Introduction
Okage: Shadow King is a criminally obscure RPG released for the PS2 in 2001, developed by Zener Works -- who have since fallen off the face of the Earth -- and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.
We'll be playing the role of Ari, an quiet boy from the remote village of Tenel. In a bizarre twist of fate, Ari's shadow is possessed by the Great Evil King Lord Stanley Hihat Trinidad XIV (better known as Stan), and the boy is made to serve the Evil King on a journey to regain his lost power and conquer the world.
Okage was one of the first games I played on the PS2, and is still to this day one of my favorites. The game plays like your stanard RPG, with turn-based battles and dungeon exploration. While fun, the gameplay really isn't anything special. Okage's strong point is it's writing; the plot is light-hearted and doesn't take itself too seriously, and the characters and dialogue are quirky and fun. Okage: Shadow King is a breath of fresh air in a genre plagued with melodrama and generic characters.
This LP will be covering the entire game, including the sidequests. Okage is very short for an RPG and is easily beaten in under 20 hours if you skip the sidequests (of which there are few) and head straight for the end, so it shouldn't take us too long to beat it. As I said, the writing is the game's strong point, so I'll be showing off a lot of NPC dialog, but I'll skip some of the less interesting ones for the sake of time. I'll also be providing links to songs from the OST where appropriate, so you can listen along while you read.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Boy Meets the King
- Part 1: You're the type that blends into someone else's shadow
- Part 2: I ontday antway otay ebay a omiccay eliefray irlgay!
- Part 3: Cry, pee your pants!!
- Part 4: Yes, I'm quite pathetic.
Chapter 2: Enter the Pink Hero and Her Parasol
- Part 5: You are a boy, you should not be such a sissy.
- Part 6: You're a hero, you should know better.
- Part 7: Hmmm, you have to think hard!
- Part 8: I'll smash you, slam you and blow my nose on you!
Chapter 3: As Her Majesty Commands
- Part 9: The password is Gear Love!
- Part 10: Atta girl, fat legs!
- Part 11: Woo the Princess, win the world!
- Part 12: I mean she was lying there like she was asking me to catch her.
- Part 13: I have a talking shadow. Is that bad?
- Part 14: I'll gobble you whole, little missy!
Chapter 4: Strange Days and Stranger Company
- Part 15: I'll slap your forehead 15 times!
- Part 16: Dirty, romantic AND royal!
- Part 17: My waistline is demure but enticing!
- Part 18: What gooey muck is this, toad?!
- Part 19: Indeed, you are strong, brother!
- Part 20: Oh, Linda, you're so hot!
- Part 21: Linda is sad but easily distracted.
- Part 22: This is what they call a hysterical fit, isn't it?
- Part 23: A linguistic sense as precious as true love or really good lasagne
Chapter 5: Lost Souls and Shadows
- Part 24: Who is Ari?
- Part 25: We can still go back if we try hard enough.
- Part 26: Why is it thy "classification" dost thou deny?
- Part 27: You are not an Evil King by any means!
- Part 28: What an unreliable servant you are.
- Part 29: I hope it breaks! That tiny world of yours!
- Part 30: That rhyming is infuriating!!
Chapter 6: Night in the Highlands
Final Chapter: The Boy and the King Enter the Library
- Part 33: Our fate is in your hands.
- Part 34: In the name of the Great Evil King!
- Part 35: I act in the way I want to. There is nothing you can do about it!
- Part 36: Abusing my slave brings amusement few other activities can match.
The Characters
The following contains party member spoilers!
Ari
<Age> 16 <Occupation> Ordinary Boy
Quiet boy with an overshadowed destiny. Father is the assistant manager of the Tenel Village Hall. Mother is a housewife. Seems to be without note but...
Lord Stanley Hihat Trinidad XIV
<Age> Unknown <Occupation> Evil King
The reincarnation of the Great Evil King Gohma, Stan is currently weak and residing in Ari's shadow. If Ari can defeat the Fake Evil Kings, maybe Stan's true power will be restored?
Rosalyn
<Age> 22 <Occupation> Hero
Master of the rapier, reluctant devotee of the parasol. Used to be an elite hero but since she met Stan, she puts up with insults while being a comic-relief hero.
Professor Gutten Kisling
<Age> 45 <Occupation> Ghost Expert
An eclectic, dedicated scholar of spooks. Stalks pretty girls under the guise of doing field work. Loves clipping toenails for fun.
Big Bull
<Age> Can't remember <Occupation> Furious Fighter
Former Big Bull Evil King. A nice guy who loves blood, sweat and battle. Dreams of establishing a school for muscle men and creating a muscle paradise.
Linda
<Age> Top Secret! <Occupation> Teen Idol Singer
Former Teen Idol Evil King with a cute smile. Admires Evil King Stan calling him Coach. Possesses a musical, magical, pop heaven voice.
Epros
<Age> Unknown <Occupation> Mysterious Wizard
Former Phantom Evil King. Mysterious roaming interloper and snappy dresser. Obsessed with the search for magical power and discovering the truth of the world.
Princess Marlene
<Age> Young <Occupation> Princess
Her Highness, the Princess. Marlene has claimed Ari as her servant and forced herself into the group as a non-combatant. Her goal is to subjugate the Evil Kings, believing it is her duty as a Princess.