Hideo Kojima is very unapologetic about the design of his games. It’s always easy to tell when a game is produced by Hideo Kojima, as the writing and gameplay, as well as everything in between, are so ingrained with talent. Death Stranding 2 has so much of Hideo Kojima in its DNA, and it’s a celebration of everything Kojima has worked towards in his career in the industry that spans decades.
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While Death Stranding 2 has a greater focus on its story, it’s impossible not to see Kojima’s influence in every aspect of its design, so why not check out parts of Death Stranding 2 that will have gamers say, “That’s so Kojima“?
Kojima’s Kept You Waiting, Huh?
It wouldn’t be a Hideo Kojima game without reference to his magnum opus series, Metal Gear Solid. There are plenty of references to Snake and other Metal Gear aspects in Death Stranding 2, which is something Kojima loves to do. Even the first Death Stranding has Sam stare at a cardboard box, as if reminiscent of a previous life. However, Death Stranding 2 has more than just a box; it has an antagonist who looks like Solid Snake, complete with a bandanna, a cyborg samurai ally like Raiden, and of course, the iconic: “kept you waiting, huh?” Kojima loves to reference his previous works, especially when it’s as iconic as Metal Gear.
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Very Long Cutscenes
Kojima’s Games Play Well, and Behave Like Movies
Death Stranding 2 has incredible gameplay, with talented stealth and action segments, but they’re in between the incredible storytelling. Death Stranding 2 has extremely long cutscenes, and while they might not be as long as the introduction to Metal Gear Solid 4, they are still pretty lengthy. Players will often have the controller set down and on charge for 10 to 20 minutes, and sometimes even longer, but that’s part of the package of a Kojima game. Players expect long cutscenes because the stories are so very cinematic and enjoyable.
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Strong Emotional Themes and Scenes
Kojima Knows How to Tug at Heart Strings and Provoke Thoughts
Hideo Kojima can tell very powerful stories, and it’s a boast to his talent as a writer and a director that he can capture some true emotion within his words, scenes, and actors. There are a multitude of scenes in Death Stranding 2 that will have players gripping their hearts in tension and emotion, and it’s a concept Kojima has managed to succeed in over the course of all his games. Even outside of these emotional scenes, there are some emotional themes that resonate and have hard-hitting realities to them. Whether it’s Metal Gear Solid 2‘s theme of a controlled government, or Death Stranding‘s importance on connections to other humans, Death Stranding 2 has it all with strong themes relating to today’s issues with human connection and AI dependency that shows how Kojima is always on top.
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A Love of Celebrities
Pop Culture is Adored by Kojima
Kojima celebrates pop culture in every game, with characters randomly talking about movies, songs, and other aspects of pop culture. Whether it’s in a Codec call to Snake, or in a more obvious setting like a face model being that of a celebrity. Death Stranding 2 is a more blatant example of Hideo Kojima’s love of pop culture, as not only is the main cast a celebrated group of A-list talent with faces and voices of Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, Elle Fanning, and even George Millar, but most of the preppers that Sam can interact with have face scans of other famed directors, musicians, actors, and more. Kojima’s love of celebrities shines through with Death Stranding 2.
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Absolutely Wild Concepts and Tech
Character Quirks, Lore Drops, and Tech Helps to Build Kojima’s World
The compendium of Death Stranding 2 fills up with each conversation as a character will casually drop a new bit of lore surrounding the world, or show off a piece of technology that’s so absurd yet so cool. Many aspects of Death Stranding 2‘s creativity come from the concepts surrounding the game’s world, with Beaches, BBs, Ghost Mechs, along with the creativity of the 21-minute syndrome and DOOMs. So many characters have distinct traits that make for absolutely wild concepts that are so much fun to be involved in. Even outside of these concepts and technology, there’s always room for more, as Death Stranding 2 features a few branding deals with real-life songs and sunglasses, which is also something Kojima has used before.
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Exposition Galore
Characters Have to Explain Quite a Bit of Lore
Hideo Kojima’s stories can often be seen as confusing, but they’re more convoluted and easy to understand, but at the request of plenty of exposition. Part of Kojima’s stories require a vast understanding of the concepts and themes featured, which is why there are some lengthy scenes where characters like Heartman have to explain exactly what’s going on. While it’s a heavy amount of “tell” instead of “show,” it’s necessary, and unapologetically Kojima i design allows for lengthy exchanges of dialogue that explain what’s actually going on.
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Absurdist Humor
Fourth Wall Breaks and Nonsensical Scenes Are Part of the Charm
Despite the serious narrative and themes of Death Stranding 2, the game knows when to have fun with its design. There are plenty of secret scenes and scenes that are actually integral to the plot that delve into absurd humor that will have players chuckling. Whether it’s the main villain talking directly to the player, Heartman giving us a like, Sam experiencing a wild nightmare, or even seeing the mannequin of Charlie break into a song and dance about BB’s Theme by Ludvig Forssell. There’s so much hilarity in Death Stranding 2‘s humor, which is commonplace in Kojima’s games.