The director behind some of Capcom's finest action games left PlatinumGames last year, but he's not retiring.
In a wide-ranging discussion on his career with fellow Japanese developer Ikumi Nakamura, the man behind beloved action classics like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta directly addressed his old employer, Capcom, with a request: let him back in the studio to make sequels to two of his games.
In 2006 Kamiya directed the Zelda-like adventure game Okami, which we rated highly more than a decade later when it was finally ported to PC. It was his last game at Capcom—the company closed the internal studio that had made Okami shortly after its release, and many of the developers (including Kamiya) left to found Platinum. But after nearly 20 years, it seems like Kamiya still feels like he has unfinished business.
"The story ended midway, so leaving it as it is, I feel bad," Kamiya reflected. "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."
Nakamura added her own "please," as she'd worked with Kamiya as an artist on Okami—her first credited game role after joining Capcom at age 19. This isn't the first time the two have discussed making a sequel—they even recorded a video in 2019 declaring that "Okami is going to be back!" though the confident declaration apparently wasn't enough to get Capcom on board. Maybe this time, with Kamiya freshly unemployed, there's a chance it'll happen—though Nakamura now has her own studio, where she's heading up horror game Kemuri.
The conversation between the two is playful but does seem sincere. Kamiya added that he also felt the same way about his comic book themed beat 'em up Viewtiful Joe, which did get a sequel but apparently left some things unresolved. While a recent Capcom fan survey saw plenty of people asking for an Okami sequel, Kamiya joked that Viewtiful Joe didn't even get a mention. "It's only because eight people have played Viewtiful Joe," he said. "That game also ended mid-way, so I need to finish it. The survey that Capcom did last time didn't have Viewtiful Joe as an option, so I sent a response saying 'I am Hideki Kamiya, let me make Viewtiful Joe's sequel.'"
His write-in comment didn't make it into the survey results, and Kamiya's apparently still salty about it. "The director himself is asking to make the game again but they won't even talk about it. What the hell, Capcom? Where did my comment go? They'll post comments from other players like 'Resident Evil was my first game I bought for my PlayStation' or 'I've always enjoyed playing Mega Man since I was a kid.' These comments are important, but it would've been nice if they mentioned me too. Hear me out as a director, please. I'm human too. I'm also a gamer. I wish they would treat me equally like gamers."
Nakamura is cracking up throughout the exchange, so it's clear they're having a bit of fun. But they also know how many fans would like to see sequels to both games (millions for Okami; exactly eight for Viewtiful Joe).
"This kind of thing ignites something and causes a stir which could lead to actually starting another project," Kamiya said. "We want to take chances on miracles like that. So honestly, we weren't pranking but rather encouraging a shift. You know, now that I'm unemployed."
