The announcement of a sequel to the beloved adventure game Ōkami at The Game Awards last year sent waves of excitement through the fanbase, yet details about the project remain scarce. In a recent interview with IGN, project leads provided a few tantalizing details, confirming that the "Ōkami sequel" is indeed a direct continuation of the original game's story.
Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi affirmed that the sequel picks up where the first game left off. When questioned about the appearance of the great god Amaterasu in the trailer shown at The Game Awards, director Hideki Kamiya playfully responded with "I wonder...," while Hirabayashi quickly confirmed Amaterasu's presence.
Despite the excitement, fans have been speculating about how the sequel will build on the original's legacy, especially given the existence of Ōkamiden, a Nintendo DS game that serves as a sequel featuring Amaterasu's child, Chibiterasu. Ōkamiden received mixed reviews, partly due to its DS platform and the absence of key original team members, including Kamiya.
Addressing Ōkamiden's place in the Ōkami universe, Hirabayashi acknowledged the game's fans and the feedback it received, saying, "We know that there are fans out there that like the game, of course. And we also know the feedback on the game out there, of how the story was taken and now how perhaps parts of the story weren’t aligning with what people were expecting. With that, we also have the sequel now that, as we explained before, is a continuation from the story of the original base Ōkami. That's how we're going to phrase it."
The ending of Ōkami sets the stage for a sequel, with Amaterasu and another character embarking on a new journey, leaving ample room for further adventures and challenges. However, fans will have to wait patiently for more information, as the team revealed that the Ōkami sequel is still in its very early stages of development. Hirabayashi shared, "It might take a little bit of time before we might talk again," reflecting the team's excitement but also the project's preliminary nature.
For those eager to learn more, the full interview with the leads of the Ōkami sequel is available [ttpp].
