Okami was written in April 2006 by Hideki Kamiya. When the demon serpent Orochi is released and darkness threatens the land of Nippon, the great Sun Goddess Amaterasu in the form of the white wolf Shiranui is called upon, who the player controls as she endeavors to restore light and life to Nippon. Okami is another game on this list that got massive critical acclaim but simply didn't very well sadly. Most of the people who have actually played it seem to agree though it's an amazing piece and a shining example of story and style in game form. I would have thought this would be because Okami's foreign sales wouldn't be very high given it's extreme focus on Japanese culture, but surprisingly that doesn't seem to be the case with it's foreign sales actually being pretty normal compared to it's domestic sales.
3 Reasons I love it:
1: A lot of games, and almost all in this genre of narrative action game, have the player play what is essentially a destroyer. They kill and slash and blast whatever evil enemy is in front of them until they reach final boss they kill. Amaterasu however is not a warrior goddess, she is "the origin of all that is good, and a mother to us all". More then destruction, Amaterasu brings with her creation and life. Where she steps flowers blossom, nature is restored and the shining Sun is restored in the sky. Amaterasu's power has waned over the years due to people's lack of belief. Much of the game is Amaterasu simply helping the people of Nippon with their lives, restoring their faith. Wherever you go as the player, the world becomes brighter and more alive. It's a very pleasent and at times downright wonderful feelings to see how you restore the world to life.
2: Okami is a series that does a really good job of balancing elegance and gravity. Very often the gravity of a series can make things clunky and unsophisticated. A character saying they're going to end the planet immediatly has a sense of urgency but lacks much subtlety. Okami does an amazing job at integrating the two, in part due to it's association with Shinto and Japanese folklore. Everything in the game is extremely stylized, down to the art style being inspired by Sumi-e, a form of traditional brushwork meant to capture the spirit and essence of the thing, and the primary defining mechanic of the game being usage of the celestial brush to paint things into being. This gives everything in the game a dignity, the dignity that comes from tradition and history. There is a tangible sense of the legacy in everything in Okami.
3: The worldbuilding in Okami is just so beautiful. Okami was originally a game made to make one appreciate nature and the beauty of the world. The art of the game is lovely, aided by it's Sumi-e art style, and the world is a lively world of interesting characters and scenery. This is a game where it's honestly sometimes as fun or more fun to feed the little animals as it is to fight demons.
3 Flaws:
1: If you are one of the people that don't like unskippable cutscenes, that want games to put you right into the action, that thinks games should be about gameplay first and deviate only when needed you might absolutely despise this game. Okami is full of long uninterrupted text sections to give the massive lore of the world and communicate the personalities of the characters. At some points it feels a lot more like watching an anime that requires you to pick a scene to go to next then it does playing a game. This is particularly annoying because very often the information is not even needed. EVERY time you pick up something the game explains to you what something is and Issun will sometimes just blatantly tell you what you're supposed to do, ruining the potential mystery of discovery.
2: Okami is actually really easy. I have really terrible reflexes and fairly poor hand-eye coordination and I had no problem beating the game. I mean, points for lore you are the great Sun Goddess Amaterasu and all but this is one of those times people probably would want the lore to not be so directly reflected in the gameplay.
3: This might be a more minor point, but it bothers me because it's something I don't know why it's the case. The final boss of Okami comes out of nowhere with no build up. I don't know why Yami isn't at least foreshadowed at any prior point. I don't know if there was a purpose to the sudden surprise final boss, but for me it least it just seemed sudden and while it led to my favorite part of the game, I still kinda wish I knew what Yami's deal was.
My Favorite Part:
Favorite part is again not super original but it's the climax of the game. Amaterasu's powers have been destroyed by Yami and the heavens seem to be doomed to darkness. However Issun through his art spreads the word of the great Amaterasu, which on a meta level is what you are experiencing that moment, and everyone that you've helped across Nippon sends prayers to Amaterasu, refilling her power and making her stronger then ever with the Sun shining through the darkness.
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