Ōkami (2006)

This title is a stunning remaster of one of the most artistically distinctive games ever made. Its visual style, inspired by traditional Japanese ink painting, looks even more breathtaking in high definition, with vibrant colors and fluid brushstroke effects that bring the mythic world to life. The game’s presentation feels timeless, and the remaster does an excellent job preserving the charm and spirit of the original PlayStation 2 release while enhancing clarity and detail.

The story follows Amaterasu, the sun goddess reincarnated as a white wolf, on a journey to restore life and beauty to a world consumed by darkness. This mythological adventure blends action, exploration, and puzzle-solving with a creative mechanic, the Celestial Brush, that lets players draw symbols directly on the screen to affect the environment and combat. This was the very first game that I played on the Steam Deck, and it is one of the best ways to experience this title since you can use it's touch controls to draw the brush strokes.

It’s a uniquely tactile system that still feels fresh and imaginative years later, offering a sense of creativity rare in most action-adventure games. Some dare to say this rivals the sense of adventure of titles such as The Legend of Zelda, and this says a lot about this game's level of quality. It's atmosphere is its greatest strength, the lush landscapes, serene villages, and haunting temples are accompanied by a soothing traditional Japanese soundtrack that perfectly complements the visual art.

The tone shifts gracefully between moments of humor, wonder, and melancholy, making the experience deeply emotional and memorable. While some camera angles and pacing issues occasionally show the game’s age, they hardly diminish its beauty or impact. Overall, this game is a masterpiece that has aged gracefully, offering one of the most visually and emotionally captivating adventures ever made. Its blend of artistic design, inventive mechanics, and mythic storytelling make it a must-play for anyone who values games as works of art.

Sempre ouvi falar mas nunca havia jogado de fato. É um jogo de aventura e exploração ao melhor estilo Spyro com a mecânica distinta de desenhar sobre a tela. Para um jogo de 2006, ainda é uma experiência consistente. Gostei bastante e tenho vontade de continuar jogando.

Dos problemas: -O jogo abriu em modo janela, cortando a imersão. -Não tem tradução para Português. -Baixo frame rate que não condiz com o selecionado nas configurações -No inicio da gameplay e em alguns mapas, há um ícone de uma câmera na tela mas que o jogador não faz ideia do que seja. -A opção de pular diálogos repetidos não é informada ao jogador pela UI

EDIT 2024, Switch-version.

Boy, what an adventure. I remember it being so much longer but I realize now replaying it that the pacing is so slow that a 30-game feels like a 100h game. In my case, bite-size sessions of nostalgia weren't a problem, I loved reliving the moments, the music, and the environments. Back then it was such a wonderful and special experience, and maybe today coming in fresh will feel too slow, unpolished and disengaging to see it all the way through. But just know that this game has a very very special place in my heart, and I will treasure this game and this experience for as long as I live.

This is basically a Zelda-like... from the era between Ocarina of time until whatever the game before Breath of The Wild was called...

And i am one of the few people in the world who acctually hate those games! Running around solving puzzles by pushing blocks here and there, trying to find upgrades and new ways to use whatever items you already have is for some reason just no fun to me.

And to top it all off, you are constantly accompanied by some really annoying character who talks your ears off.

In this game you are obviously not the green-clad hero of time, or seasons or... storms or whatever you are in Zelda, you are instead Amaterasu, the god of nature, in the shape of a wolf. The wolf is cool and all, but she is accompanied by some little sprite creature called Issun who does all the talking for her, and for some reason Issun just have to be super-annoying to everyone you meet, be super-horny whenever you meet a woman, and keeps calling the wolf "Ammy"... I also cal the wolf "Ammy", but i like myself, and the wolf, and i hate Issun, so i wish there was an option to tell him he is not my friend, and that he should not be using nicknames with me :P Even better if i could just leave him by the wayside and keep adventuring on my own.

Combat is simple and repetative and not all that fun... Whenever you touch an enemy, which are represented by floating pieces of cloth for some reason, you are transported to a small, closed off battlefield and the enemies reveal themself. You cannot get out of this field without killing the enemies or doing some sort of escapemotion which i never did. It is like "random encounters" from old-school JRPGs, except it plays out like an action game. Again repetitive, and you gotta fight the same monsteres over and over.

The USP for this game is that you can summon a "celestial brush" at almost any time at all and draw a magic symbol on the world. Whis magic symbols get unlocked progressively as you play the game and can do all manner of different things like cutting an enemy or an object, summon strong winds, make day turn to night or vice versa... The problem is that the brush seems like something the developers were super proud of and thought was uniqe and special, while i just feel thuis is a glorified submenu for magic... Sp not even this was very interesting, sadly.

I am sure a Zelda-fan would love this game, but i do not.

I will say, I walked in to this thinking, "How good could it really be?" The answer is: really that good! This game is amazing, straight up. So many elements come together to create a wonderful experience it really is just a full package.

The fluidity of its story and art style create a true sense of mythic, almost fabulist storytelling. The combat is interesting, engaging, and parsed out in easily digestible packages. This in turn stops the more technical sides of the gameplay (a constant for Kamiya, I'm realizing) from detracting too much from the real delight that is helping the people of Nippon and simply exploring as Amaterasu.

I will say... shut the fuccck up, Issun. Also, the ending is somewhat of a delayed fuck and fizzle. No I will not elaborate. Regardless, an incredible exploration of a high fantastical, absolutely magical ancient Japan. Hmu for the even more hazy yet passionate download when I'm even more stoned.

Inspired by Japanese myths and folklore, Ōkami quite literally became an art form by modelling its nature-based visuals on sumi-e watercolours – making for gameplay that resembles an animated Hokusai painting. Mythological deities and demons are reimagined as a vibrant cast of allies and foes, and the award-winning musical score is influenced by traditional Japanese works.

The game doesn’t just confine its aesthetic elements to its vivid, sweeping landscapes and colourful characters, either; the player is able to actively participate in the game’s artwork with the use of 'brushstrokes' in combat, puzzle-solving and during the course of a typical day’s divine nature restoration.

Ōkami’s distinct visuals set it apart from other titles of its own and later generations and still hold up admirably today (though they have since received a glorious HD update). And, while this title suffered unjustly from poor sales, it received widespread critical acclaim and maintains an artistic legacy that can be glimpsed in more recent titles including Prince of Persia, Street Fighter IV and Bayonetta.

I've chosen this as an example of a game I feel has elevated the medium to an art form. Please check out my blog, Inky Squiggles, to see the others!

I really wish this was a better game, because it has so much darn potential on the graphics alone. The concept is awesome, the world is beautiful, but the gameplay is pretty freaking bad. To be brief, I'll just focus on my two main complaints: the battle system is boring and the game is too easy.

I don't even know why they put puzzles in the game, because between the camera and your little inch-tall pervert of a helper, they give you the solutions pretty plainly. It was a slap in the face to figure out a puzzle right when you see it, then have the game literally tell you exactly what to do as you approach it.

Then there's the battles. They're not bad per se, but I didn't like how you had to get magically warped into this little battle ring and take yourself out of your adventure in order to fight anything. And there really aren't that many different types of enemies. Sure, you encounter more as the game goes on, but, especially at the beginning, you're just fighting dozens of the same thing.

I got about a quarter-way through before realizing I wasn't having any fun.