Okami may be the world's first "interactive painting."
As far as gameplay goes, Okami is very similar to the Zelda games and has you platforming and collecting different items and weapons (though not as much as an RPG). One feature of gameplay sets Okami apart from Zelda and most other games, however: brush techniques. Pressing R1 converts the entire screen into a canvas you can paint on by holding down X and moving the control stick. Throughout the game, you will learn different shapes you can paint to achieve various effects in the world. For example, one technique lets you draw a line from fire to another object to set it aflame. The system works well and you soon get the hang of it, though it can be frustrating when you don't draw them just right and the game doesn't recognize what you were trying to do.
This 50 hour long adventure is pretty linear, and when you reach its end there's really no reason to play it again. Unless, perhaps, you're a purist who wants to complete every sidequest and collect every item in the game. The difficulty level is a nice, steady gradation from easy to hard. However, the game designers' idea of "hard" is more like "tedious," because by the end of the game, your attacks do so little damage on the bosses that battles seem to take an eternity. They test your patience rather than any game-playing skill. It took two agonizing hours to beat the final boss at the end, whom you have to kill five times (in different ways each time) before it finally succumbs to defeat!
The graphics department is where this game truly shines, however; Okami's colorful cell-shaded style makes the whole game look like a painting come to life. The vibrant colors of the detailed landscapes and characters you come across are a joy to see in motion, and will take your breath away. I noticed a few times when the framerate would slow down, but for the most part it's a smooth ride. If for nothing else, play this game just to witness its beauty!
The music and sound effects, while nothing particularly outstanding, are fairly good and draw the player in appropriately. The background music has a distinct Japanese flavor and thus fits the mood and feel of the game well. Instead of voice acting, a bunch of short sounds are pieced together in a random order to mimic a voice babbling in an indiscernible language. While certainly unique, and interesting at first, some players may tire of it and get annoyed by the end of the game.
All told, several things make Okami fall just slightly short of a truly stellar game. Still, its unique graphical style and an original gameplay element make it worth a rental at the very least, and some people may find just the adventure they were looking for.