‘Okami Sequel’ Reveal Proves Capcom Knew What I Wanted Before I Did

So, I didn’t get Banjo-Kazooie. I didn’t get Hollow Knight: Silksong. Rockstar will probably never make a sequel to Bully. I was just in shambles last night while the rest of the team’s predictions for the 2024 Game Awards ended up being more true-to-life than any of us could’ve anticipated. Then, Capcom showed up. And revealed Okami Sequel. To properly understand what that means, here’s a screenshot of me reacting with the rest of the squad to the reveal in real time.

Needless to say, I was only a little excited. Admittedly, I didn’t play Okami until five-ish years ago. Yet, while I was playing it, it felt like I was a little kid experiencing the game back when it released in 2006. A masterpiece. How much did I love Okami? I played the original version — not the HD port. My eyes hurt the entire damn time, but, man, it was worth every second. (If you know, you know.)

God, I’m so happy for Hideki Kamiya, the Director of Okami all those years ago. The guy has been wanting to make a sequel to the game for years to no avail. “The story ended midway, so leaving it as it is, I feel bad,” Kamiya said in an interview alongside Ikumi Nakamura. “Creators, I think, have the duty to create sequels fans are wanting to see. Although I sound all high and mighty, it’s been awhile since I’ve moved on from Okami. But I still feel like I haven’t fulfilled my duty. So Capcom, please, let’s do it together.”

You got your wish, King.

the universe corrects itself ever so slightly with ‘okami sequel’ reveal

But to back up for a second, I recognize that technically, Okami was a “cult classic.” Despite being a major critical darling — winning awards left and right and landing on multiple “Best Games of All Time” lists — it was a “commercial failure.” In fact, that’s a major factor as to why Clover Studio disbanded following the game’s release. (Though the actual reasons for the dissolution remain hotly contested.)

That means that a large number of you watched the Okami Sequel teaser and have no idea why people like me are screaming our heads off in euphoric jubilation. If “Legend of Zelda but with a silent, snarky wolf” is a pitch that perks your ears up? Please, please, please play Okami. You can buy the HD port for around $20 on basically every platform — Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and, duh, Steam.

The art style is gorgeous — and the HD port won’t make your eyes burn while you play! All the characters are fun and memorable. The side activities are engaging and meaningful. The narrative is S-tier. Okami is a song sung by a choir of angels. It’s aged so gracefully — still able to stand toe-to-toe with action-adventure games in 2024. Anyone who’s played it can tell you: it was a 10/10 game back in 2006, and it’s a 10/10 game in 2024. Okami Sequel will be the Game of the Year for whatever year it comes out — mark my words. Screenshot this, bookmark it, remember it.