Zener Works set Okage: Shadow King apart from the ranks of JRPGs by featuring bug-eyed, lanky characters and a goofy premise, where the protagonist must join forces with an evil spirit that nobody takes seriously. As the casual tone of its dialogue choices also prove, this work belongs to a long line of clownish and lighthearted JRPGs that mock the genre's love for bombast, 'cool' stereotypes and predictable story beats. Other fields of writing were even more emblematic, turning - for example, what would normally be anonymous villager chatter into odd remarks and funny tangents, in a tradition that stretches from Working Designs-ified Lunar to EarthBound, from Grandia to Marl's Kingdom. While no character particularly shines, their witty and sometimes cartoony approach pairs well with their equally crude early-PS2 look.
On the downside, combat is too slow and shallow to match that level of entertainment. Both the party members (whose archetypes borrow a thing or two from FFIV) and the strategy (attack command until it's dead, save resources for healing and crowd/boss fights) had more in common with the early 90s than 2001, while its battle start & victory scenes take forever to pass. These problems, along with a verbose and confusing second half, severely hurt a game that - for the most part, exhibits the humor and personality of the masters.
On the downside, combat is too slow and shallow to match that level of entertainment. Both the party members (whose archetypes borrow a thing or two from FFIV) and the strategy (attack command until it's dead, save resources for healing and crowd/boss fights) had more in common with the early 90s than 2001, while its battle start & victory scenes take forever to pass. These problems, along with a verbose and confusing second half, severely hurt a game that - for the most part, exhibits the humor and personality of the masters.