1. Okami
Developer: Clover Studio Clover Studio was not just one of Capcom's most talented studios during the early and mid 2000's. The studio consisted of some finest developers in all of Japan. Prior to Clover's official formation, members of the studio had originally solidified their reputation for combining incredibly fun gameplay and unabashed creativity with the two under-appreciated, yet excellent, Viewtful Joe games for Nintendo's GameCube and the PlayStation 2. When Clover Studio formed, the team was joined by legendary Japanese luminaries Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry) and Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil 4), each of whom took control of a PlayStation 2 project for Clover. Mikami went on to direct the excellent God Hand, and Kamiya became the lead designer of one of the console's absolute crown jewels, Okami. Okami is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful video games ever created. The art style, heavily drawn from Japanese folklore, looked like a watercolor painting come to life. Objects in the game swirled and flowed as if they were actually being painted on a canvas as you moved through the game. The colors popped off the screen, and the game's majestic score complimented the sublime visuals perfectly. In a game where you play as a god in wolf form, Okami is a textbook example of video game art direction in perfect harmony with its subject matter. In area after area, you will be surprised and stunned by the things you see. When you hear CEO's of modern game companies argue that photorealism is a necessity to create the most immersive video game experiences possible, visions in your mind of games like Okami quickly cause you to disregard any of these so called "truths". Okami delivered on the gameplay front as well. Yes, Okami is hugely inspired by the 3D Legend of Zelda games, and it really doesn't try to hide it. You traverse a series of open areas in search of "dungeon"-type sub-environments. You engage in combat with dark enemies roaming the landscape. And you even have an occasionally-annoying small companion who accompanies you on your journey, giving you hints and constantly reminding you of your purpose of saving the world from darkness. But Okami is unique enough in it's mechanics where it truly feels one of a kind. The Celestial Brush, a divine paint brush that lets you actually paint objects into the world, was a stroke of genius. You used the brush to restore life to a land that was dying by restoring sacred trees and bringing light to a dark world. Seeing classical Japan slowly come to vivid, effervescent life again is as satisfying as video games get. Not only did the Celestial Brush work in the overworld, but also in the intense combat scenarios, where you could use it to paint an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons such as bombs and slicing blades directly into battle. Okami was a rousing, masterful achievement, but like God Hand, it didn't sell enough to meet Capcom's criteria, which eventually led to the dissolution of Clover Studios. However, this crop of talent didn't go anywhere. Most of them went on to form the independent studio Platinum Games, which has continued Clover's tradition of excellence and has delivered some of the most creative, well-crafted, and exciting action games to be seen on the PS3 and Xbox 360. As for Okami, its popularity with gamers has endured. It was one of the first games to be ported to the Nintendo's Wii, where it effectively implemented the Wii's motion controls to control the Celestial Brush. But the ideal way to play Okami today is with the recently released version on the Playstation Network, where the game's beautiful graphics have been remastered in high definition. You'll quickly see that Okami remains one of the most beautiful video games available, and it probably always will be. The next time you are having that transcendent experience that only a great video game can deliver, be sure to take a moment to think about the brilliant and hard-working talents that were behind the creation of your game. It is through their genius and dedication that we are able to enjoy this incredible hobby of ours, and their efforts should always be acknowledged and appreciated. Happy gaming!!