Death Stranding was a polarizing game when it was first released, but for the upcoming sequel, previews and early reviews for the game have largely been positive. In a recent interview, game director Hideo Kojima explained how he was happy to see test audiences react more favorably to Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, but he also explained how this had left him feeling conflicted.
“Sony is pleased, of course, but I do wish I was a bit more controversial,” Kojima said to Edge Magazine (via VGC). “Blockbuster films need an 80% approval rating–I don’t want to make games like that. I’m not interested in appealing to the mass market or selling millions of copies. That’s not what I’m aiming for.”
Kojima did acknowledge the paradox of this approach, as while he may not be aiming to appeal to the broader gaming market, Death Stranding 2 still needs to sell a sizable number of units if he wants to keep the lights on at Kojima Productions and pay his staff. The other benefit to reviews being divided over a game is that it allows a developer like Kojima to receive constructive criticism and implement improvements, both in the base game and a potential sequel. At the same time, Kojima says that he won’t alter themes or story based on feedback from players.
Kojima added that he has a singular vision when it comes to responding to feedback. “I do listen to criticism, if the controls need tweaking or if a camera pan is too slow or too fast.” However, Kojima added, “I don’t alter themes or story based on feedback. Of course, I want people to play my game, so I must listen to them to a certain extent.” He said this to Edge, as reported by GamesRadar.
“I’m not interested in making something that appeals to everyone,” he added.
Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is a good example of this approach, as it added new content and quality-of-life improvements to the game while keeping the story intact. Death Stranding 2 also appears to have taken a considerable amount of feedback into account, as the game is aiming to appeal to a broader range of players with a more action-focused direction.
“Once I retrained myself to play it as a stealth-action game, it greatly improved my enjoyment and I started looking forward to camps of enemies,” Dan Ryckert wrote in GameSpot’s Death Stranding 2 preview. “Like the first game, it can be meditative in the quiet moments as you traverse the environment. But when the game wants to get loud, it does not hold back.”
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches on June 24 for PS5, and if you’re looking to play it in style, you can preorder a limited-edition DualSense controller inspired by the game. Kojima also spoke about the possibility of Death Stranding 3, but he’d like to pass the development baton to someone else for the potential threequel.