Okami -- The Brush Is Mightier Than the Sword.

The combat of Okami is for the most part entirely optional. Every once in a while the game will force you into a fight, normally to introduce a new enemy type. And of course the boss battles are obviously required. Normally creatures are represented by Japanese talismans floating around the overworld and dungeons. You can avoid these entirely. If you get too close to them they will attempt to collide with you initiating a battle. The battles are realtime action, but they're not seamless, they load in and out. The loading is fast and well disguised. Colliding with a talisman, intentionally or not, will cause you to be teleported to the demon world. Essentially you're trapped in a circular arena. There are cracks in the outer wall that you need to destroy if you want to flee a battle. I've personally never done that. The battles are fast paced and surprisingly strategic. You're awarded a cash bonus based on how you do as far as how much damage you've taken and how long the battle takes. End the battle quickly without taking any damage and you'll get the highest bonus possible based on the enemy types. Amaterasu is controlled with the left analog stick. The X button makes her jump. The square button is her primary attack. The triangle button is her secondary attack. The circle button is a humiliation move and is available only after having learned the move from the dojo. The same holds true for the surefoot move mapped to the R2 button. The surefoot move is a fancy name for a dodge ability. The R1 button brings up the celestial brush. So you're free to run and jump and dodge and use up to three attacks. The strategy comes into play in a couple of ways. One way is in how you've equipped Amaterasu. She's able to hold any combination of two attacks from three weapon classes. The classes each offer three attacks. So that's nine possible choices and a lot of combinations. She has a primary and secondary slot. The rosary class of attacks for example allows for projectile attacks. The reflectors allow for swipe attacks. And the glaive attacks allow her to hold a sword in her mouth. You can assign any combination however you wish. It allows for a lot of flexibility in how she controls and how the combat plays out. Another element of the strategy comes in the enemy behavior. They just don't stand there and die. They all have their own attacks and defenses. An imp with a lute for example will use said instrument to block your attacks. You can cut the strings with your celestial brush. And that's where the final element of the strategy comes into play. The creatures are very colorful and as you battle them you essentially knock the color out of them. When they're in this black and white state they're extremely susceptible to your celestial brush and it's slash attack. You just draw a line through the enemy for the slash attack. But the brush opens up numerous elements for your potential use. Almost every brush technique can be used in battle in some way. From drawing a cherry bomb to explode near an enemy to making fire from a torch leap on to an enemy to creating a gale of wind to knock an enemy off balance. There is a lot going on in the battles. You could just slash your way through everything, but you'll never be rewarded. The creativity and flexibility of the battle system make it fun to just explore the potential. I'm impressed with the battles in the game. They're fast and fun and far deeper than just hacking away.