Clover Studios’ fantastic cult-classic Okami may be heading to the PS4 and Xbox One this Christmas, if recent rumors are to be believed.
According to Kotaku UK, the site has received two independent sources claiming that the game will see a release this Christmas season in a physical format, although last-generation’s Okami HD was limited to a digital release only in regions outside of Japan. The site was shown evidence from two separate European retail chains, from different parts of the European Union, that the game had been added to the stores’ upcoming physical releases calendar with a release date of December 12th, 2017.
Now would be a good time for Capcom (Okami’s publisher) to re-remaster the action-adventure game as Hideki Kamiya, the game’s director, has claimed that he still has ideas on where to take a sequel to the 2006 game, along with ideas for numerous other sequels in the developer’s large history of fantastic products. If this remaster is to be believed that would be evidence enough to suggest that Kamiya’s current studio, Platinum Games, are already working on a sequel.
As with any rumors circulating around the game’s industry, should we take this with a grain of salt? Well, the answer is always yes but the history of both Kotaku and especially Laura Kate Dale has been particularly good as of late. If the name sounds familiar, that might because of Dale’s incredible past two years with leaking unknown projects. Since 2016, Laura has been behind the leaking of the PS4 Slim (complete with an unboxing and review) before it was announced alongside the PS4 Pro, details on Mario and Rabbids: Kingdom Battle as early as 2016 and several key details about the Nintendo Switch back when it was called the NX. That’s not to say the journalist’s track record has been perfect however, as she did claim Beyond Good and Evil 2 would become a Nintendo Switch exclusive upon release while the game currently remains a multi-platform title.
As for what gamers want, I would assume a proper remaster of Okami would be a perfect fit for today’s systems. While it would be great to see a PC and Nintendo Switch release too, just the option of a newer, shinier version of Okami on PS4 and Xbox One is already sounding extremely tantalizing. Let’s hope this is more than just a rumor.
