Guessed by @Mnementh and @Darashiva
For the second year running, Ōkami finds itself at #2 on my list, but if I get asked what's my favorite game, there's a decent chance I'll name this one. I certainly still think of it as that, regardless of which spot it takes here.
It's hard to describe in words just why I feel this strongly about it. The moment you boot the game up and see the first seconds of the intro, you already feel like you're living a legend. There's so much ancient culture and folklore infused into it, and a distinct visual style that feels pulled straight out of classic Japanese art. The story is so grand, but it's entirely told through silly moments and light-hearted characters, a counterbalance that would be right at home in any traditional fairytale. And even in gameplay, the beautiful way Amaterasu runs through the open fields, creating flowers and life behind her, and using a pencil to draw on the world around you, everything makes it feel like you're living a work of art made centuries ago.
And within that beauty that permeates every second of this experience, there is a lot of heart. The way the writers juggle your emotions is almost a little scary, capable of drawing tears of laughter, happiness or sadness, or many of those combined, pretty much any time - and usually at very unexpected times. You might be having the silliest conversation with some dumb-looking character that is clearly irrelevant to the overarching story and lore, but then they'll drop the most real line of dialogue you've ever seen and it's gonna stick in your head forever. And through a bunch of ridiculous tiny moments that are inexplicably memorable, the game builds up to an inevitably incredible ending, because you've been made to care for every single character you came across on your journey.
So because Ōkami's made me cry, like a lot, and the protagonist who is incredibly positive all the time is also the sun goddess, it's become normal for me to get emotional whenever I open the window in the morning. Life would definitely suck without a sun. So, thanks for being there for us, Ammy.
