The wait for Hideo Kojima‘s long-awaited sequel Death Stranding 2 is now finally over – but when it comes to future DLC or updates, the director is thinking small rather than big, it seems.
Speaking in a recent interview with IndieWire, Kojima is asked how he feels about the fact that, unlike with films or movies, he can improve his games following their release with DLC launches and patches – an ability to tweak that’s unique to playable media, which is often ever-changing. The original Death Stranding serves as a good example of this alterable nature of games, with its Director’s Cut and various updates coming to mind.
Not everything that can be changed should be changed, however, as Kojima puts it. “There are some things that you shouldn’t change,” explains the lead. “Like the story, for example, because there is a certain era that that story was born. You shouldn’t change those kinds of parts. Or, you know, like [George] Lucas changed [Star Wars] to all CG, but that’s because it’s a new era, right?” The director wouldn’t want to compromise the “era” of his work.
“I don’t want to change anything that would affect the era that it first came out,” as Kojima states. That’s why, when he does plan changes or patches for any of his projects, he carefully considers what developers will alter, ensuring it’s all minor or gameplay-related: “The things that I said that I’m changing are, you know, all the things basically related to gameplay.” For instance, he might opt to add new accessibility features to a game.
“Like: This item was not very easy to use, so I’ll make it a little bit more accessible, or, like, make the UI bigger,” describes Kojima. “These small parts are the ones that I’m changing.” As for DLC, the Metal Gear mastermind is less certain about taking it on as the possibilities are often endless.
“I know that DLC is not a trendy space because if you start doing that,” says Kojima, “you’ll never finish the project.” It’s an understandable position to hold – after all, plenty of games like The Sims 4 fall into an endless loop of DLC releases with no new launches in sight… a less than ideal route for story-focused directors like Kojima.
Of course, there are plenty of exciting projects in the works from Kojima now that the Death Stranding sequel is out. His upcoming title OD, which he describes as “a bit risky” and “a game like no other,” is being produced in collaboration with comedian and filmmaker Jordan Peele, and the Death Stranding movie, which Kojima states is “not just a direct translation of the game,” is also underway, presenting a “universe that has never been seen before.”
Why not read through our Death Stranding 2 review to learn what we think of Kojima’s latest gem? Alternatively, check out our rundown on the Death Stranding 2 ending if you’ve played it already yourself.
