Ōkami 2 Development Confirmed with RE Engine

Following the exciting reveal of a sequel to the cult classic Ōkami at last year's Game Awards, fans speculated about the use of Capcom's RE Engine for the project. IGN has now confirmed these speculations through exclusive interviews with key members of the development team.

In a detailed discussion, Machine Head Works producer Kiyohiko Sakata confirmed the use of RE Engine for the upcoming game. He elaborated on the collaborative effort between Capcom, Clovers, and Machine Head Works:

The way that Machine Head Works is involved now, working together with Capcom and Clovers, is that of course we have Capcom as the major IP holder of Ōkami, deciding the major direction of the games. And we have Clovers as the development lead for this project. Machine Head Works comes in by having the experience of both working with Capcom previously on several titles, so we know what Capcom needs to create the game. That's something that Machine Head Works has the experience and knowledge of. We also have the experience of working with Kamiya-san before as well. So we have both experience of Capcom and Clovers, and we're acting sort of like a bridge between Clovers and Capcom.

In addition to this, we also have the experience of working with the game engine that we are using for this project, RE Engine. So Clovers' developers haven't had any experiences with using this engine, but Machine Head Works have experience of using it. So we're aiding them. Also under us, Machine Head Works, we have people who have actually had experience of working with the original Ōkami game and also will be aiding us with the development of this title.

When asked about the advantages of using RE Engine for an Ōkami sequel, Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi affirmed its importance, stating, "Yes." He added, "However, of course we cannot go into much detail at this point in time. But we from Capcom, we believe that without RE Engine at this point we wouldn't be able to realize [director Hideki] Kamiya-san's artistic dreams for this project."

Director Hideki Kamiya also praised the engine, saying, "So RE Engine is of course famous for showing the best of the games that they have. Very, very good expressively. And so we believe people are also expecting and awaiting the RE Engine level of quality now for this game."

Later in the interview, the team hinted at the possibilities RE Engine could unlock for the sequel. Sakata noted, "With today's technology, we are able to achieve all of this that we were trying to achieve back in the days and perhaps even greater now, now that we have the RE Engine as well working with us."

RE Engine, also known as Reach for the Moon Engine, was initially developed for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and has since been utilized in Capcom's major titles such as the Resident Evil series, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, and Dragon's Dogma. Known for its realistic graphics, the engine's application to Ōkami's unique art style promises intriguing possibilities. Capcom is currently developing a new engine, REX, whose technology is being gradually integrated into RE Engine, hinting at potential enhancements for the Ōkami sequel.

For a comprehensive overview of our interview with the Ōkami sequel's development leads, you can read the full Q&A here.