Ōkami 2 Is Being Made in RE Engine, Confirmed

Following the sequel announcement of the beloved Ōkami at last year's Game Awards, fan speculation immediately centered on Capcom's RE Engine powering the development, 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 stated:

Machine Head Works' involvement, collaborating with Capcom and Clover, sees Capcom as the primary IP holder of Ōkami, setting the game's overall direction. Clover leads development. Machine Head Works contributes its experience working with Capcom on numerous titles, understanding Capcom's needs for game creation. We also have prior experience with Kamiya-san. We act as a bridge between Clover and Capcom. Furthermore, our experience with the RE Engine is crucial, as Clover's developers lack prior experience with this engine. We're providing support. Within Machine Head Works, we also have individuals with experience on the original Ōkami, further assisting development.

When asked about the appeal of RE Engine and its benefits for an Ōkami sequel, Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi succinctly replied, "Yes," elaborating: "However, we can't divulge specifics yet. Capcom believes that without RE Engine, we couldn't realize director Hideki Kamiya's artistic vision for this project."

Kamiya added: "RE Engine is renowned for showcasing games at their best, with exceptional expressive capabilities. We believe fans anticipate this level of quality."

Later, the leads again highlighted RE Engine, with Sakata suggesting it allows the team to achieve goals unattainable with the original Ōkami. "Today's technology, coupled with RE Engine, enables us to achieve our past ambitions and perhaps even surpass them," he stated.

RE Engine (Reach for the Moon Engine) is Capcom's proprietary engine, initially developed for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It's since powered major Capcom titles including the Resident Evil series, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, and Dragon's Dogma. While many RE Engine games feature realistic art styles, the prospect of its application to Ōkami's unique style is intriguing. Capcom is developing a successor engine, REX, with technology gradually integrating into RE Engine; some REX elements might appear in the Ōkami sequel.

A complete Q&A from our interview with the Ōkami sequel leads is available.