Few directors have shaped action gaming quite like Hideki Kamiya. Beginning his career at Capcom in 1994, Kamiya made his directorial debut with Resident Evil 2 before going on to create some of the medium’s most celebrated original games, including Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe and the Japan Media Arts Festival Grand Prize-winning Ōkami. He later co-founded PlatinumGames, where he directed Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101 and served as vice-president before departing in 2023 to form his new independent studio, CLOVERS. At The Game Awards 2024, he unveiled the project fans had been waiting nearly two decades for: a full sequel to Ōkami.
This year, Kamiya made his first trip to Italy as a guest of Lucca Comics & Games, the massive celebration of games, comics and pop culture held each fall in the heart of Tuscany, now celebrating its 60th year. Between wandering the city’s historic streets and preparing to sample the local cuisine, Kamiya sat down with CGMagazine to reflect on his remarkable career, discuss the challenge of living up to 20 years of expectations with the new Ōkami, share his admiration for the creative freedom of indie developers and offer advice to the next generation of game makers bold enough to follow their own vision.
How have you enjoyed your time in Lucca for Lucca Comics & Games, and is there anything you are excited to do while here?
Hideki Kamiya: Just walking around feels new and refreshing. Every corner and every little street feels like an adventure, and the traditional old buildings are wonderful to look at. I can feel the history and tradition around me. Even wandering through town without knowing where I’m going is fascinating.
I’ve only been here for a day, but I’m having a wonderful time. It’s also my first visit to Italy, so I’m looking forward to trying all kinds of Italian food.
Looking back on your exciting career, which game are you most proud of, and why?
Hideki Kamiya: It’s difficult to choose because every game means something different to me. Resident Evil 2 was the first game I directed, so it was my first time being in charge of an entire project. I worked hard on Resident Evil 2, but I think the first Resident Evil, which Mikami made, was the scariest. It was precisely because that first game was so great that players enjoyed Resident Evil 2 as well.
Devil May Cry was my first original title. With Viewtiful Joe, my boss at the time, Mikami, entrusted me with a small team and responsibility for the entire game as a training project. It was my first time having a team of my own, and I had to oversee all the different aspects of development. That made it both creatively challenging and a valuable learning experience.
Every project has been different, so I can’t really compare them and say one is better than the others.
What do you most want to achieve with the new Ōkami project?
Hideki Kamiya: Twenty years have passed since the first Ōkami, and players’ expectations have grown enormously. Most of the games I’ve made have been original titles, so expectations generally didn’t build up in advance in the same way. They were series nobody knew yet. This time, there’s an existing game, and people are really looking forward to finding out what comes next.
This may be the first time I’ve faced the task of meeting expectations on this scale. It’s also my first time directing a sequel to one of my own original games, which makes the challenge even greater. Meeting those expectations is the biggest challenge.
I can’t say much about the new Ōkami, but one thing I can say is that, as with the first game, I want it to be enjoyable for beginners and less experienced players. That includes the attack commands and the overall gameplay experience.
Devil May Cry and Bayonetta are focused on action and aimed at more advanced players. With Ōkami, I try to make something that beginners can play more comfortably, so I don’t want to ask players to do anything overly complicated. I want the sequel to remain enjoyable for those newer players, too.
Is there an idea you’ve always wanted to include in a game but haven’t been able to realize?
Hideki Kamiya: I can’t think of any right now.
What do you think is missing from video games today?
Hideki Kamiya: Personally, I think the indie scene is very lively. Individual creators can be honest about what they want to make and pursue their own ideas. Their teams can be very small and their budgets low, but they have a great deal of creative freedom.
By contrast, I don’t often see the creators’ individuality reflected in games made with very large budgets. Those projects come with constraints that can limit the creators’ imagination. Personally, I find that disappointing.
What advice would you give young developers who want to make original games?
Hideki Kamiya: I think it’s simply a matter of being true to what you want to create. If you have an idea, make it. Follow your instincts and your creativity.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years. Compared with when I was younger, I think I can now recognize more easily when a particular way of doing things is likely to lead to failure. I can sense a mistake coming before it happens.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us here at Lucca.
