Capcom veteran Hideaki Itsuno has introduced his departure from the Japanese videogame large, after over 30 years as a senior member of its growth employees. Itsuno is best-known for his work on the Devil May Cry collection, created by Hideki Kamiya however arguably reaching its peak with the Itsuno-directed Devil May Cry 3, and Dragon’s Dogma, Itsuno’s personal dream recreation with the sequel turning out as his final main venture for Capcom.
“At the tip of August 2024, I can be leaving Capcom after 30 years and 5 months,” Itsuno posted on social media. “Thank you to your long-term help of the video games and characters I’ve been chargeable for. I hope you’ll proceed to help Capcom’s video games and characters.”
Itsuno goes on to say that he is not accomplished with video games but, however is off to do his personal factor. “From September, I’ll begin growing a brand new recreation in a brand new atmosphere. I hope to create enjoyable, stunning video games which might be as memorable as, or much more memorable than, those I’ve created up to now.”
Itsuno has definitely been concerned with some memorable video games. A preventing recreation fanatic, he joined Capcom on that foundation (in addition to as a result of the workplace was a simple commute) and his star rose swiftly: The earliest glimpse of Itsuno’s abilities got here in 1995’s glorious Street Fighter Alpha, which he co-directed. Itsuno would play a key position in Capcom’s preventing video games over the following decade, directing and co-directing entries within the Rival Schools, Capcom vs SNK, Darkstalkers and Power Stone collection.
The one wobble in Itsuno’s profession was when he was assigned to a salvage operation: Devil May Cry 2. This sequel had few of the unique recreation’s builders engaged on it, and was mishandled from the beginning, with Itsuno introduced in on the latter levels to attempt to make one thing of a venture that was a complete mess. Itsuno didn’t recognize the task however, nonetheless, drove the staff and referred to as in each firm favour he may to get the sport over the road:
“The last days of growth on DMC 2 had been wild,” recalled Itsuno in 2013’s Devil May Cry: Graphic Arts. “I joined the staff proper close to the tip, because the deadline was approaching, and it is no exaggeration to say that each obtainable employees member was mobilized. They even recruited non-team members comparable to myself. […] DMC 2 simply yanked out all these members from different groups who had been busy engaged on their very own tasks.”
Itsuno ended up credited as DMC2’s director, and his dissatisfaction with the sport noticed him request to steer growth on Devil May Cry 3 from the beginning. The consequence was among the best hack-and-slash video games ever made, a gloriously fluid 3D fighter with an in depth and sophisticated fight system that rewarded participant experimentation. It additionally made Dante cool once more after the emo catastrophe of DMC2, however that is by-the-by.
Itsuno would go on to direct DMC4 and DMC5, in addition to overseeing Ninja Theory’s unfairly maligned DmC. After DMC4 Itsuno acquired the possibility to develop one in all his authentic concepts, a medieval fantasy RPG with a Greco-Roman bestiary and stylings. Dragon’s Dogma pioneered issues just like the pawn system however most significantly was a meaty RPG world the place the fight was Capcom high quality.
Itsuno is likely one of the builders most chargeable for Capcom’s numerous kinds of motion and preventing video games being the gold normal. His work prolonged nicely past the above titles too, and he leaves having led growth on a number of video games which might be among the many greatest examples of their style. Dragon’s Dogma 2 was launched in March this yr, Itsuno’s last bow at Capcom, and as our evaluation says “this can be a recreation that can be talked about for a very long time.” Who is aware of what’s subsequent for Itsuno, however I do know this: It will not be boring.
