Okami

Developer: Clover Studio
Platform: Playstation2
MSRP: priceless

The Chef-d'oeuvre

It's amazing, as Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo drag us kicking and screaming into the next generation of video game consoles, the Playstation 2 still manages to provide a home from some of the most artistic and innovative games released today.
Okami is the penultimate title released by independent developers Clover Studio. Their premier franchise was the Viewtiful Joe series, and their final title is the mediocre Godhand. They've recently closed their doors, no doubt due to financial issues; Okami is another game that just refuses to pander to the mainstream, and therefore has not sold well enough. Damn shame, if you ask me.

The first thing that strikes anyone when they begin playing Okami is the visual style. It makes unique use of cel-shading to create the look of a Japanese ink painting come to life. For some, it may take some time to adjust to the visual style, but it does lend itself to some truly picturesque scenes.
The game itself can most easily be compared to the modern Legend of Zelda series. It's a massive game, spanning well over 40 hours. It combines many different gameplay styles and elements, from sidequests to minigames, platforming sequences, stat-building, action adventure exploration, and the unique paintbrush mechanic. All of these different elements are executed beautifully and make this one of the finest games I've played in the past 5 years.
Your role in the game is that of a white wolf who embodies the spirit of the Shinto Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. An ancient evil is unearthed in the onset of the game, which resurrects Amaterasu (or for the sake of brevity, Ammy) after 100 years of slumber to combat said evil. Ammy and her annoying, diminutive, yet strangely entertaining partner, Issun travel across a mythological ancient Japan/Nippon in an effort to set things right. As a god, you quickly learn about the gameplay element that makes Okami so very unique: the Celestial Brush.
The Celestial Brush is a core component to the gameplay. By holding down a shoulder button on the controller, the game world becomes a flat ink painting on a scroll, and a ink brush hovers over the parchment. You may use the brush to draw on the landscape and effect the world or enemies depending on which brush technique you draw. I was concerned, at first, that this would be a simple gimmick, but it is used heavily and effectively throughout the entire game. Every boss fight, every dungeon, every city. The Celestial Brush is to Ammy, as all secondary items such as the boomerang and hookshot are to Link: crucial for progress. I was very pleased by how well it was employed throughout the game.
The only downside to the game that I found was the lack of voiceacting. Normally, I wouldn't consider this a problem, but unfortunately, all speaking is dubbed over with repeating gibberish while text appears below. I feel it ruins some of the atmosphere in the game, and covering up the amazing musical score to the game with this noise is almost criminal. Fortunately, I did learn to overlook it after the first few hours.
In closing, I must restate that this is one of the best games I've played in the past few years. I would recommend renting it first, since the first 4 or 5 hours are somewhat of a deal breaker for the game. Otherwise, this is a definite purchase. Great story, amazing variety in the gameplay, and a unique vision. Well worth the price of admission.

Personal Score after 1hr: 7/10
Personal Score after 40hrs: 9.5/10