It sounds like the cult classic Okami franchise isn’t quite done yet, as Okami director Hideki Kamiya and artist Ikumi Nakamura are teasing what sounds like a potential upcoming sequel.
This one is a bit odd, but recently, Nakamura posted a video on her Twitter account which shows her standing with Kamiya in what appears to be the PlatinumGames studio headquarters. Kamiya notes that “Okami is going to be back” and gives the camera a thumbs up. That’s…well, that’s about it.
So what should you make of this? Well, the most important thing to consider at the moment is that PlatinumGames doesn’t actually own the rights to the Okami franchise. Capcom seemingly still controls that property, and they haven’t revealed that they’ve approved the development of a sequel. Actually, Capcom hasn’t said much of anything since this video was released.
Again, though, that raises the question of what, exactly, this video is. Well, if we had to guess, we’d say that it’s either a simple joke (which seems somewhat unlikely given that the PlatinumGames logo is featured in the shot) or that the pair are simply using this video as a way to express their desire to work on another Okami game. We freely admit that the second possibility also feels odd, but it does require you to consider a few things.
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First off, Ikumi Nakamura left Tango Gameworks and the development of GhostWire: Tokyo after she became a somewhat unlikely star following her memorable appearance at E3. That would seem to suggest that there’s another project she’s got her eyes on. Second, Capcom has previously stated that they’re interested in reviving dormant IPs, and Okami would seemingly qualify as just that.
Finally, there’s certainly a relationship between Platinum and Capcom as PlatinumGames was co-founded by former Capcom employees who worked on Okami and other titles. Put it all together and…well…yeah, it does sound like Okami is coming back.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.
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