Geoff Keighley saves some of his biggest surprises for the final moments of The Game Awards, including a sequel that no one (and I mean no one) saw coming. After a dramatic introduction, fans saw a familiar color palette grace the screen as a mysterious creature blazed across a gorgeous and vibrant landscape. As the shot pulled back, viewers started to see the full picture, and after another moment it was ultimately revealed that Capcom’s cult classic Okami was finally getting a sequel, with director Hideki Kamiya also returning to helm the new project.
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While we all have so far is a brief glimpse at this new version of the world and the logo, that’s already a lot to process. Heading into 2024, no one expected Okami to even be remastered for next-gen, let alone get a full sequel, but here we are, and it’s marvelous.
For those who might not remember, Capcom and Clover Studio released the original Okami on PlayStation 2 back in 2006, though it would be ported to Nintendo Wii, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and even Nintendo Switch over the years. The game released at the tail end of the PS2’s life cycle, and though it was well received amongst critics, it wasn’t a big seller. Over the years however it would continue to gain new fans and benefit from positive word of mouth, and now fans are finally seeing a sequel become a reality.
The game is based around Japanese folklore and has you in the role of the Shinto Sun Goddess Amaterasu, who is called upon by Sakuya (the guardian of the Kamiki Village) to restore the land after the eight-headed demon Orochi is allowed to escape imprisonment and curse the land. In Okami Amaterasu takes the form of a white wolf and sets about bringing beauty and life back to the world while also battling the mysterious entity known as Waka along the way.
To restore the world players will battle enemies and utilize the game’s unique mechanic known as the Celestial Brush. During the game you can pause and draw upon a canvas utilizing the PS2’s analogic stick or the Wii remote, and there are numerous ways this is implemented into gameplay. You can restore elements in the world or affect enemies in battle with the move of a brush, painting directly on the canvas and impacting that item in unique ways.
For example, if you need to create a bridge, you can literally draw one on the canvas and it will appear. You can draw on plants or other items to repair an revitalize them, and if you draw a few slashes you can directly attack an opponent, or you can draw some circles to create a strong wind. Upgrades to this can allow your brush to light fires and utilize flame in different ways, though you can’t just rely on this one mechanic to make your way through the game, as you only have so much ink in which to draw from before it needs to recharge.
The graphics were always distinct as well, pulled from the Japanese ink-style known as sumi-e. This almost cell-shaded look has allowed the game to age quite gracefully despite it being on the PS2, and the look seems to be making a grand return with the sequel. It will be interesting to see how new generation hardware can bolster that already stunning graphical style, and this is also true regarding the Celestial Brush mechanic, which should have all kinds of new twists thanks to the additional hardware power from systems like the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Are you excited for the Okami sequel? You can talk all things gaming with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb and on Bluesky @knightofoa!