Okami

In our earlier preview of Okami, we boldly stated that the game would affect your life. After saving this hand-painted world from certain doom, we can safely say that claim holds up throughout the game's lengthy quest. Absolutely everything about this adventure is top of the line, blending the very best puzzle aspects of Zelda with a visual style that no other title can match.

Graphics aren't everything, but in Okami 's case, they help define a universe. Whether you're searching for lost warrior dogs or scouring a labyrinth for an eyeball-shaped key, you'll never once discover some glaring flaw that yanks you out of the mood.

The dungeons, people and environment are pieced together in such a beautiful, artistic way that they don't even look like graphics - they look like another, existing realm that we've been lucky enough to witness. Even your character, the revived wolf-goddess Amaterasu, radiates with divine energy.

Even smaller details, like babbling water and chirping insects, breathe constant life into every area you visit. Even though most new locales are covered in a murky, cursed fog, your godly powers slowly cleanse the countryside and bring blue skies back to the delight of cuddly forest animals everywhere. People start moving back into their homes, rivers flow once more... there's always a reward for pressing on.