Many of the games that are currently being released are anime-esque. Even the story lines mimic Japanese cinema in the “anything goes” fashion! What I mean by this is, a story can take you one way, then completely smack you in the face and take a sharp turn towards who knows where!? However, I must ask, is Japanese art “invading” gaming, or was it inevitable? I believe that it’s more predominant because of our (Americans) growing interest in that culture. Of course we’re going to witness the so-called “invasion” of anime into gaming! 
CNN video with graphic designer Brant Stead break down the escalating trend of anime based video games. The larger scale games like Final Fantasy comes to mind when thinking of tantalizing imagery! According to Brant, it’s the Hollywood blockbuster of games. Check out the comparison of Final Fantasy XIII (anime based) to WoW (American based) below. The fight screens in Final Fantasy are so crisp, that it could be a cut scene!
The smaller scale games (such as Naruto) keep the trend of off the wall action, but the art stays consistent
with traditional Japanese art. Although, I’d like to mention that just because the art might be fun, it doesn’t mean that the game is good. An example of this is Okami. Several user reviews of this game claim that it is a coming of age story great for “providing a far more refreshing, creatively stimulating journey.” -1up
However, it is slow paced and your attention may be focused heavily on the breathtaking scenery! I mean seriously… look at that image! It’s gorgeous!
There are only so many “styles” out there when it comes to gaming, and the Japanese culture has captured us all. As I have said before, their culture is a curious mix of old customs and mold breaking trends (to include fashion, gadgets, art, and gaming)! It is at this time that I’d like to make a prediction… how much do you want to bet that in the near future, Japanese/anime based games will be so crisp, it’ll be like watching an actual movie?! 
Here is a sample of an anime based game called OneChanbara (available for the Wii).
… and of course the Hollywood blockbuster itself… Final Fantasy XIII
October 20th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Aw, I love Okami! I don’t think it’s slow-paced. It’s not at the speed of something like WOW obviously, but it’s a completely different type of game. I think that for what it is, the pace is totally fine.
But interesting stuff. I think Final Fantasy has always been trying to go for that cinematic gaming thing, but has only recently gotten the technology to pull it off. Even FF1 (yeah, I’ve played it, on my original NES too) tries to convey a sense of being a grand story in a sweeping landscape with crazy twists and turns.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:24 am
*haha* … it’s interesting what gaming can do and where it’s going visually and mentally. I actually like Princess Tomato (on the NES) and that’s slow paced… but I have different tastes, that’s all. XD
I’m curious to see what the future holds… actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more virtual reality!! The first time I was “inside” a game and had to move my whole body to walk, shoot, turn my head, etc., it was a feeling of pure nerdgasm!!! XD
October 20th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
To me it really depends … I’m not a HUGE fan of anime (although I do tend to like what friends recommend, haha), and I don’t really go for anime-visual games. However, I will admit that there are many games with somewhat more subtle anime touches that I love.
And it’s not a video game but Gotham Knight was brilliant …
October 20th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Yeah, it really depends on the anime. For me, I love everything about it, so anime based games are a huge plus for me. Knowing the trend of Japanese cinema, I know I’ll get a different and refreshing twist on the stories, and the art is always good… even when it’s bad/old school (i.e Chrono Trigger).
There are plenty of games that I play that aren’t anime based… I’m salivating over Fable 2 right now…. but I will always come back to anime based games because of originality! =D
October 21st, 2008 at 6:23 am
Sad so many anime games suffer from “sequelitis” where they dont really add much new when they DO actually release them over here ;\
I didnt really find Okami to be too slow, but the “babbling” VOs made me want to mute my TV
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I think we need to make our own VG…..
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I agree. I’ve wanted to work with GamingAngels.com on this for a long time.
I should do a post about what kind of game we would all like to make.
May 9th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
….Simply put, American made games almost always suck for varying reasons. we have a different view on what a game should be, look, play, and the story content involved. More often than not, none of these things are ever really well-balanced to make a decent game.
And why bash Okami? The game was good and so was the art. It was different, unique, and used more creativeness than half the games for the PS2. Just because it isn’t well suited for a hyper-active adolescent with ADD doesn’t make it a bad game. SOME people like games that are more story oriented with a wide area to explore, that isn’t constantly bombarding the player with mindless hacking-and-slashing.
Seriously, are gamers getting so pathetic that because a game is slow, it’s bad, and a faster game means it’s better?
Take the game for what it is, not for what the trend is.
By the way, the ‘Anime’ style has been around in the video game industry for years. This is nothing new.