The announcement of a sequel to the beloved game Ōkami at The Game Awards last year sparked immediate speculation among fans about the use of Capcom's RE Engine, given Capcom's role as the publisher. IGN has now confirmed these speculations to be true following an exclusive interview with key project leads.

In the interview, Machine Head Works producer Kiyohiko Sakata detailed the collaborative efforts between Capcom, Clovers, and Machine Head Works. He explained that Capcom, as the major IP holder, sets the overall direction for the game, while Clovers leads the development. Machine Head Works acts as a crucial bridge, leveraging its experience with both Capcom and Clovers, as well as its prior collaborations with Ōkami's director, Hideki Kamiya. Additionally, Machine Head Works brings its expertise with the RE Engine, which is new to Clovers' developers. This knowledge transfer is vital for the project, and Machine Head Works also includes team members who worked on the original Ōkami, further enriching the development process.

When asked about the advantages of using the RE Engine for the Ōkami sequel, Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi affirmed its importance, stating that the engine is essential for realizing Kamiya's artistic vision. Kamiya himself praised the RE Engine for its expressive capabilities and noted that fans now expect the high-quality visuals it delivers.

The leads hinted that the RE Engine could allow them to fulfill ambitions they had for the original Ōkami but were unable to achieve due to technological limitations at the time. Sakata expressed optimism about achieving and even surpassing their past goals with the advanced technology now available.

RE Engine, also known as Reach for the Moon Engine, was initially developed for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and has since been used in numerous Capcom titles, including the Resident Evil series, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, and Dragon's Dogma. While most games using this engine feature a realistic art style, the unique art of Ōkami presents an exciting opportunity to explore new visual possibilities. Capcom is also developing a new engine, REX, whose technology is gradually being integrated into the RE Engine, suggesting that elements of REX might appear in the Ōkami sequel.

For a comprehensive look at our interview with the leads of the upcoming Ōkami sequel, you can read the full Q&A here.