Why It Rocked: 2006 was a great year for gaming, but the one game that was enjoyed by everyone across the board at IGN was Okami. No game received as much all-around praise as Clover's brilliant adventure, and for very good reason. Mixing the best elements of the Legend of Zelda series with the unique and astoundingly natural celestial brush, few games have mixed so many elements together as what we've seen in Okami. The art style is of course incredibly beautiful, and the way that it directly ties into the game's main play mechanic, the celestial brush, makes it feel like an extremely natural and fluid experience.
There's a whole lot to do and see here as well. With miles of land to cover, numerous towns filled with characters to interact with and secrets aplenty, Okami is about as epic as they come. Its story fits this perfectly as well, mixing fairytale elements with classic Japanese folklore, making for a timeless tale that would hold a place in any setting.
It's not too often that a game comes along that really nails every part of the package, but this is one of them. From the core gameplay to its visuals and soundtrack to its touching storyline, Okami has it all. There were a lot of fantastic titles released this year, some that we'll be talking about years from now, but Okami stands above them all.
Why It Rocked: Capcom's Okami is a straight-up anomaly in this day and age of franchises, sequels, and me-too titles. Developed by Capcom's now defunct Clover Studio (who gave us Viewtiful Joe on GameCube and PS2), Okami is an art piece that reaches a high level of beauty, gaming excellence, and originality with such style and aplomb it's hard to see how this game was allowed to be made at all. Ten years ago, we would have expected such a game, but now in 2006? What a breakthrough. The story is an homage to Hokkaido, Japan heritage and mythology, and it's beautifully told with a unique wood block animation style, and the gameplay is all wrapped up one of the most fickle and hard-to-succeed genres, too, the adventure genre. If the celestial airbrush doesn't instantly tickle your fancy, the smart and compelling story and the colorful dialog will. Unlike so many games in the past, Okami offers a great translation that imbues each character with personality, wit, charm, and humor. If you want some things wholly unusual and brilliant, Okami is your best bet.
-- Doug Perry
Why It Rocked: In a year of standout games for the next generation of consoles, Okami stubbornly clung to the aging generation of almost obsolete hardware. In the shadow of Oblivion and its engrossing environments, Gears of War and its cutting-edge tech, and Zelda and its champion status, Okami yet shined, resigned to the background.
This wasn't meant to be Okami's year.
But after the dust settled and 2006 came to a close, it was Okami and its originality that stood out most in retrospect. From its outstandingly unique visual fashion to the original characters that inhabit the world of Nippon, every bit of Okami is striking, standout, and special. And with gameplay as fresh and pleasurable as its style, it's no wonder that, against all odds, 2006 was the year of the wolf.
Why It Rocked: Giving The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess the runner-up position for overall game of the year may send fanboys in an unstoppable frenzy, but it was the right move. The game's style is amazing, level design intriguing, music inspired, and adventure truly legendary. However, when looking at it in comparison to all the titles released in 2006, the game dragged its feet a bit over the last year, and the result was a release that -- while still a raging success worldwide - felt a bit cooler than it would have if the game released during its intended 2005 slot. Still, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is an amazing game, a must-play regardless of which system you hold allegiance to, and one of the best Nintendo games of all time, period.
--Mark Bozon
Why It Rocked: Few franchises are regarded as highly as the Legend of Zelda series, and thus it's no minor event when a new Zelda game hits store shelves. Clocking in at over 40 hours, Twilight Princess is arguably the largest, deepest, and most ambitious Zelda adventure yet that combined the majesty of romping across Hyrule Field on horseback one moment, then leaping gallantly from tree to tree as a wolf the next.
While Twilight Princess may not have the most impressive graphics, or the best sound, or even the strongest story, this game is testament to the value of fantastic gameplay -- and in this regard, Zelda is damn near unbeatable, and worthy of sitting on the cusp of Game of the Year.
--Andre Segers
Why It Rocked: With a deep character creator, a dizzying number of side quests, detailed armor and weapons, a wide range of spells, and lots of interesting narrative, Oblivion is prime example of a game that excels through its ability to immerse the player in its fabricated world. After 100 hours or so the game starts to show its flaws, but there's still so much to do in the game you'll likely continue to enjoy yourself, despite the drawbacks. Even if you don't, since when can a game that so thoroughly entertains for 100 hours be considered anything less than excellent? It can't.
--Charles Onyett
Why It Rocked: For an Elder Scrolls game to be mentioned in the same breath as the latest Zelda title is a testament to Bethesda's dedication to the series. Oblivion offers up hundreds of hours of single-player gameplay across one of the most beautiful worlds ever rendered in a game. But, perhaps the most impressive aspect of Oblivion is how accessible it is to all types of gamers. You don't have to bury your head in a pile of statistics to appreciate the combat and if the story bores you there's just as much fun to be had running across the countryside. It's rare that a game excels on so many levels. I've seen people pulled in by the graphics, the character creation, the combat and even the score. Best of all, the experience is so deep that its one of the few nominees that I'll still be enjoying in 2007.
