During the buzz of Thursday night’s Game Awards, an unexpected moment unfolded as founder and host Geoff Keighley nearly teared up. The big surprise? Capcom is teaming up with original director Hideki Kamiya to create a sequel to its classic PlayStation 2 game, Okami.
Seeing Keighley’s reaction was strikingly genuine and, I must admit, I felt equally moved. The teaser might have been simple—just some stirring music, a clip of a wolf dashing through the wilderness, followed by the Capcom logo and Kamiya’s name—but it tugged at my heartstrings too.
Let me take you back a bit. Released in 2006, Okami is a gem in the gaming world. Think of it as a Zelda-like adventure where you play as a celestial wolf god battling spirits with a fiery disc while helping villagers. The visual style is mesmerizing, inspired by traditional Japanese art, with characters outlined in bold, inky strokes and filled in with delicate watercolor hues.
I had the chance to review Okami for Edge magazine back then, and I awarded it a solid 9 out of 10—which I still stand by. While it’s not on my ultimate favorite list (it’s a tad lengthy and awkward compared to top Zelda titles), it holds a special place in gaming history.
Now, here’s what makes Okami special: it hails from a time when Japanese developers were pushing boundaries to elevate the artistic aspects of video games. Unfortunately, despite its brilliance, Okami didn’t achieve commercial success, leading to the downfall of Clover Studio, the inventive Capcom branch behind it. This led Kamiya, along with Shinji Mikami and others, to leave Capcom and establish PlatinumGames.
Capcom’s decision to reunite with Kamiya—who aptly named his new venture Clovers—and greenlight an Okami sequel suggests that the pioneering spirit of that era persists. Of course, as a business, Capcom has likely noticed that the game’s various re-releases over the years performed strongly enough to revisit their past decisions.
Watching the sequel’s announcement filled me with emotion. The beautiful music, played by a live orchestra, was captivating. The animation, with Amaterasu the wolf god sprinting across vibrant landscapes, was exhilarating. But beyond the stunning visuals and music, what truly moved me was the significance behind this announcement.
As the livestream transitioned from a smiling Keighley to Kamiya in the audience, it was hard to ignore Kamiya’s impassive demeanor behind his trademark red sunglasses. Known for his social media antics, he was probably tempted to block Keighley for showing such sentimentality. I suppose I might end up blocked too, for sharing in that emotional moment.
