When Hideo Kojima parted ways with Konami, it left the gaming world stunned. Bridges burned, Metal Gear Solid series lost to the system, and the fallout was unpleasant. But from the ashes arose Kojima Productions, Hideo Kojima’s new studio. Unburdened by bureaucracy Kojima wasted no time starting his new project, Death Stranding. A futuristic world shrouded in mystery filled with killer robots, creepy throat babies, Guillermo del Toro, and Norman Reedus. We don’t know much about Death Stranding, but here are something’s we are hoping to see.
Movie Magic
We are not sure to what extent Guillermo del Toro will be involved with the game, but it’s never a bad thing to have an Oscar-winning director on your team. Toro is a master of on-screen visuals and graphic storytelling. So he is a natural complement to Kojima’s ability to tell incredible stories. Video games as a whole are compared continuously to movies as an inferior medium. So Death Stranding could be a chance to show to people in the film community just how powerful video games are.
Gameplay
Gameplay may seem like a given, but this is Kojima we’re dealing with here. We know what we’re getting into when it comes to most games. We will run, jump, and shoot our way to the goals, yet Kojima has created games where we had to make up all new genres. It’s evident in the trailer that some funky stuff is going on. And no one has any idea how this game will play. Usually, we want to see how the game will play. This time is more about understanding how the game will play us.
David Hayter
For reasons unbeknownst to us, David Hayter did not reprise his critically acclaimed role as Solid Sanke in Metal Gear Solid V. The actor stated he did not know why he the team went in a different direction, but he respected the decision. Maybe it had something to do with the fallout between Kojima and Konami, but how amazing would it be if a familiar voice returned in Death Stranding? I have no evidence to support this theory. It’s just pure speculation, but how amazing would it be to hear,”Kept You Waiting, Huh?” In a nostalgic voice at some point?
Humor
As serious as Kojima’s projects are they usually have with quirky humor. It’s one of his major calling cards, and it will be a shame if it doesn’t show up this time around. I’m not sure how dark the game will be, but I will be expecting jokes to show up at the most inappropriate times. While I can do without the literal toilet humor, I welcome any outlandish gags that will somehow have some insane story relevancy.
Hopefully, E3 will give us a deep dive into what’s to come in Death Stranding. When you’re dealing with the mind behind Metal Gear Solid, any and everything is possible. Maybe we will get a release date too if we’re lucky.
