Ōkami 2: RE Engine Development Confirmed

Following the announcement of a long-awaited Ōkami sequel at The Game Awards, fan speculation immediately centered on Capcom's RE Engine powering the game, given Capcom's return as publisher. IGN can exclusively confirm this, based on interviews with key project leads.

In an extensive interview, Machine Head Works producer Kiyohiko Sakata confirmed the use of RE Engine. Regarding Machine Head Works' role, Sakata explained: "Machine Head Works, collaborating with Capcom and Clover, acts as a bridge. Capcom, as the IP holder, sets the overall direction. Clover leads development. Our experience working with Capcom on numerous titles, understanding their needs, and our prior collaboration with Kamiya-san, makes us uniquely positioned. We also bring expertise in RE Engine, which Clover lacks, providing crucial support. Furthermore, our team includes members with experience on the original Ōkami, further aiding development."

When asked about RE Engine's appeal and its specific benefits for an Ōkami sequel, Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi simply replied, "Yes," before elaborating: "We at Capcom believe that without RE Engine, we couldn't realize director Hideki Kamiya's artistic vision for this project." Kamiya added, "RE Engine is renowned for its exceptional visual capabilities, and we believe that level of quality is expected for this game."

Later, Sakata hinted at RE Engine's potential to realize aspects of the original Ōkami's vision that were previously unattainable: "With today's technology, and the power of RE Engine, we can achieve what we strived for back then, and perhaps even surpass it."

RE Engine, short for Reach for the Moon Engine, debuted with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Since then, it's powered major Capcom titles including the Resident Evil series, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, and Dragon's Dogma. While many RE Engine games feature a realistic art style, its application to Ōkami's distinct aesthetic is highly anticipated. Capcom's development of a successor engine, REX, with gradual integration into RE Engine, suggests the Ōkami sequel might incorporate some of its advancements.

The full Q&A with the Ōkami sequel's leads is available here.