I somehow missed that Okami came out on PC like... six months ago??

if you haven't played it maybe check that out bc it's legit one of the best games ever made

The thing about okami is like... most games have this point where you've essentially "figured it out" right? Like all the mechanics are in place and you know how much of the map is left to uncover and you know how many slots are left on the inventory screen or whatever

like, at some point in playing a game you figure out what it's scope is. you've got a good sense of how much is left and, like, what sorts of scenarios the game is and is not capable of throwing at you

that point might come fairly early in the game (3D zeldas) or late (dark souls), but eventually the scope of the design fits in your head

Okami never reaches that point until the end credits

it's this absolute masterpiece of systems design and level design and narrative design and pacing such that it NEVER actually shows its hand

it's just constantly subtly throwing new ideas into the mix and recontextualizing the existing ones such that you just never have any idea what to expect

some of them are big revelations and some of them are tiny careful shifts and it's all so MEASURED and flawlessly paced

also like... you're a dog and there's a dedicated bark button, and you're never *required* to use it for anything but NPCs respond to it, and that level of playfulness and expressiveness just runs through the entire design