I received Okami for Christmas, and I have been playing it with increasing interest and appreciation for over a month now (having clocked a total of 24 hours of game time so far--unlike some members on GameSpot, the amount of time I actually spend playing games is really quite modest). What I find so noteworthy about this game is how much satisfaction can be derived from doing good and charitable things. The game's concept of praise, which can be used to enhance Amaterasu's strength, is inspired.

I like particularly how the game goes beyond the simple "good deeds" of killing monsters, and includes deeds that are actually creative, life-giving, and life-affirming. Reviving dead trees and feeding animals strengthen Amaterasu more than does slaying demons and exorcising evil spirits.

I am not completely against violence in video games. Martial arts fighters such as Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Soul Calibur are among my favourite games. I just find Okami such a breath of fresh air in an arena of gaming increasing populated by games where you play anti-heroes rewarded for committing murder, extracting gore, and meeting destruction only with more destruction.

I sincerely hope that Okami is not the end of the attempts to develop games that promote ideas of virtue (again, beyond the virtues of courage and so forth associated with slaying monsters or taking a stand), and I hope that the gaming community remains as open, if not more so, to games that promote creation as to games that solely promote destruction.