Okami

In Japanese folklore, the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu takes the form of a white wolf to battle the encroaching darkness spread by the demon Orochi. The player does the same in Okami, which is Japanese for ‘wolf’.

Inspired by the traditional sumi-e painting style, as well as ukiyo-e woodblock carving, Okami’s aesthetic uses calligraphic brushstrokes of black ink over images of different hues to create ethereal watercolour graphics. This style is transported into the game as a key mechanic – as Amaterasu in wolf-form, the player re-creates brushstrokes and formations to revive the world and banish the darkness.