Teen Scribes...
The Power of the Brush
By: Naiesha Thobe, Teen Scribe  
October  25, 2011 

Recently, I had the pleasure of ‘getting my paws’ on the Wii video game, Ōkami. I’m punning on that statement, because Ōkami Amaterasu is a wolf. 

The story behind Ōkami... Long ago, a protective god named Shiranui managed to seal away a demon that was threatening the land of Nippon. Now, 100 years later, that seal has been broken. A lone white wolf, Ōkami Amaterasu, who is a sun god, is called forth to save the land from the once again impending doom. 

Amaterasu travels throughout the cursed land of Nippon, restoring the land to its former beauty. The trick to restoration is through a series of Celestial Powers that Amaterasu can learn and perform with the Celestial Brush. The Brush, accordingly, is the Wiimote, and the Powers are gesture-based drawings. Players are expected to learn the Powers and draw them accordingly to whatever task is set. 

The different settings throughout the game were designed using a technique similar to sumi-e, or ink and wash painting, which gives the game a very ‘watercolorish’ type of feel. The effects are not only eye-pleasing, but rather stunning as well. 

Personally, I think the game deserves ‘two paws up’. The story, which is, let’s face it, a little cliché, has its own twists and turns that leaves players both happy and sad, distressed and angry. There is a multitude of humor, which every distressing story needs. You have an antagonist, the hero, the faithful sidekick. The visuals are great and the audio is wonderful. All in all, there is nothing particularly annoying about Ōkami except how tedious some levels can be.