nippon from the clutches of the evil demon Orochi. So far, you might be thinking, so clichéd. We've all played games where the forces of good go up against the forces of evil for control of the land (I've made a promise to myself not to compare this with the games, but…) However, Okami handles this old idea with fresh aplomb, and not just because of the Japanese mythological sources that inform every aspect of the game. It's not even the fact that you play the character of the white wolf that makes Okami stand out from the crowd (let's be honest, there is a large section in a certain game beginning with Z that also features a wolf!) No, what makes Okami sparkle is a combination of things; the beautifully drawn, watercolour style graphics, the wonderful (although, at times, long-winded) storyline and dialogue, the cleverly crafted and never too hard puzzles. To top it all off, the game has one of the most original and brilliant control systems that I've ever used, which, despite its PS2 roots, seems to have been made for the Wii.

Okami doesn't seem that unusual to start with. You control your wolf with the nunchuk's analogue stick and the Wiimote is used to angle the camera and slash at enemies (by swiping it through the air). However, the unique aspect in Okami is the fact that at any time you can freeze the action and draw on the screen using the Wiimote as a brush. There are various different symbols to learn (fifteen in total) and each of them does different things. You can uncover hidden stuff (bridges, buildings, structures) by scribbling in the area that they should be. You can, with a single slashing movement, cut rocks, trees and gates in two. You can draw lily pads on water and then jump between them, or draw bombs on hidden doorways or enemies, or draw ropes that pull you high into the sky and drop you onto platforms made from flowers. The drawing mechanism works incredibly well and it's easy to get the hang of things. A lot of the fights involve drawing on your enemies too (maybe a bomb, or perhaps you'll stab the monster with your brush).

The puzzles also rely heavily on your artistic skills, and it has to be said that they do, at times, seem a little contrived. For example, you regularly find yourself scribbling structures into place that have previously disappeared, not the most taxing of tasks and obviously designed to tally with your brush skills. The best puzzles are the ones that you can't immediately work out and where the answers are logical yet not obvious. One of Okami's minor failings is that most of the puzzles are too straightforward and not that difficult to solve. Don't let this put you off though; there are plenty of head-scratching moments and overall the game seems to be balanced to give you a pretty good chance of completing it before you throw the Wiimote at the wall with frustration.

The presentation is almost perfect, the lush visuals complimented by a rich and varied soundtrack. Everything moves speedily and smoothly, the camera is usually spot on (and when it isn't it can be adjusted until it is), the animation is fantastic and the overall style is unlike anything you've ever seen (unless, of course, you've already played Okami on the PS2!) The game looks like a moving watercolour painting and the screenshots don't do it justice at all (even if they do look pretty enough); you simply have to see it in motion to appreciate its true beauty. The sound and music are so good that you rarely notice them - that may sound like a backhanded compliment, but think about it. The best films, for example, are the ones where the sound and music ties in so perfectly with the onscreen action that you are unaware of them. If a film gets it wrong, either with sound that's too dramatic or just plain bad, you will notice it and it'll break your sense of immersion. Games are just the same and Okami gets it just right.

Nothing, of course, is perfect, and there are problems with this title. The puzzles, as I've mentioned, verge on being too easy at times, while the action can become a little repetitive (the fighting, in particular, is really just a question of learning which moves to use against which enemies). The graphics are wonderful but they do (very occasionally) glitch; there were two or three occasions when the camera got stuck inside the scenery, for example. One memorable fault caused my wolf's head to turn inside out (sort of going into its body, if you know what I mean; think 'inny' bellybutton instead of 'outy'). It looked hilarious, but the resulting polygonal mess when I tried to move meant that I had to reset the game and lose a few minutes of play. Having said that, I am picking at minor faults here (the wolf-head glitch was annoying, but a one-off).

Okami is a beautifully presented, supremely playable, wonderfully original game that's well worth purchasing. What's more, it lasts a fair time too; you should get somewhere between twenty and forty hours from it. Perhaps its biggest problem is the competition - Zelda isn't exactly a terrible game, after all, but most Wii owners have probably completed it by now. The great thing about Okami is that it hasn't slavishly copied the Zelda formula; although there are similarities, this is a unique take on the genre. It's a brilliant game in its own right and it deserves to be in your Wii collection.

Reviewed by Dom Turner for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).