It ’s backbreaking to believe that the hit picture gameOkamiis nearly 20 years old . First unblock on the PlayStation 2 in 2006 , the action - adventure biz dazzled players with its unique ocular style , inspired by traditional Japanese culture and art . It ’s been a farsighted wait for a follow - up , buta teaser prevue forOkami 2was released by Capcom in late 2024 , rent fans know that a sequel was now in development .

In prevision of the continuation ’s liberation , Hideki Kamiya , the writer and managing director of the originalOkami , gave a late interviewwhere he talked about what gamers can bear fromOkami 2 . Along the way , he also give away the names of the anime that have barrack his originative spark over the years .

The Career of a Gaming Legend

Mecha Anime: A Key Influence on Kamiya’s Work

Hideki Kamiya is a Nipponese play legendwho has worked on deed of conveyance ranging fromResident Evil 2andDevil May CrytoViewtiful Joefor Capcom before leaving the studio to help start PlatinumGames , the rest home ofBayonettaandNieR : Automata . In October 2023 , Kamiya sidetrack from PlatinumGames and afterward constitute CLOVERS Inc. , a nod to the original Clover Studio , which build up the firstOkami .

In his audience with the news siteGame*Spark , Kamiya reflected on the influences that shaped his vocation , tracing his deep - root passion for gaming back to puerility . “ My puerility was completely immersed in games . I do n’t even think of the first secret plan I played , ” he admitted . From the game corners of hot outpouring inns to department stores , he recalled being drawn to the quiver pictures and the strait coming from the consoles . “ There was something irresistibly drawing me to the electronic mental picture on the CRT screen and the electronic beeping sounds , and before I have a go at it it , I was completely assimilate in secret plan . I ca n’t really brag about it . ”

conduct in 1970 , Kamiya was part of a generation of Japanese child put up in theearly waves of video game and anime , a ethnic landscape that deeply mould his creative vision . “ Apart from game , the other thing I was into was anime , ” he shared . “ For me , it was define to the first serial publication , butI love top-notch golem likeGundam , Mazinger Z , Great Mazinger , Getter Robo , and also realistic robot series likeXabungle , Dunbine , andL - Gaim , which are in theGundamlineage . ” This mix of tight - pace activity , bold storytelling , and mecha - Zanzibar copal aesthetics would subsequently manifest in the discrete , stylish gameplay of Kamiya ’s most famous works .

Amaterasu poses with the Divine Retribution reflector from Okami on her back.

Gundam: A Lasting Obsession

A Passion for the Details

Of all these influences , Gundamhad a peculiarly permanent impact — not just as a reservoir of inspiration but as a education earth for his passion and obsessive attention to contingent , something that would test priceless in game development . “ For me , theGundamplastic model kit ( Gunpla ) is very important . I ’m a first - class fundamentalist , but the RX-78 - 2 Gundam mecha has been made into a outfit many prison term with various design system . The chassis of the arrangements has switch depending on the epoch , and in recent year , there are many models in which the yellow duct on the dresser is protruding forward along with the frame , but I ca n’t forgive that , ” he tell .

Kamiya ’s rage for getting even the smallest details right is so strong that it often give way unappreciated by others . “ Even when I say passionately , ‘ This canal ’s design is different ! ’ I only get a weak response like , ‘ Oh , I see . ’ ” For him , this spirit level of deep noesis and otaku - similar veneration mirrors the mania of other enthusiasts , whether they are plot designers , train photographers , or any other recess hobbyist . “ Just likeGundamis to me , when I think about how train photographer probably have their own obsessions that others do n’t realize , it makes me excited . ”

Kamiya’s Creative Vision: What Makes His Games Stand Out

Okami 2 and Beyond: The Future of CLOVERS Inc.

Kamiya ’s love for game , Zanzibar copal , and spot - on details has form everything he create , from the fluid combat ofDevil May Cryto the vibrant worlds ofOkamiandBayonetta . His passion — whether in gameplay mechanism or storytelling — has made his piece of work stand out for decades .

The first Okami bequeath a mark on the industriousness with its impeccable plot intention and , with the sequel looming on the apparent horizon , you should play it .

Now , with CLOVERS Inc. , he ’s startle unfermented , but his influences , fromGundamto classic arcade title , remain the same . As fan anticipateOkami 2 , one thing is certain — the game is far from over for Hideki Kamiya .

Nezuko and Tanjiro from Demon Slayer

origin : Game*Spark

Blood; The Last Vampire’s Saya with her katana, Akira’s Kaneda firing a gun, Cowboy Bebop’s Spike smiling.

Untitled design - 2025-03-12T133538.082

Image of the first Gundam, mobile suit gundam rx-78-2, looking into the sun

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Anime

Gaming