Inaka's graphics are among the most beautiful ever seen in a PlayStation 2 game. Perhaps I just enjoy peaceful and pleasant environments, but the visuals of the game - especially the opening movie - are so breathtaking I almost wanted to cry. Sure, the entire game doesn't boast photo-realistic stuff like the waters in ICO or the seriously blinding sun in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but where the realism occurs is in the sky, like the sunsets. And for a game like this where everything is almost like a fantasy, I couldn't imagine all pure realistic graphics. The game screen features no bars or meters or clocks or anything; it's just like ICO , where you solely focus on the scenery and the environment. As said earlier, there are loading times, but this is really no problem because the loading time actually makes you anticipate what area comes up next.
Everything is in 3-D and there is so much detail and everything is so crisp and clear that I actually went up to my TV in awe. Since the entire town is based in Japan, the buildings are designed with traditional Japanese architecture, like slanted roofs with ceramic shingles, open markets, and dojo homes. Some of the buildings show signs of wear and age and when you look at them, you get the feeling that these buildings have been around for a while. The cobblestone walls and wood flooring are almost realistic, with cracks and fading on certain areas. The ground such as the sand on the beach or the dirt playground of the school look pretty realistic, especially at the school where there is a small softball field shown from an overhead angle. The trees and flowers in the town, like the popular island flower Hibiscus, are quite pretty and sway in the wind realistically, but it's when you are on the bike trail that it becomes absolutely gorgeous. The trail is littered with trees and grass of a lovely bright green color that never gets blinding. There are also other exotic flowers that are a nice yellow and deep pink colors which blend really well with the green. There is one particular field that I love because it's filled all with lilies; I just stopped and stared at it because it was just so gorgeous, with a wonderful delicate white hue.
The marvelous camerawork is another element that make of this game one of the best looking PlayStation 2 titles. Instead of following Tomoko from a close third-person or a first-person view, the camera shoots from various angles allowing you to see areas and behold all the breathtaking sights. Direction is as good as in other popular games that uses the same style, like Capcom's games or Square-Enix's Final Fantasy games (especially Final Fantasy X). I am amazed that the developers came up with the perfect angles in many different situations to showcase the graphics. Some examples:
In the playground in the school area, as you get closer to the softball field, the camera angles out to an aerial view where you can see the whole field. You can imagine a game going on because of this.
On the bike trail, there are faraway shots and angles so you can see the whole horizon like when the sun is setting or the ocean.
On the beach, there are great faraway horizon shots where you can see Tomoko walking. It's almost as if someone is hiding in the trees and recording Tomoko from a distance.
It's because of the camerawork that the game breathes and comes alive.
