Ōkami creator and director Hideki Kamiya spoke out recently on what he considers to be the definitive version of the iconic 2006 action adventure PlayStation 2 game by Clover Studio.
In response to a fan’s query on X as to whether they should continue with the PC port of Ōkami, or if they should switch to the Wii version for a better experience, Kamiya was clear in his response: the High-Definition version.
In his post, originally in Japanese, Kamiya told the fan in no uncertain terms that the definitive experience currently available for Ōkami is the 2012 HD remake, Ōkami HD.
“The Wii version is not the original…” he said, referring to the 2008 Wii port starting development between Ready at Dawn, Tose, and Capcom mere months after Clover Studio closed its doors following Ōkami’s poor sales, “I made the PS2 version.” he added.
Though some minor controversy surrounded the Wii release; the port was well-received, with many reviews citing the celestial brush mechanics being well-suited to the console and there being only minor changes between versions, despite the PlayStation assets being incompatible with the Wii, requiring them to be completely rebuilt from scratch.
“[The staff roll was] the omoi of everyone who worked on the project…”
Kamiya, who voiced his displeasure with the Wii version’s removal of the game’s credits, feeling they were “put together in a moment of bliss, held out just for those who completed the journey. It was a special staff roll for a special moment. And now it is gone. All of it. …It’s incredibly disappointing and sad.”
In his advice to the player, Kamiya advised “If you want to play it now, the HD version is the best,” referring to the HD remake originally released on the PlayStation 3 adding “Personally, I don’t want you to play the Wii version…”
At the 2024 Game Awards, fans were thrilled following the announcement that Kamiya would be returning to direct an as of now untitled Ōkami sequel with new developer Clovers, in partnership with Capcom and with support from developers M-Two and Machine Head Works. M-Two previously worked on Ōkami HD and both companies have previous Clover Studio developers on staff. The Untitled Ōkami Sequel currently has no set release window.
