Okami is finally getting a true sequel after nearly 20 years
CapcomHideki Kamiya’s woefully underrated masterpiece, Okami, is receiving a true-blue sequel, as revealed at the 2024 Game Awards nearly 20 years after the original game’s release in 2006.
The newly-revived Studio Clover’s Okami touched the hearts of gamers around the globe, directed by Hideki Kamiya, who would go on to create Bayonetta and found Platinum Games.
Now, he’s making a comeback to one of his best — and criminally undervalued — titles; Okami.
A dog-gone masterpiece is making a comeback
This year’s Game Awards cemented its legendary status with the long-awaited trailer for the game’s sequel, rung in with the program’s orchestra performing the beautiful soundtrack the title is known and loved for.
In a massive visual update to the original game’s paintbrush style, viewers get to see Amaterasu running out of a dark forest into a field as The Sun Rises heralds in a new age for a godlike video game classic.
It has been eighteen years since the first game launched on PlayStation 2, and in 2010, a sequel (of sorts) was published for the Nintendo DS — although it was not in any way developed by Clover Studios.
The chibi-style sequel was received without much fanfare and was a dinky offering for what fans should have gotten. Kamiya claimed that he had an idea for an Okami sequel, but it was nothing more than an idea at the time, and with Clover’s closure, it seemed like it would never be realized.
Now, almost two decades later, die-hard Okami fans (like this writer) are finally getting what they’ve been waiting for.
As revealed on the official Capcom website, Okami’s sequel will be co-developed by three studios with staff who were involved in the original game’s production: M-TWO Inc., Machine Head Works Inc., and CLOVERS Inc., of which Hideki Kamiya is a member.
Hideki Kamiya thanks Okami fans in heartfelt letter
Kamiya also penned a letter to fans of the game, which was shared via the official Okami account on X, where he admitted that he “didn’t think the day would really come” when he’d finally get to return to the project.
“My body is filled with both a cautious surprise that this is not a dream, and a joy that cannot be described in words,” he wrote. “…we are ready to fill this new Okami with many beautiful flowers, and to fulfill the promise of ‘next time’ in the best way.”
Not much else is known about what this upcoming game will entail, but if it’s anything like the original, players can expect a breathtaking soundtrack, ingenious gameplay, and a story that will grip your soul and leave you breathless.
Check out the rest of our 2024 Game Awards coverage here.