I've just finished the PS2 version of Ōkami today and I think it's simply amazing. The game's defining characteristic is its artstyle. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, the game's visuals are unique and exceptionally well done. The way it looks is part of what makes the world of Nippon, the feudal Japanese environment explored in the game, so engrossing and interesting. The excellent music is another aspect which complements the world so well.
But the strengths of Ōkami are not exclusive to its aesthetic properties. The main mechanic of the game, the Celestial Brush, is a great puzzle-solving mechanic even though trying to perform the proper "brush technique" can sometimes be troublesome. The puzzles themselves are often simple, but they require an understanding of how the various "brush techniques" work and it's gratifying when one successfully links several of the techniques together to solve a lengthy puzzle. The combat, however, is not that fun with the exception of the bosses. Normal enemies are usually easy to deal with, providing little to no challenge, and can take more time to dispatch than it's worth. For the bosses, one actually needs to identify their weaknesses and exploit them and, even then, they provide little challenge as you utilize a rinse-and-repeat formula to eliminate them.
The story is intriguing (albeit perhaps slightly confusing with some time traveling that occurs near the end) and many of the characters are as well. The game might have been a bit too long and I felt like it had become relatively tiring near the end (especially with an annoying boss rush before the final boss), but Ōkami is definitely worth playing and finishing as the ending provides a great conclusion to an awesome game.
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