In an incredible twist of events, the beloved watercolour-styled classic that is Okami will be roaring back to life. 18 years after the game’s debut, Capcom has announced a sequel at The Game Awards 2024, with original director Hideki Kamiya returning to the helm.
The untitled project will be developed by his new studio Clovers, and according to event host Geoff Keighley, is “about to begin production soon”. A teaser unveiled on the show floor doesn’t offer any more details, but Capcom describes it as “a new adventure in the same vein as Okami“.
From the look of things, it seems fans have nothing to worry about where visuals are concerned. The reveal, accompanied by a drumming performance, stays true to the aesthetic flair of before, bringing its hand-painted, watercolour stylisation to who’s presumably Amaterasu and the field that she runs through.
The Okami sequel joins a brand-new Onimusha title in reviving dormant Capcom franchises. Set in a fictional version of classical Japan, the 2006 action-adventure entry combines Japanese mythology and folklore to tell the story of how the land was saved from darkness by the sun goddess Amaterasu, who took the form of a white wolf.
Despite poor sales, it received critical acclaim and is considered one of the best video games ever made. The culturally rich gem was also known for its Celestial Brush feature, a gesture-system to perfect miracles.
As for Onimusha, the forthcoming follow-up is currently primed for a 2026 release.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
