As gamers try to elevate their hobby and outsiders try to tear it down, one thing is clear -- the debate as to whether video games are art or not is one that isn’t going away, nor will it be decided any time soon. As each group tries its best to give examples to support their side, Clover Studio has been working on a project that is, quite frankly, the closest thing any game has ever come to being “art”.

Fellow editor Geck0 has often said that he would love to see a game display graphics that resemble the images found in an impressionist painting. While Okami doesn’t quite hit that mark, it does resemble a Japanese watercolor, making it one of the PS2’s more artistic outings. Truthfully, looking at pictures of Okami doesn’t do the game justice. Sure it looks neat, but its not until you see the game in motion that you really get a feel for how it balances eye-popping visuals with simple ink drawings. For example, what looks like stylized cel-shading instantly becomes a flat drawing with the push of a button – but more on that later.

Okami’s music is equally as inspiring and goes right along with the game’s Asian look. About the only complaint that could be lodged against the presentation is the voice work, which isn’t really voice work in the traditional sense but a series of mumbled, muffled sounds that sort of sound like words. While it isn’t completely abusive to the ears, it does get annoying in that Charlie Brown talking to his teacher way.

Okami is about more than its visuals. Underneath it all, Clover has put together an adventure game that easily stands toe-to-toe with some of the best in the industry – including the venerable Legend of Zelda series.

Based on Japanese mythology, Okami places you in the role of Amaterasu, a she-wolf charged with returning color to a dying world made colorless by the demon, Orochi. In order to complete her task, Amaterasu has been granted use of the Celestial Brush, a magic paintbrush that she can use to recolor the world. The brush also makes up Okami’s core gameplay mechanics and is used for everything from combat to solving puzzles.

Say, for example, you come up against a group of trees that is blocking your way. Pressing the R1 button causes the brush to appear and, with a quick swipe of your brush, you can cut them in half. The brush’s role in combat plays out much the same way. Amaterasu can use normal attacks to dizzy opponents. From here you can bring out the brush and with another quick slash, tear the enemy into two like a piece of paper.

The brush’s abilities don’t end with just cutting objects in half; other puzzle elements will also make use of the brush. Some will require you to “repair” objects by drawing in the missing part, while others have you “pushing” objects out of the way. Some puzzles even require you drawing bombs or changing the day/night cycle.

Abilities are unlocked as Amaterasu completes tasks, so there’s always some new skill to learn. Of course, the layout and flow does owe a lot to Zelda, so gameplay isn’t completely original, but when it looks and plays this good, there’s really no reason to complain.

Okami isn’t hard, nor is it too easy. Using the brush in combat and puzzle situations is intuitive, but it will take some learning before its use becomes second nature. Puzzles are on par with some of the best in the genre, but are usually easy to figure out with a little thought. There are a few frustrating trial and error moments, but even these moments are rare.

Understanding how the brush is used, or just remembering that you have it, is one of the stiffer obstacles you’ll face in Okami. It is a little easier to remember that you have the brush during puzzles since most require its use, but numerous times I simply forgot I could use it in combat.

Overall, the controls are smooth and very responsive. The idea of “drawing” with the analog stick may not seem like that easy of a task, but it works – especially for the simple lines and circles you’ll have to draw during the game. And, even if you can’t draw a straight line or perfect circle, Okami is very generous when it comes to determining what exactly you’re trying to draw.

Art or not, it is hard to not appreciate Okami. As developers aim to bring gamers visuals that are darker and closer to life, it is great to see a developer go against the trend and take a risk that, in the case of Okami, pays off.