Rainy Day's Books, Video Games and Other Writings

Released in 2006 by Capcom on the PlayStation 2, Okami is an action-adventure video game. It was later released in 2008 on the Wii and has also been released on the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network, according to the Okami game website.

Okami centers around a wolf sun god named Amaterasu. One hundred years ago, Amaterasu defeated a legendary monster named Orochi. Orochi was responsible for plaguing Kamiki Village with a curse. Using the power of the thirteen Celestial Brushes, Amaterasu was able to defeat Orochi, but at the cost of her own life. The beginning of Okami takes place in the present, where Amaterasu runs into a fairy sprite named Issun and discovers that Orochi is still at large. Together, Amaterasu and Issun go on an adventure to collect the thirteen Celestial Brush powers and defeat Orochi.

I first started playing Okami in May when my boyfriend Zach gave it to me as a college graduation present. But I stopped playing because I was struggling to defeat Ninetails. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to pick it back up again. I had heard about Okami via word of mouth and Tumblr and was immediately interested in playing it.

When I started playing Okami, I fell in love. I found the graphics of the game itself to be absolutely stunning and had a hard time putting my controller down. I spent many hours playing because I found the storyline in the game to be completely immersing and couldn’t get enough of playing as Amaterasu.

I love this game not only because of the graphics and plot, but also because of the characters. I particularly enjoy Amaterasu’s interactions with Issun because both of them can be really comical with each other. I also love Waka’s character because he gives off the vibe of being a mysterious prophet and the player doesn’t really know why he keeps showing up everywhere Amaterasu and Issun go. Fighting is also enjoyable in Okami too. I love being able to have a variety of weapons to use as the game progresses and that you can use the Celestial Brush techniques to help take damage on enemies. I also enjoy playing Okami because the Celestial Brushes have more than one use. While each brush technique is unique, the game allows you to use each of the brushes to help you progress, making them extremely helpful to the player.

However, while there are a lot of things I love about Okami, there are also a few things about the game that I don’t enjoy. I’m not a fan of games that sexualize or have any form of misogyny. In Okami, one of the things I noticed was Issun acted misogynistic towards some of the female characters in the game, such as Sakuya. I also didn’t enjoy that with some of the female character’s, you could clearly see parts of their body that should’ve been covered.

While the way Issun acted towards these women was very small and insignificant in comparison to the way some men sexualize women, it was something I noticed and picked up on. Another issue I have with this game is the layout of the map because it is really small and can sometimes be very difficult to see where you are supposed to be going.

Another issue with Okami I have is the moments where the game leaves you hanging and you have to figure out what you’re supposed to do next. The journal is supposed to help, but I find that these hints the journal leaves the player can sometimes be more confusing than helpful. Whenever I get stuck, I end up looking at walkthroughs instead because they are more helpful. This is an issue for me because while I don’t mind playing games that are challenging and that make me think, I don’t enjoy having to constantly look up information to progress when I’d rather be playing.

Some of the mini games in Okami I also find I don’t enjoy. One of these mini games is the digging mini game. I don’t like this mini game in particular because it is really a pain to complete and I find myself having to do it multiple times before I am able to finish it. Along with fishing, it is one of the mini games the player has to do multiple times in order to progress further into the game.

However, despite these issues I have, I really love playing Okami. It is a game I fell immediately in love with and one I can see myself playing over and over again in the years to come. Okami is a game that holds a special place in my heart and I recommend it to anyone interested in playing it.