A game like no other, the most unique experience in gaming

I first played this game upon release in 2006 on the PlayStation 2. The appeal of playing as a wolf drew me in but the story, visuals and gameplay is what truly enraptured me. Since then, I’ve played this game once every couple of years simply out of pure love of the experience. Okami is a game with an incredible artistic vision, set in a rich world of traditional Japanese mythology with mechanics you won’t find any other game. The core gameplay revolves around painting, using the analogue sticks to paint your powers into existence. The style of the game reflects this as well, with the world designed as if you and everyone in it were painted with traditional Japanese calligraphy. The music is amazing too! You play as a goddess in the form of a wolf with the power of the celestial brush, an all powerful tool for you to interact with the world. You travel the land to rid it of an ancient evil and collect the various powers you have lost in your long slumber. Never before or since has there been a game so perfectly designed with this core mechanic in mind and I doubt there will be another one like it for a long time(besides the sequel they recently announced!). The game truly pushes the PlayStation 2 to the limits of what it was capable of, and it even holds up today if you play the original. The stylistic choice, fluid animations and pseudo open world design makes the experience feel extraordinarily large. I remember feeling a freedom I’d never experienced before when I first played it in 2006. Since then, they have released in on Wii and switch. I wouldn’t recommend the Wii version, as the controls were designed for analogue sticks, so if you are going to play it on modern hardware, the switch is the way to go. If you’re looking for a unique game, play this one. This game has a huge world with plenty of side quests and a myriad of opportunities to use the brush abilities! One of my all time favorite games.