The Best Video Games Made By Hideki Kamiya

Summary

• Kamiya directed and wrote iconic games like Resident Evil, Bayonetta, and Viewtiful Joe.
• Kamiya’s role extended to game conceptualization, design, and supervision.
• Most games on the list are visually striking and had unique gameplay mechanics.

If you don’t know yet, Hideki Kamiya was responsible for directing and writing the iconic games you played throughout the early and mid-2000s. Whether you started shooting up infected and mutated humans because of Resident Evil or developed a huge crush on Bayonetta (because who wouldn’t), none of it would’ve been possible without this legendary developer.

If he didn’t direct the titles you’ve grown to love, he was most likely responsible for writing its story, conceptualizing the game, or supervising it. Based on design, story, and overall reception, here are the best games that Hideki Kamiya worked on.

Updated December 16th, 2024 by Hilton Webster: With the announcement of an Okami sequel after almost two decades, and newly headed by original director Hideki Kamiya, there’s been a renewed interest in the iconic creators previous works. We’ve given this list an update to highlight every game he’s had a significant presence on for your viewing pleasure.

16

World Of Demons

World of Demons is one of PlatinumGames’ more unheard of titles. Released exclusively on Apple Arcade, it was originally developed as a free-to-play title before pivoting platform. It is a gorgeous game, taking cues from Kamiya’s earlier work on Okami, with enemy designs that bear a striking similarity as well.

That said, the game was severely lacking in depth and content, and fell into obscurity fairly quickly, and is no longer legally available either. Kamiya’s role was that of a supervisor, likely owing to the Okami inspiration.

15

Viewtiful Joe 2

The sequel to the original Viewtiful Joe, this game wasn’t directed by Kamiya like the original, but did still have him penning the story as before. This was also the first game made by the ill-fated Clover Studio, which also made Okami and God Hand.

Viewtful Joe 2 was akin to its predecessor in most regards, combining elements of 2D with 3D with that beautiful cel-shaded graphics.It also added Silvia as a playable character of her own with unique powers to set her apart from Joe.

14

Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble

Viewtiful Joe is the fourth game in the series, with only one of the entries not having been worked on by Kamiya at all. It was also the final entry in the series, with the story that Kamiya once again wrote left unfinished. It was also the first and only entry on the DS, offering a dramatically different play experience from the other games.

Unlike previous games, whose stories had taken place within the fictional move sets, Double Trouble shifted gears into the actual reality of the games. Maybe one day that cliffhanger will finally be picked up.

13

Sol Cresta

Sol Cresta, the first game directed by Kamiya since The Wonderful 101 in 2013, is a rather unexpected title. It is a top-down shooter in the vein of arcade classics. In fact, it is literally the sequel to Terra Cresta 3D, itself a sequel to a series that began on arcades with Moon Cresta back in 1980. The game is something of a passion project.

The game is built around ‘docking’, combining multiple ships together to unlock new, more powerful abilities. It even comes with a DLC to have Kamiya narrate the game for you if you’ve ever dreamed of having him speak to you at length without being blocked.

12

Bayonetta Origins

In a drastic departure for the series, Bayonetta Origins presents itself as a storybook adventure, popping with colour and playing in a story that feels more whimsical than the over-the-top nature of the mainline games. It has Kamiya as the story writer once again, as well as helping craft the over narrative and a supervising director role.

Taking a step away from the character actions of the more adult entries, this game has Cereza traveling with Chesire who is the real fighter this time around. It takes more from Astral Chain in some regards, having to carefully balance gameplay between Cereza and Chesire’s various abilities at the same time.

Bayonetta Origins first appeared as a secret playable level in Bayonetta 3.

11

Astral Chain

While Astral Chain was directed by Takahisa Taura, long-time lead game designer at PlatinumGames, Kamiya assisted in a supervisor role, helping with getting thematic ideas across in terms of gameplay and design. The Legions for example, the various beasts you have to assist you in combat, were designed with recommendations by Kamiya.

Astral Chain is also one of the most astoundingly gorgeous games on the Switch. The combat is simplified comapred to many of Platinum’s other games in favour of letting you explore more at your own pace. And it is a treat with such gorgeous designs and banging music.

10

The Wonderful 101

The Wonderful 101 isn’t the most well-known game in this roster, but it does deserve credit for its unique gameplay. No other game lets you control 100 characters all at once, or gives you the privilege to group them all up to fight against gigantic aliens in very creative and cooperative ways.

The reason the heroes have to work together is that the aliens invading their planet are huge, and not one hero can single-handedly take them down. If you’ve ever wanted to play a game that championed the power of friendship and strategy to save the world from evil, Wonderful 101 is something you shouldn’t ignore.

9

Viewtiful Joe

Viewtiful Joe is so seriously underrated that it should be illegal. But fans of Hideki Kamiya know about this hidden gem, as it was a hit side-scrolling beat ’em up game on consoles. It follows the story of Joe, who was teleported into the Movieworld by the villain of the movie he was watching. An early case of isekai, he wasn’t taken in by the foreign world for nothing: he had the mission to save Silvia, who was also taken into the Movieworld.

Entrusted with a device by Captain Blue, the world’s hero, Joe was given the ability to transform into a hero himself so that he can save Silvia and defeat evil. Directed by Hideki Kamiya himself, this game wears his signature well from its theme up to its uniqueness in art style.

8

Resident Evil

It goes without saying that most people’s experience in zombie bashing and fear of succumbing to engineered biohazards is rooted in the first Resident Evil game. We were introduced to the ground zero of the outbreak: Raccoon City, and the three characters that drove the next few games in the series whether explicitly or behind the scenes.

If you’ve had suspicions of the connection between Resident Evil and the Sweet Home comics, it’s true that the monsters of the game, as well as the haunted mansion setting, are inspired by the latter. Simply put, Resident Evil was a horror action game like no other upon its launch, and it is the first installment of the iconic series. Kamiya only worked as a System Planner here, but it laid the foundations for his later work on the series.

7

Resident Evil Zero

Resident Evil Zero gave fans the much-needed lore in this prequel, as it explained the involvement of Umbrella Corp. and the creation of the T-Virus. This also puts more focus on the Bravo Team and Albert Wesker’s loyalties, all within a day before the events of the first game.

This game’s remastered version improved and updated the graphics, so you wouldn’t need to worry about clunky-looking gameplay, and you could just focus on immersing yourself in the mysterious events before the first game. For an old game, it also features one of the most hardest achievements to unlock in the Resident Evil Series.

6

Okami

is a Okami is avisual treat for anybody looking for a sumi-e painting that is playable, which is a need you probably didn’t know existed until you stumbled upon this critically acclaimed game. Even the gameplay’s combat looks visually appeasing instead of the usual gritty gameplay seen in most games that Hideki Kamiya was involved in.

If you haven’t played this game yet, it follows the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu in the form of a white wolf who was protecting a village from a sealed serpent named Orochi. This game would be a shame to miss out on for anybody interested in Japanese folklore and art.

5

Devil May Cry

Another classic from Hideki Kamiya is Devil May Cry, a game that he directed. Popularizing the term that devils don’t cry, this game is mainly about slashing and hacking demons, and partly about complicated family ties. But you most likely remember this game for Dante’s inability to die from getting stabbed through the chest, or Trish being capable of overhead lifting a motorbike and throwing it at full force.

Devil May Cry is the first of a successful series of entries, but the first game holds a special place in the hearts of most hack-and-slash gamers.

4

Bayonetta

It’s hard to refuse Bayonetta due to her exaggerated charm, enchanting break dance, and unrealistically practical battle heels. Bayonetta was succeeded by two games and one spinoff, and none of them would have been possible if the players haven’t fallen in love with the original cast of the first game.

Beyond the amazing relationships between the main characters, the gameplay takes heels to a practical level with the iconic heel stomp, which allows her to summon a giant boot with a tall heel that attacks through stomping. Glamorous and magical, most of us wish we could fight like her without tripping on the ground.

3

Bayonetta 2

You might as well go and play Bayonetta 2 if you’ve played the first game, because it’s just as good as the first game. It garnered well-deserved praise with the amount of nominations and awards it was able to gain in the year of its launch. This is a must-play if you’re specifically invested in the friendship of Jeanne and Bayonetta, because this is the game where Bayonetta saves Jeanne’s soul, which was dragged into inferno against all odds.

But that’s just the first half of the plot; you also find the mythological Loki in the form of a boy which plays a bigger role in the story. It’s a new adventure with Bayonetta, Jeanne, Rodin, and Luka, with poor Enzo getting dragged along once more.

2

Resident Evil 2

If the Ultimate Game of The Year 2019 recognition by the Golden Joystick Awards isn’t enough to convince you to play Resident Evil 2, maybe the first-time appearance of Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong can sway your opinion. Not only are these two capable of delivering amazing fight sequences against whoever they’re up against, but this game also pursues the G-Virus vaccine in our beloved Raccoon City, now infested by zombies two months after the first game.

If you’ve gone through the original title and its prequel, you might as well give this one a shot so that you can be a better critic of the Netflix live-action adaptation. While Kamiya had no hand in the remake, he was the director of the original game. Not only that, it was the first game he ever directed. A great first impression.

1

Bayonetta 3

Bayonetta 3 won The Game Award for Best Action Game of 2022, and is arguably an amazing way to pay tribute and homage to the legacy of the Bayonetta series. It carries iconic attacks from the two previous games and adds the summoning of Infernal Demons which she can control. There is also the appearance of a spunky, out-of-this-world blonde named Viola who warns Bayonetta and Jeanne about how her world was destroyed by homunculi.

Everything comes back in full circle in the third game, and it was a good way to kiss Cereza’s chapter to a close in the series.