Just to clear up the confusion, the title of Okage is a pun of sorts with a deeper meaning. The word "kage" means "shadow" in Japanese, the honorable "O" prefix often used when addressing a king. Moreover, the word "okage" itself is found in the term "okagesama de" which is a bit difficult to translate into English. Roughly, it's a very polite term that can mean something akin to "thanks to your support" even when the person it's spoken to had little involvement.
The reference to that phrase, in my view, relates to how Stan inadvertently helps Ari become braver, stronger and socially active. As this story is a coming-of-age tale, we see our ordinary, average boy leave his hometown where all the villagers and even his own family often overlook him. He's the kind who blends into the background, never really speaking up for himself and therefore getting treated like a doormat.
But due to unforeseen circumstances, whether he likes it or not, Ari's chosen by his family and Stan, the eponymous Shadow King, to be the latter's slave. This newfound lack of freedom ultimately leads the boy on an adventure to discover himself and the shocking truth of his seemingly whimsical world.
The main characters are quirky, humorous and diverse while the story itself starts out as a tongue-in-cheek satire of the usual RPG cliches before diverting into its surprising but welcome twist.
Rather than just being another RPG that pokes fun at itself and its predecessors, Okage takes the high road into questioning the world we've been shown so far and the place of each character in it.
On the more technical side, the gameplay isn't for everyone. I'm fine with turn-based combat and my preference is to see it coming. You almost always can, although there were occasional surprise ghost spawns for me.
And just to make sure it's better understood now, this game really isn't a grinder. The game mechanics work against that even though it's possible and works well in specific locations.
One notable complaint is the camera, but this truthfully applies to several games during the PS2's lifespan. Okage was released early on as well, so it's not something that bothers me as much as others.
The worst problems? The translation and marketing outside of Japan are honestly bad. Still, the translation gave us so many funny, quotable lines that it isn't something I'm willing to hold against it over. Instead, there's one specific complaint to that end. The final cypher text wasn't translated properly given how it's understood in Japanese, making it difficult for anyone without knowledge of the game's native language. Although it's worth stating that such makes it more of a challenge, albeit an unfair one.
Another issue lies within the coding, one of Stan's many "pop-up" questions leaving players unable to answer properly in the original PS2 version. I've played the game myself, one of those who bought Okage after its initial release along with the Prima guide. The question is so broken that it has only one viable answer, unfortunately.
Although I'm probably biased, Okage my favorite solo game of all-time, the reason I'm giving it an 8/10 is partly due to what I believe the story was meant to convey and based on the fact that it was originally meant for the PS1 system, getting the unfortunate short end of the stick.
Whenever that happens to a game in-progress, it can leave the final product with cut content and errors, so that's part of the reason that giving it a 7/10 doesn't feel right. Besides, the story still shines through to me.
The reason it's an 8/10 is largely based on the previously mentioned coding error (which I think is the cause of the problem) along with an even bigger issue affecting game file saves. Some people encountered losing theirs on the original discs, so be forewarned that such can occur.
I can forgive the shoddy camera controls, translation problems, some annoying mechanics that are more like pet peeves and the final cypher text requiring knowledge of the game's original language. However, for all of that together taking away from the final product as a game and not merely a story, it's enough to take off about half a point.
Another half is deducted due to the sheer fact that the dungeons can be so annoying that more dedicated players even crafted their own maps, partly due to the Prima guide lacking proper information.
So that leaves one whole point deducted from my score. Why? It isn't just about the game's marketing being abysmal beyond Japan or the sense of incompletion that leaves me thinking some of the story was unfortunately cut from the final product. No, the final strike against the game that really deserves a lower score is how unruly it truly is to navigate the story itself.
It's the massive scope of not only talking to ALL the NPCs who might have information about the world, which helps players better understand the story, but the additional shifts that work both for and against the game.
The NPCs can move to new positions during your playthrough, allowing for new dialogue, and you can unlock events by speaking to NPCs without any warning. It's almost as if the game needs a warning: "If you blink, you might miss something!"
That's why Okage is the kind of game you can and SHOULD replay - and yet the thought is daunting. You can easily miss something the second, third, fourth time. If it didn't feel overwhelming, maybe it wouldn't detract from the experience for most players.
So, all in all, those who love the story after the first playthrough should play it again more than twice. It's easy to notice something you heard before only to see it in a new light and reconsider its meaning.
Dedication is required and the story isn't as simple as it seems from the start, so it's easy to understand why Okage gained a cult following rather than the larger fanbase I wish it had.
Hopefully, despite my love for this game, I've given it a reasonable score by considering the problems faced by its creators and its actual flaws. Either way, I'm grateful that this game was made. It's one of few stories that truly changed my life for the better. Which means I'm now able to say with heartfelt sincerity to its creators, "Okagesama de."
The reference to that phrase, in my view, relates to how Stan inadvertently helps Ari become braver, stronger and socially active. As this story is a coming-of-age tale, we see our ordinary, average boy leave his hometown where all the villagers and even his own family often overlook him. He's the kind who blends into the background, never really speaking up for himself and therefore getting treated like a doormat.
But due to unforeseen circumstances, whether he likes it or not, Ari's chosen by his family and Stan, the eponymous Shadow King, to be the latter's slave. This newfound lack of freedom ultimately leads the boy on an adventure to discover himself and the shocking truth of his seemingly whimsical world.
The main characters are quirky, humorous and diverse while the story itself starts out as a tongue-in-cheek satire of the usual RPG cliches before diverting into its surprising but welcome twist.
Rather than just being another RPG that pokes fun at itself and its predecessors, Okage takes the high road into questioning the world we've been shown so far and the place of each character in it.
On the more technical side, the gameplay isn't for everyone. I'm fine with turn-based combat and my preference is to see it coming. You almost always can, although there were occasional surprise ghost spawns for me.
And just to make sure it's better understood now, this game really isn't a grinder. The game mechanics work against that even though it's possible and works well in specific locations.
One notable complaint is the camera, but this truthfully applies to several games during the PS2's lifespan. Okage was released early on as well, so it's not something that bothers me as much as others.
The worst problems? The translation and marketing outside of Japan are honestly bad. Still, the translation gave us so many funny, quotable lines that it isn't something I'm willing to hold against it over. Instead, there's one specific complaint to that end. The final cypher text wasn't translated properly given how it's understood in Japanese, making it difficult for anyone without knowledge of the game's native language. Although it's worth stating that such makes it more of a challenge, albeit an unfair one.
Another issue lies within the coding, one of Stan's many "pop-up" questions leaving players unable to answer properly in the original PS2 version. I've played the game myself, one of those who bought Okage after its initial release along with the Prima guide. The question is so broken that it has only one viable answer, unfortunately.
Although I'm probably biased, Okage my favorite solo game of all-time, the reason I'm giving it an 8/10 is partly due to what I believe the story was meant to convey and based on the fact that it was originally meant for the PS1 system, getting the unfortunate short end of the stick.
Whenever that happens to a game in-progress, it can leave the final product with cut content and errors, so that's part of the reason that giving it a 7/10 doesn't feel right. Besides, the story still shines through to me.
The reason it's an 8/10 is largely based on the previously mentioned coding error (which I think is the cause of the problem) along with an even bigger issue affecting game file saves. Some people encountered losing theirs on the original discs, so be forewarned that such can occur.
I can forgive the shoddy camera controls, translation problems, some annoying mechanics that are more like pet peeves and the final cypher text requiring knowledge of the game's original language. However, for all of that together taking away from the final product as a game and not merely a story, it's enough to take off about half a point.
Another half is deducted due to the sheer fact that the dungeons can be so annoying that more dedicated players even crafted their own maps, partly due to the Prima guide lacking proper information.
So that leaves one whole point deducted from my score. Why? It isn't just about the game's marketing being abysmal beyond Japan or the sense of incompletion that leaves me thinking some of the story was unfortunately cut from the final product. No, the final strike against the game that really deserves a lower score is how unruly it truly is to navigate the story itself.
It's the massive scope of not only talking to ALL the NPCs who might have information about the world, which helps players better understand the story, but the additional shifts that work both for and against the game.
The NPCs can move to new positions during your playthrough, allowing for new dialogue, and you can unlock events by speaking to NPCs without any warning. It's almost as if the game needs a warning: "If you blink, you might miss something!"
That's why Okage is the kind of game you can and SHOULD replay - and yet the thought is daunting. You can easily miss something the second, third, fourth time. If it didn't feel overwhelming, maybe it wouldn't detract from the experience for most players.
So, all in all, those who love the story after the first playthrough should play it again more than twice. It's easy to notice something you heard before only to see it in a new light and reconsider its meaning.
Dedication is required and the story isn't as simple as it seems from the start, so it's easy to understand why Okage gained a cult following rather than the larger fanbase I wish it had.
Hopefully, despite my love for this game, I've given it a reasonable score by considering the problems faced by its creators and its actual flaws. Either way, I'm grateful that this game was made. It's one of few stories that truly changed my life for the better. Which means I'm now able to say with heartfelt sincerity to its creators, "Okagesama de."