Ōkami is an Action-Adventure game developed by Clover Studios and released in 2006. Published by Capcom and released on the Playstation 2 (later ported to the Wii) and now getting a HD re-release, it has gained a cult following that persists to this day, it is regarded as the PS2's greatest game. The game is set in japanese mythology and this is represented in its unique art style.
The artstyle featured in Ōkami is named "Ukiyo-e", it originated in japan during the 17 to 19th century, it is composed of deep, dark ink contrasting with light and cheery colours, when the creators and developers behind Ōkami were studying different art styles for the game they described it as a "Culture Shock", they stated "Never really studying the many unique aspects of traditional japanese art." This sudden realisation was the reason they decided on using the "Ukiyo-e" art style, they wanted to express the same feeling they got through their game and onto players.
If there's one thing to complain about it's the cutscenes, rather than letting the player explore the world on their own, marveling at its beauty in their own time, the developers force unneeded scenes, almost advertising the world to the players, not only do they show up way too much but they tend to drag out, some scenes tend to be described as filler content that had no reason for creation, the developers are obviously trying to give off that cinematic feeling but it doesn't work, instead making the player out of the work for the nth obligatory cutscene.
While the game had beautiful mise en scène, with its lovely music and brilliant composition, some players argued about how much time was spent pushing it in the face of the players. The developers obviously wanted to make the art style an integral part of the game, so much so that "drawing" symbols on the screen to form attacks and interactions is one of the main ways the player can control the game, it's a shame that these segments control so poorly however. Many players voiced their concern of this clunky mechanic, describing it as "really annoying and almost made me ragequit at one point". Its obvious for the amount of credit this game receives online it still has its problems.
Minor issues aside, this game is full of personality and love- there's a reason so many people consider it a must play for any gamer, when you get past some of the issues you will discover a masterful creation, the gameplay and world of the game are full to the brim with entertaining activities, from quests, battles and huge locales. The combat system is not only engaging but also unique, encouraging the player to use drawing to aid their battles, the hard work and dedication put into this game shines through these mechanics and confirms all the positive reviews the game receives.
Sources:
Okami-
http://www.mtv.com/news/1542741/gamefile-okami-goes-green-official-wii-word-idol-launch-and-more/
https://www.vg247.com/2017/09/12/okami-hd-will-indeed-be-released-on-pc-ps4-and-xbox-one-in-december/
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2006/08/11/the-weapons-of-okami
http://www.okami-game.com/gameinfo.php
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