Okami - Video Games as Art

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Recommended: Effect of video games on those who play them

Over the past decade, there has been an ongoing debate over whether video games can be deemed as art. While most are in favor, there have been some detractors (most famously, the late Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times). Meanwhile, that hasn't stopped museums from taking on the challenge of making video game-focused exhibits - most notably, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC and the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY. During my summer holiday, I was able to see the Museum of the Moving Image's video games exhibit in action and came away very impressed at the selection of games that were there - ranging from arcade classics like Space Invaders to newer titles like Super Mario Galaxy 2. My point is that I believe video games to be an art form unlike any other - a truly interactive art form. For that reason, the game which I’ve chosen to analyze as a work of art is one that excels in many areas, including visual impact, conveyance of ideas to the player, and perhaps most importantly, proving the case for why video games should be recognized as art.

Ōkami is an action-adventure video game which was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and in 2008 for the Wii. Being a culmination of various aspects of Japanese folklore, the game stars Ōkami Amaterasu (the goddess of the sun) and is about her quest to save the land of Nippon (Japan) from the evils of Orochi, an evil presence that has brought chaos and darkness to the land. The game is well known for its striking visuals through its variety in art style, with Japanese watercolor, ukiyo-e (Japanese wood carving art) and sumi-e (ink and wash) all coming together to deliver a signature visual aesthetic that ties heavily into the game's source material. Around ...

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...Style." GameSpot. CBS Interactive, 7 Sept. 2006. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. .

Mielke, James. "All the King's Men - Atsushi Inaba On Keeping Clover Studio At The Head Of The Pack." 1UP.com. IGN Entertainment, 16 Aug. 2006. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. .

Shea, Cam. "Okami Interview AU." IGN. IGN Entertainment, 30 Jan. 2007. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. .

"Gender in Okami - A Word from Capcom." The Official Okami Fan Page - Facebook. N.p., 28 Jan. 2011. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. .

"Ōkami Wiki." Ōkami Wiki - the Wiki about Ōkami, Ōkamiden and More. Wikia, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. .

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