Capcom open to more Okami sequels

By Fred Dutton Published 16 February, 2011

God Hand 2 not ruled out either.

Okami's impending DS sequel may not be the last we see of Capcom's cult lupine adventure franchise. According to the game's producer, Japanese sales are healthy and the door is open for future follow-ups.

Speaking in an interview with GamesRadar, Okamiden producer Motohide Eshiro said that Capcom would be delighted to make a sequel if enough fans demanded it.

"The game's been out in Japan for a little while, and we're pleased with the reviews – users seem to be very happy – and sales are healthy," he explained.

"We'll see what happens here in North America on March 15: how many people deem the game worth playing, how they feel about it once they've played it.

"We're certainly willing to explore the option of another Okami game if the market is there for it. If people want it, we'll be pleased to deliver it.

The original Okami came out on PlayStation 2 back in 2007 to stellar reviews but disappointing sales, while a 2008 Wii port also failed to set tills ringing. Okamiden, set nine months after the events of the original, arrives in European stores on 18th March.

If further sequels were to be green-lit, Eshiro wouldn't reveal which platforms they might appear on, explaining that would depend on the gameplay concept.

"It will depend entirely on what ideas we have and what the demands of the market are. We will pick the appropriate platform from there," he said. "If we have an idea that's perhaps better suited to one piece of hardware than another, we'll make our choice based on that."

Elsewhere in the interview, Eshiro also offered a scrap of hope for those hungry for a return to the God Hand franchise – the eccentric 2006 PlayStation 2 brawler from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami.

"I personally am quite the fan of God Hand," he admitted. "I thought it had really dynamic gameplay of focusing not on blocking but on constantly dodging and moving. It was really fun and refreshing, and it would be great to see that turned into a series.

"Once again, it boils down to demand – how many people want it, what kind of ideas we have that would be fresh and make it worth exploring again, and we could come up with a plan that could fit the users' needs and the market's needs at the time."

If you want to help move things along, Eshiro recommend you pick up pen and paper and drop Capcom a line.

"Look up Capcom's address online right now and send us some letters, and see what happens. It gets a lot easier to push an idea through management if it looks like we have a lot of support for it!"

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • FuzzyDuck #1 1 year ago

    Holy crap, two of my favourite games of the last ten years!

    You can fund the development of the sequels by putting out a Clover Studio HD Collection. I'd buy two copies!

  • Phishfood #2 1 year ago

    GOD HAND 2!!!! ROAAWR!

    Mikami had the great idea of making the tutorial for this game to be a hardass demon on the first level. It alienated a lot of casuals, like this reviewer:

    [link url=http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/738/738253p1.html
    ]http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/738/73825...[/link]

  • matrim83 #3 1 year ago

    With Capcom being currently what they are and the talent behind both titles long departed I really have no doubt both sequels (if they happen) will be soulless cash ins.

  • Phishfood #4 1 year ago

    Both games were made by Clover Studio I believe which featured the best of the best talent from Capcom's roster. They would be cash-ins but I still yearn for them.

  • Curion #5 1 year ago

    Would love to see a God hand sequel but at the same time hope they don't bother. Leave the God hand alone capcom!!

  • Incarta #6 1 year ago

    If Okamiden is good, I'll gladly ask for more. Okami was amazing. Shame on you if you didn't at least try it.

  • estarriol #7 1 year ago

    Dear Capcom, I am an Okami fan and I'd like to see a zillion high-quality sequels please.

    "Yes please !!!
    Hell throw in the original Okami as a HD classic and it would be a day 1."

    Also, this.

  • DreadedWalrus #8 1 year ago

    Once again, it boils down to demand – how many people want it[...]

    I WANT IT. If they make a God Hand 2 I think I will be the happiest man on the planet. IGN, on the other hand, will be <a href=http://i.imgur.com/0o5ao.jpg>distraught</a>.
    Edited by DreadedWalrus at 16/02/11 @ 21:57

  • Bander #9 1 year ago

    Capcom:

    "We would like to make a sequel to this and remake that and revisit this and re-release that and add DLC to this and port this and make a Versus game out of those and work with these, and do this again even though we did it a moment ago...

    ...but we still can't be arsed to make a new Darkstalkers."

  • Alestes #10 1 year ago

    I don't really understand how Capcom think. They want to make Clover sequels, but they shut down Clover? It doesn't really make any sense to me. Then again, maybe they don't have any people left who can think of making up a new IP.

    That said, I would gladly buy Okami HD for the PS3.

  • RobotRocker #11 1 year ago

    GOD HAND 2

    MAKE THIS GAME

    MAKE IT NOW

    @Phishfood

    And IGN named it 100 on their top 100 PS2 games last year and admitted they fucked up. VINDICATION.

    IGN LIKES THE BALL BUSTAH

  • Dan41187 #12 1 year ago

    I'd fucking love a new Okami game, particularly if it came out on 360/PC so I didn't have to buy a PS3. Should probably finish the first one sometime though I guess. Poor neglected PS2 :(

  • HermitArcader #13 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • FenderMaster #14 1 year ago

    Okami doesn't need a sequel, there was no open door ending, and Clover are Platinum now, they work for Sega.

    That said, between Okami and the Zelda Oracles games for GBC, it's obvious Capcom can make reat Zelda style games, arguably better than Nintendo's these days, so i certainly wouldn't say no to a PS3 release... Not sure about handheld releases though.

  • menschenfracht #15 1 year ago

    in other news, Capcom continues to milk Clover ideas.

    I liked how they turned DMC franchise into complete creative disaster though.

  • Beano #16 1 year ago

    A HD port of Okami for PS3 with Move support, and I will be a happy puppy.

  • mcreddie #17 1 year ago

    Stop saying and start doing man!

  • asphaltcowboy #18 1 year ago

    God Hand, no thanks. Okami 2 - yes please!

    Also, didn't Capcom kill Clover? :(

  • MattyD #19 1 year ago

    SUMMON UP THE POWER OF THE GOD HAND

  • menage #20 1 year ago

    Looks outside.

    Sees cat's and dogs playing together. Mass hysteria.

    "and I will be a happy puppy. "

    Cub?
    Edited by menage at 17/02/11 @ 11:21

  • Kaminari #21 1 year ago

    "Eshiro recommend you pick up pen and paper and drop Capcom a line."

    Dear Sir,

    Leave Ōkami alone.

  • CaoSlayer #22 1 year ago

    The only problem of an Okami sequel is that Okami is a perfect game.

    It has a closed end and making a sequel would be forced.. just look how forced seems okamiden with the protagonists turned into babies.

    That said, a totally new game with the same style would be sweet.

  • Koschei #23 1 year ago

    I think an Okami game that involves you fixing up the Celestial Plane would be brilliant. That IS where the first game left off, after all. C:

    @ CaoSlayer: The protagonists haven't been "turned into babies." They literally are the babies of the previous hero's.
    Edited by Koschei at 13/03/11 @ 22:17