'The Sun Rises Once More'
That Okami sequel announcement, man...
There were tears....I'm so happy.
Also I merged all the layers to check something and then couldn't undo it because I'm stupid so if something looks a bit weird, it's probably because of that.
For context, Okami is my favourite game of all time.
It holds a lot of emotional weight for me, and it really inspired younger me to look at art, and honestly even video games, in a different way.
I adore that it's a love letter to nature and Japanese mythology, and even though it's a long game, I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel like if it weren't as long as it is, it wouldn't feel as grand and climactic. The opening, with this in mind, echoes this fact, as though it's foreshadowing.
However, thanks to this, the ending leaves you feeling like you really went on a big adventure, and met loads and loads of different characters.
It's such an important piece of media, and a treasure to not only the medium of video games, but also just art as a whole. There hasn't been anything like it before, and hasn't been anything quite like it afterwards either (Okamiden doesn't count).
One thing that really made me emotional is that the new studio developing the sequel is called Clovers...as a tribute to Clover Studio; a studio that truly deserved better for making such unique, innovative and charming games. Its legacy lives on.
Everything about the announcement felt magical; Geoff choking up presenting it. The first shamisen pluck that opened the scene, the notes reminiscent of "A Giant Monster in Wait" from the Okami soundtrack. The goosebumps hearing the instruments. The tentative shots of a creature sprinting through a forest, cleverly masked. And then finally getting the full view of Ammy, and the rest of the instruments join in unison to recite a blissful rendition of "The Sun Rises"...Then it's shown Kamiya is at the helm.
It felt as though the stars had aligned.
It was a stunning, magical reveal, and to put into words just how ecstatic and excited I am, is impossible.
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