Hideo Kojima, renowned for his polarizing and often cryptic approach to game development, recently revealed a surprising change in the development process for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The game, which had been performing exceptionally well during internal playtests, was undergoing alterations to make it more divisive.
According to French composer Woodkid, who collaborated with Kojima on the game’s soundtrack, the legendary director had a unique reason for these changes. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Woodkid shared insights about the challenges of composing a dynamic, ever-evolving soundtrack for a game that integrates real-time musical changes.
While discussing the evolution of the game’s story, Woodkid mentioned that Kojima himself had admitted to tweaking the plot and key events to make the game more emotional and provoke stronger reactions. This approach was motivated by Kojima’s belief that true affection for something often comes from an initial, even negative, reaction. In other words, making Death Stranding 2 more controversial was part of Kojima’s philosophy to create something that audiences would love after initially rejecting it.
This isn’t the first time Kojima has expressed dissatisfaction with positive feedback during testing phases. In an earlier interview with Edge Magazine, he revealed his wish for the game to be more controversial. Kojima’s goal is clear: he doesn’t want to develop games for mass appeal. He seeks to challenge players and leave them with mixed emotions, which is arguably why Death Stranding 2 is poised to be as divisive as its predecessor.
Fans and critics alike will have their chance to experience Kojima’s vision firsthand when the game releases on June 26 for PlayStation 5. Whether it will spark more love or disdain, only time will tell.
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