Hideki Kamiya, director of the acclaimed 2006 game Okami, has revealed that a pivotal moment in the title was inspired by a memorable scene from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. The inspiration came from the film's depiction of Spider-Man using his webs to halt a speeding train.
In Okami, players encounter a segment where the protagonist, Amaterasu, must assist an NPC in repairing a bridge over a large river. During this task, a log rushes downstream at high speed, triggering a timed gameplay sequence. Amaterasu is required to use her Vine power to slow the log before it plunges over a waterfall. Kamiya explained on his X/Twitter account that the game's main planner, Hiroshi Shibata, directly drew inspiration from the train scene in Spider-Man 2 for this sequence.
This revelation follows other recent insights from Kamiya regarding his game development history. He previously confirmed that Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 2 was named after the 1994 film The Professional. Kamiya directed the original Resident Evil 2 and is known for creating the iconic character.
Kamiya is also involved with the development of a sequel to Okami, produced by the newly formed Clovers studio, which he founded after leaving Platinum Games. Working in collaboration with Capcom, this project is intended as a direct continuation of Okami's main narrative. Kamiya expressed his long-held desire to create an Okami sequel, noting that the original game's story felt incomplete. The sequel is being developed using Capcom's RE engine, hinting at potential visual design directions that may complement the original game's distinctive art style. Further details about the sequel are expected to be released at a later date.