Okami’s sequel is on the way, almost two decades later

There were some big surprise announcements at this year’s The Game Awards, but perhaps none were as unexpected as word of a sequel to eyes. Not only that, but the director of the original game, Hideki Kamiya, is at the helm.

“eyes is a game critically acclaimed for its unique world, heart-warming story, and thrilling adventures,” publisher Capcom said in the YouTube teaser description. “Now a new adventure in the same vein as eyes is on.” Details are thin so far. Production is about to begin.

Kamiya is also directing Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry and Watching Joe during his first stint at Konami before leaving to found PlatinumGames. Last year it became clear that Kamiya was leaving Bayonetta studio. We now know that he is part of a new studio, Clovers, which is making this sequel along with M-Two Inc Machine Head Works. (Capcom’s closed affiliate Clover Studio made the original.)

eyes is one of the best examples of video games as an art form. As Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess who takes the form of a white wolf, you use a paintbrush to help solve puzzles and defeat enemies. The 2006 game it had a forgettable look but was stylized to improve the performance of the PlayStation 2. With much more powerful hardware at their disposal, Kamiya, the studios and Capcom have the potential to deliver a sequel that is more than visually worthy eyes.