Fantastic storyline, but it's Okami so you have to expect that. There are enough twists and deep backstory to keep a player quite interested until the end and beyond.
-I cannot fully describe how adorable this game is. Chibiterasu is about the cutest thing since baby kittens rolling around in baby bunnies. There were points of the game where I just melted at the sheer adorableness of it all. Don't let that fool you though, the plot is anything but childlike.
-The visuals for a DS game are A+. They really put their all into make a functional, pretty, stylized game for the DS and I'm glad the DS got a good hurrah before the 3DS comes out. The sumi-e style artwork is back, and though it's much less detailed than the original game, it still works. The characters all generally look the same, the only thing you'll notice is that it's slightly less detailed and a little more pixely in some places, but meh.
-The celestial brush and the DS touchscreen just click. It's the perfect medium for a game like this. And can I just say that doing the inferno move on the DS is 50 times easier than trying to make an infinity symbol using the wii remote.
-Recognizable characters from the first game. This is a continuation of the story, so you get to see your favorites come back. It's hard not to spoil anything, but you will see characters you know and love continuing their stories.
-This game ties up a lot of the plot and explains a TON of things from the first game. You get to see things as they happen and you'll have a lot of, "OOOH! So that's why!" moments.
-Can I just mention the story again? It's too good not to mention twice. The game starts off fairly slow, but as you get further in and start visiting familiar locales from the first game, it gets surprisingly deep. There are multiple main characters teaming up with Chibiterasu, and you WILL get tied up in their backstories and storylines to the point of being anxious to see what happens next. There were a few times the game brought tears to my eyes, much like the first one. I'm honestly scared to watch the ending lest I bawl like a baby.
-The music is good. A lot of it was imported from the first game, which I will not complain about.
-Praise Amaterasu, they removed that stupid freakin' digging game. I will not miss you, you exercise in frustration you.
-More things to collect like Issun's masterpieces, history scrolls, etc. Collecting them is much easier than collecting the beads in the first game. I've managed to complete all the collections in my first playthrough and I'm far from a completionist.
-A new system with regards to the multiple partners you get. Each one has a special ability and most of the dungeons involve several puzzles revolving around them.
-A neat little sidequest involving recruiting villagers for a village that develops as you play.
