Kamiya says ‘perplexing’ fan response to Bayonetta 3 impacted how he is approaching his Okami sequel
Kamiya is directing a direct sequel to one of his games for the first time
Hideki Kamiya, the boss of Clovers Studio, has stated that the fan response to the Bayonetta sequels influenced his approach to directing Okami 2.
Kamiya, a veteran developer known for Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, and more, is currently working on a sequel to his cult hit, Okami. Developed in partnership with the IP holder Capcom, Kamiya recently founded a new studio, Clovers, to develop the sequel.
In a new interview with VGC, Kamiya discussed what it’s been like directing a full sequel to one of his games for the first time, and how his experiences working on the Bayonetta titles impacted his thinking.
“With Bayonetta 2 and 3, and Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, with those games, although I wasn’t the director, I supervised the series production,” he explained. “What I saw with those games was that, as each one was released, the fans’ idea of what Bayonetta is, and what a sequel should be, grew stronger.”
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The veteran director went on to say that he believes that fan expectation around Bayonetta created a disconnect between what the fans wanted from the games, and what Platinum envisioned for the series.
“That created a gap between what we at Platinum wanted to do and what fans expected from the now firmly established image of Bayonetta. It was a bit of a perplexing experience for me seeing how fans reacted when Bayonetta 3 was released.”
Kamiya says that this response impacted the way he is currently directing the sequel to Okami.
“So I don’t necessarily mean to fight that with the new Okami game, but it’s something that I’m trying to think more deeply about how to approach. It’s a very different kind of challenge compared to creating an original title. The one thing that I can say about making the Okami sequel is that it’s extremely fun. And just judging by the atmosphere of the office, I think everyone feels that way.”
Kamiya left PlatinumGames in October 2023, saying he made the decision after “a lot of consideration based on my own beliefs”. Speaking in a new video on his YouTube channel, Kamiya said he expects the Bayonetta series to live on, while expressing disappointment that he won’t get to fulfil his vision for the series.
“I’ve talked about this in various interviews, that the Bayonetta series would consist of a total of nine episodes, and that I wanted to grow the franchise as the Bayonetta ‘Saga’, but it seems like I may have to take the full saga to the grave with me.
“It’s a shame. It’s not like I own the Bayonetta IP, but I suppose those who do will probably keep it going.”
