Okabu

Okabu is fresh, fun, immediate, "colorful" in many ways as its very nice cel shaded graphics. The environmental puzzles become more complex as you progress through the levels, but the game is never really challenging. However, the overall experience is worth it.

Saving the world may be old news to gamers, but Okabu focuses more on preserving and protecting it. [Holiday 2011, p.75]

For parents who are looking for a wholesome game to play with their children, Okabu is a no-brainer. Even without a kid for a sidekick, Okabu's light-hearted romp is worth a look for gamers wanting a break from more serious and demanding titles.

Charles Schulz probably never illustrated any happy Cloud Whales, but if he did they would probably look like Okabu's chief protagonists. With bright colors and a merry atmosphere flooding positivity and joy through every channel, it's hard to look away. This wouldn't matter much if Okabu's gameplay wasn't up to spec, but the subtle complexity behind the puzzles and variety of objectives serves the theme well - and makes Okabu's handful of technical gaffs all the more disappointing.

Even with a few problems and annoyances, a generous, no-failure design makes it fun to just screw around or work together with another player. Super-serious cloud-whale pilots, if such a thing exists, may want to go for high scores and best times on the leaderboards.

This isn't a game for me, nor is it a game for most kids I think, but it isn't hard to see what Sony saw in Okabu. As a game, it's not much fun, and as an aesthetic piece of entertainment, it's neither here nor there. However, it continues a proud, understated tradition for the PSN: make non-violent games that champion color, intelligence, and goodwill amidst the sea of edgy-ness that our beloved medium is wont to overproduce. Now if only the game design had matched the script, we'd have another Flower on our hands.

Okabu is a colorful and fun puzzle adventure, though it suffers from a few technical issues.

Okabu will certainly hold some appeal to those of you who have young children; it would be a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with them. However, for everyone else, the game just doesn't do enough to keep you hooked, and even a pretty smile and a lovely tune cannot avert your attention away from that fact.

This feels like an educational game because the main theme is all about saving nature. You play as two clouds that have to clean up the polluted Okabu-world. The art design is quite attractive, but the puzzles that you need to solve are too simple to be interesting. [December 2011, p.101]

The delightful mood means you could never hate this pretty little slice of whimsy. [Christmas 2011, p.104]

Its charming world and creatures will keep most kids entertained, and playing with them as you explore the world can be rewarding. With most puzzles able to be solved in a few minutes' time, Okabu can be repetitive and slightly dull, but if you can get past the slow start there is an enjoyable game to be found here.

It's innovative and fun, yet never feels preachy despite the underlying message it's attempting to convey. Gameplay defects do spoil the party somewhat, especially when playing on your own, but parents seeking a good wholesome game on the PlayStation Network for their children can't go far wrong with this.

There's a good foundation here and some simple fun to be had if you're willing to put up with the bugs and methodical pace.

The fact that Okabu is the work of just five people is remarkable: this is an ambitious undertaking for such a small team, but there's no denying that on occasion here it feels that Hand Circus has bitten off more than it can chew.

Okabu would be a much better game if it only had the confidence to display itself proudly to the player. Until it gains some courage, we are left with a hampered game that never quite play as good as it looks.

When it's not being repetitive, it's full of fun and you could potentially carry the team if your co-op player doesn't have the digitary dexterity needed to complete some of the more hectic tasks.

Okabu's beautiful art and amazing music can't save it from mediocrity. If the level design were more creative, the puzzles or tasks a bit less obvious, and the co-op different from the campaign it might have been something truly special. Sadly, though, Okabu is beautiful but totally superficial.

If you really feel like inflicting some permanent damage on an unsuspecting 5 year old then by all means pick this title up. Otherwise, just put in LittleBigPlanet and be considered the cool adult in the room.

Good graphics, evocative art direction and a funny soundtrack aren't enough: Okabu mechanics are weak, very repetitive and most of all too easy. If you are looking for a challenging puzzle-game, you should definitely look into another direction.

A game with a message doesn't have to be boring, but this one doesn't work very hard to break free from the stereotype. Okabu is just a little too generic to be worth your time, which is a shame, considering I would have liked to play a fun game about saving the planet.

It's too easy and basic for adults and likely too mellow for children drawn in by its bubbly aesthetic. It's a shame, because Okabu's is a quietly charismatic world, one destined to be overlooked thanks to its grind of an opener and failure to match its visual vigour with mechanics that haven't been used better elsewhere.

I can't really recommend Okabu to anyone who plays a lot of games or who fancies a real brain-teaser, but those wanting to introduce a younger non-gamer to your favourite pastime may have a way of doing so.

Okabu slaps kid gloves on each level, rarely empowering the player to explore or deduce. The concept is admirable; the execution disappoints.

The theme, the design and the gameplay of Okabu make a good first impression for a game targeted at younger audiences, sadly, it quickly collapses because of an excessive repetitiveness, perfectible ergonomics, and some bugs and lack of challenge. Too bad!

Okabu's first impression is dazzling because it gets the audio and visual design absolutely right, but it has neither the depth nor imagination to sustain this. And when the simple act of playing isn't fun, you're just going through the motions.

Overall, Okabu just doesn't feel like a finished game.