From Bayonetta to Okami, Hideki Kamiya earned his reputation as one of gaming’s finest auteurs with his mastery of the action genres. However, he has also worked for several different studios across console generations. During his long-awaited announcement for Okami’s sequel, he revealed he would create another studio, Clovers. Afterward, he gave shocking thoughts about his time working for Platinum Games and why he eventually left. Here is a breakdown of the latest interview with Hideki Kamiya and why it’s so important.

Hideki Kamiya and Platinum

According to Eurogamer, veteran game developer Hideki Kamiya expressed his plans for the future. Last year, he made a shocking departure from Platinum Games, under which he directed many games. He said that if he continued working at Platinum Games, “his artistic spirit would die.” This is especially surprising because many of his iconic games, like Bayonetta and Astral Chain, were produced under their label.

Even as the company’s vice president, he believed his role held back his vision while enacting CEO Astuha Inaba’s will. Furthermore, he previously discussed “trust” issues between him and the rest of the team. With such an important visionary leading Platinum, this will be a huge blow, but they have proven their talents through other games, such as the philosophical masterpiece NieR: Automata.

At The Game Awards this year, his announcement for an Okami sequel became one of the biggest reveals from the massive ceremony. For the project, he joined with his long-time partner, Kaneto Koyama, to found Clovers, another new studio. Before Platinum Games, he was a prolific director for the now-defunct Clover Studios, a subsidiary of Capcom. Therefore, this new studio’s label is a respectful homage.

A Legendary Developer’s History

Before his work with Platinum Games, Hideki Kamiya established himself as a respected game developer. Having been a gamer since the medium’s genesis, he worked on several titles, such as the first Resident Evil. His first claim to fame was directing the first Devil May Cry game, which spawned a decades-long franchise of iconic action games.

Years later, as mentioned earlier, he directed the campy Viewtiful Joe and spiritual Okami for Clover Studios. After Clover was disbanded, he co-founded Platinum Games, a studio specializing in kinetic action games like the memetic Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. For over a decade, he directed several more games, such as the obscure Wonderful 101. While their partnership did end last year, it was his most prolific era. For a similar story, take Hideo Kojima’s infamous departure from Konami, which led to Kojima Productions and the iconic Death Stranding. In previous interviews, he discussed a mysterious “new project,” though it’s uncertain if this was the Okami sequel.

Reviving Okami

During the 2000s, Hideki Kamiya’s Okami became one of the greatest cult classics of its era. Okami was a retelling of Japanese mythology where players controlled Okami Amaterasu through a gorgeous cel-shaded environment. Despite widespread acclaim, the game didn’t sell too well. However, the game received a Nintendo DS sequel with the humble yet underrated Okamiden. Much like Norse and Greek myths, Japan has endless stories to tell.

Sixteen years later, Okami remains a beloved classic, so much so that its sequel’s announcement at The Game Awards received the excitement it did. The logo for their new studio, Clovers, was made of four Cs: craftsmanship, creativity, and challenge. Their crew would decide the fourth’s meaning. As the game was only announced, fans must wait for more information.

Conclusion

Many huge and iconic studios have collapsed in recent years due to mass layoffs, while veterans have moved on to independent projects. Therefore, Hideki Kamiya’s new team and Okami sequel will be another chance for creators to thrive outside of corporate control. Okami was one of the most beloved games from its era and was heralded as an example of video games as art. With its original team reuniting after all these years, this new project has everything to prove.