Hideki Kamiya is back to direct the new Okami game, and WE ARE EXCITED
It’s been nearly 20 years since Ōkami first graced the PS2, and though we’ve had a spiritual successor (Ōkamiden on the Nintendo DS) and HD remasters, there never was an official sequel. Back in 2019 when Capcom announced that it would look into some of its dormant franchises, the original gam’s Director Hideki Kamiya was one of the first to pipe in with Ōkami, stating that it would be back. He was stuck at PlatinumGames though, so really couldn’t leave his post while working on other projects — until 2023 rolled around and he bolted from the company for mysterious reasons. Now we know why: Kamiya is heading up a new studio named Clovers that will work on an official Ōkami sequel.
The news dropped during the Game Awards to huge levels of excitement (the original is regarded as one of the best games of the last 20 years) and bringing back members of the original team (Kamiya will be joined by many original members of Clover Studio who helped developed the first Ōkami) seems like a surefire way to make a great followup.
There’s no date, obviously, just a nice teaser trailer with a logo. But if anything, Capcom has been steadfast lately in letting developers cook to make sure the quality of their games is top notch. Here’s hoping that we don’t have to wait another 20 years for this release — but we most assuredly will if we have to!
Here’s the note from Kamiya himself:
To all of you
“Until next time…”
How long has it been since the story was concluded with that? I didn’t think the day would really come, where I’d return to Ōkami and continue the story with my own hands. Even at this very moment, my body is filled with both a cautious surprise that this is not a dream, and a joy that cannot be described in words.
Everyone who has worked so hard to make this project a reality, the friends who believed in me and gathered at CLOVERS Inc., and most importantly, the voices of so many of you who have continued to support Ōkami even after such a long time: all of this has come together to create this miracle, for which I am deeply grateful.
Like a strong rising sun, this project is finally in motion. But it’s still a small bud that is blossoming. We are ready to fill this new Ōkami with many colorful flowers, and to do our best to fulfil the promise of “next time” in the best way.
Everyone please wait with anticipation.
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