Okami is both one of the most beloved games of all-time while also being one of the most forgotten. Whenever I speak to someone else who has played it, their praise for Amaterasu’s watercolour adventure is almost universal. It’s a wondrous, imaginative experience that learns all of the right lessons from The Legend of Zelda while putting its own spin on the formula with bright, imaginative mechanics that honestly haven’t been replicated since.
Capcom’s Clover Studio produced a solitary masterpiece with a lasting legacy. Sure, we received a DS exclusive sequel in the form of Okamiden and a HD remaster, but these are small acknowledgements of a series that really deserves a place in the modern gaming landscape. The publisher is clearly aware the game exists, with Okami’s white wolf heroine appearing in several games as a guest character or cosmetic item because their aesthetic is so immediately recognisable. But enough of all this nonsense, stop edging us with playful crossovers and give us a sequel already.
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Monster Hunter Rise recently announced that it would be receiving an update focused around Okami, with players having the option to earn a selection of Okami-themed cosmetics that make direct reference to Amaterasu. It makes perfect sense, and is a loving homage to the PS2 classic that many players might not have ever played. Capcom has also said a number of other collaborations are planned for Rise in the future, so expect further references to be made to classics we’ll never see a sequel to. I swear to god if they do anything on Haunting Ground or Dino Crisis I’ll riot, or just bitterly tweet about it and have a quick cry.
First released for the PS2 in 2006, Okami was a fairly deliberate Zelda clone, taking the concept of a legendary hero embarking on an epic quest and transplanting it into a luscious world inspired by Japanese mythology and folklore. Each environment felt like a painting sprung to life – characters, buildings, and enemies all darting about the place with a sense of movement that mimics a Studio Ghibli classic. On the PS2 and Wii, it used the technical limitations of each platform to its advantage, allowing gorgeous art design to carry the weight of lacklustre hardware.
It worked a treat, and much like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, is a timeless classic thanks to creativity applied to its visual personality. It wasn’t pushing for realism and performance, instead aiming for something we’d never seen in the medium before. As a result, it’s aged like a fine wine, with the recent HD revival only helping further cement its brilliance. You can buy it on modern platforms, so there’s no shortage of ways to play Okami right now, but poor sales of the original and a lack of interest from Capcom have scuppered any potential of a traditional sequel. But never say never, since Okami director Hideki Kamiya and The Evil Within 2 art director Ikumi Nakamura have both expressed interest in returning for another adventure, but much of the decision making sadly sits with Capcom. Gosh can you imagine if Okami 2 was greenlit and developed by PlatinumGames? I’m working up a sweat just thinking about such a thing.
While a few short years ago I would have laughed at the prospect of Capcom entertaining a return of Okami, I think the publisher’s trajectory this past generation has changed my perspective. It is aware of the power its legacy franchises hold, whether it be the surprise success of Mega Man 11 or the global reach of Resident Evil remakes that have thrust the survival horror series back into the limelight. Capcom is bigger than ever, and instead of trying to maintain this success with a small number of marque titles it should lean into its back catalog. The publisher has an embarrassing number of classic properties that have been buried for years, some for several decades, and there’s an opportunity to revive them for new and existing audiences alike without breaking the bank or losing sight of its larger financial goals.
Resident Evil and Monster Hunter will continue to make millions on brand inertia alone, so long as they aren’t hindered by consecutive stinkers, so combine this strategy with a willingness to bring back Okami, Dino Crisis, Haunting Ground, and other names that remain beloved in the eyes of fans. You’ve got very little to lose, and so much to gain if any of these games are executed upon with the right amount of love and skill. If it can pour money into garbage Netflix adaptations, Capcom can surely do Okami a solid and explore the idea of a sequel.
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