Narrative Making by Hideo Kojima in Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 On the Beach, is among the greatest games of contemporary times designed by Hideo Kojima and a very much down-to-earth assortment of story. The game has been conscripted by Hollywood; Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Elle Fanning are part of a stellar cast.
Gameplay and Player Engagement
The player would be in control of porter Sam Bridges, who delivers supplies to isolated communities. The gameplay emphasizes cargo management and cross vast wilderness landscapes based on those found in Mexico and Australia, with slightly more action in the rare case of combat. According to the survey from Kojima Studios, 79% of players completed the game within the first month, which is a fairly high figure as compared to most open-world titles.
The Kojima "Auteur" Philosophy
Kojima is regarded as an aberration in a world dominated by a constant love-hate relationship between projects and designers. About four or five years are spent, and anything that he deems interesting is what will attract him over those years. Then, for him, come entertainment-related functions.
Use of cutscenes is one method Kojima chooses to intertwine gameplay and storytelling; the presentations in Death Stranding II account for more than six hours of cutscenes in a non-interactive environment. Because Kojima's intention is to create narratives that aren't very easy to grasp quickly, he stated, "Anything that holds discomfort or friction is remembered the most. A player will hold this experience even longer since it compels them to chew on it multiple times".
Intersection with Film and Other Media
The line separating video games from other types of entertainment continues to diminish. The cinematic aspect of Kojima's work has been commented upon for quite some time, and he was an early game designer to integrate complex narratives into his games, starting from the Metal Gear franchise of the 1980s and 90s.
Similarly, A24 is turning the Death Stranding franchise into a live-action movie, while an animated edition is coming to Disney+. Kojima Productions is collaborating on both new adaptations.
Technology's Role in Kojima's Vision
Kojima listed the fast-moving technology it has witnessed since the days of primitive 2D games up to technologies granting 4k graphics to the scanning of real actors into games. As for the upcoming trends, he sees AI mostly enhancing gameplay systems instead of visual development.
He expressed an interest in AI developing enemies whose behavior is more dynamic and adaptive to particular player actions and patterns. He believes this would build much deeper gameplay opportunities. His upcoming title is a horror project entitled "OD," co-written with filmmaker Jordan Peele.
Source: CNN
