Hideo Kojima hasn’t talked much about the actual gameplay in his upcoming title Death Stranding. Today in Tokyo, he shed a tiny bit of light on what to expect.




According to Kojima, it’s an action game with an open world, giving the player a degree of freedom, but it also has the story elements you’d expect from a Kojima game. He said that Death Stranding does have an online element, but did not reveal how large that element is.


Kojima added that most games, basically, have people going at each other like aggressors. He pointed out that action games developed as players facing off against a computer, which was followed by players battling online, then playing together in co-op against the computer, but still battling.

Death Stranding will have action and combative elements, Kojima promised, but he wants the game to create links—strands, if you will—between players, instead of just having them try to knock each other down.

“I’m aiming for a new type of action,” Kojima said.

Hopefully, the final game has actual handholding.


“With Death Stranding, I’d like to offer the next step, the future of gaming.”

This sounds like it could be his biggest departure yet. Having players face off is a long-standing game mechanic, so not relying only on that formula could make for an interesting experience, but one that’s risky for him as a game creator.


Kojima Productions now has an office, and Death Stranding now has a game engine. “We’re starting to get into full-blown development,” Kojima said. Good news, but don’t expect this one anytime soon. It seems like it’s a while off.