Okami...
...is an amazing game. Amazingly addicting. I got it for Christmas this year (yeah yeah, I know, I'm late) and finish it on New Year's day. Less than two weeks. I've NEVER done that before. I mean, even when I gamed nonstop, I never managed to stick with one game long enough to actually finish it. My previous record was 2 months, which is REALLY fast for me already. I usually take upwards to a year to finish a single game (hush, I'm slow).
2 weeks.... jeez....
Well, now I know why it was so critically acclaimed. I ACTUALLY FOUGHT THE BATLLES FOR FUN! XDD Normally, for me, in any real time game, I avoid battles that I don't have to fight. I just can't get myself to bother with them. But I had so much fun gaping at the different weapons and figuring out the functions of each of them as a main and sub weapon that....really, I must have spent more time battling monsters than actually playing the storyline XD.
The art and music really are awe-worthy, as well. The image gallery you unlock after your beat the game.... man, it was like a brick to the head. The details of each character, weapon, landscape, demons, and just everything is mind boggling. I have the artbook and OST now, ordered off of Play-Asia with express shipping XDD I do think the word "obsession" fits me quite well at the moment.
But man, what a great game. I'm still in denial that it ever ended. Ugh, I'm hating the fact that Clover Studios closed down right now. I can't stand the idea of a sequel made by anyone but the people who created this awesome game... and I NEED A SEQUEL T_________T. There's only one complaint I have about the game, and it has nothing to do with game mechanics. IT'S PLOTHOLES, DAMMIT, PLOTHOLES. *sobs*
Okami had a wonderful storyline. It was filled with a mythlike feeling but at the same time a modern adventure. BUT IT GOT REALLY GOOD TOWARDS THE END. On the ark of Yamato, where all the backstory was revealed, I was like, "OH SH-", in a good way. But, but but! There's a lot of gaps and SO MUCH MORE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE T_T I get the feeling the details were left out just in case Clover wanted to make a sequel, but since that's no longer an option, all that I'm left with is this seriously ANNOYING, NAGGING, feeling of "this story needs a better ending!! >_<" There's a lack of a sense of closure, in a good way. I mean, it was implied all the way up to the very last line that a new adventure was awaiting Amterasu.... BUT STILL!!!
XD On the bright side, those pictures and artwork gallery have really lit a fire. I can finally feel motivated about finishing all those drawings sitting in the dark corner of my room. Won't my teacher be happy? XD *bricked* I've made a decision. I'm going to keep working on my designing and landscape skills until the day I can look at that artbook without cringing and feeling inferior. *thumbs up* ....which, might take a while. XD
Okami = <3. If you haven't played it, do so. I mean, I know at least half of America has a Wii by now (XD) so there's no more of the "I don't have the right console excuse". The PS2 version is better, in my opinion, due to miscellaneous sound and control issues, but if you have a Wii and no PS2, still get it. The Wii version is pretty much identical in terms of gameplay, story, music, and art, so there's no reason not to. You really are missing a phenomenal game if you don't. I seriously regret not getting it earlier now T_T