Even though it has been nearly two years since Hideo Kojima's first post-Konami title was released, Death Stranding continues to divide those who have played the open-world game. Against the backdrop of Death Stranding: Director's Cut's PS5 launch this September, discussions over the future of the Japanese developer's current self-named studio are now being brought into greater focus.
While Kojima refutes the use of Sony's Director's Cut moniker, the laundry list of additions that are being packed into the game make it clear the studio is aware of criticisms levied at the original incarnation. Far from just a simple remaster for the PS5, Death Stranding: Director's Cut is shaping up to be the definitive, feature-complete version of the game. Rumors surrounding what Kojima Productions could be working on next are already circulating across the Internet, and there's plenty of lessons that the studio should take forward from the upgrades it's made to its first creation.
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Some of the biggest criticisms for the original Death Stranding relate to the game's expansive open-world recreation of the United States. Despite featuring a diverse array of daunting geological obstacles and biomes, perfect for a reflective experience about the end of humanity, many players felt the landscape wasn't supported with enough varied gameplay opportunities. Even though Sam Porter Bridges' quest to reconnect the continent was unique conceptually, Kojima Productions' focus meant other parts of the experience weren't fleshed out to their full potential.
While plenty of brilliant games have been unfairly labeled as 'Walking Simulators' in the past, the fact that it can take upwards of 40 hours to beat Death Stranding's story while completing similar fetch quest missions means a case could be made for this moniker being appropriate. Watching the Death Stranding: Director's Cut trailer that debuted at Sony's July 2021 State of Play showcase makes it clear that the studio has focused on rectifying these shortcomings in the re-release. The promise of new story missions, battles, enemy types, and a combat centric firing range means there should be plenty of activities for players to immerse themselves in between marathon continental delivery runs.
New gameplay features like the Fragile Circuit, and the opportunities it presents for races on player-created tracks, perfectly symbolizes one of the lessons that Kojima Productions should take forward. Building a gorgeous yet oppressive open-world isn't enough to keep many players engaged, as much focus has to also be placed on creating a range of gameplay interactions that encourages exploration in every sense. In a lot of ways the original Death Stranding was designed to be an isolating experience reflective of a bleak narrative, but filling a game with so many fetch quests probably isn't a good idea considering the historical precedent of players actively rebelling against the concept.
Both of the studios that have carried the Kojima Productions name have focused on creating techno-thrillers with strong cinematic narrative cores. By design, that type of concoction has a tendency to lean toward the slow side in terms of pacing, which is one of the other frequent complaints attributed to Death Stranding. Hideo Kojima has become renowned for writing this type of experience, with Metal Gear Solid 4 famously earning a Guinness World Record for the longest video game cutscene in history. Expecting the studio's games to change anytime soon, especially with the extended PS5 version of the game on the horizon, seems wildly unlikely.
However, there are lessons the studio could take forward that would alleviate some of those complaints beyond the aforementioned gameplay distractions, and there's evidence of some being put into practice with Death Stranding: Director's Cut. Tonally, the original game was a bleak and lonely experience, with very little let up across the story's exploration of the collapse of society and near extinction of humanity. While that made the game scarily relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, it also proved to be too much for some players over the course of a marathon 40+ hour journey.
In both of the trailers released to promote Death Stranding: Director's Cut so far, there's already a sense that the re-release is set to have more moments of levity. The introduction of the Buddy Bot, outrageous fighting game melee attacks, and a Cargo Catapult cannon that literally throws away the original's cautious approach to deliveries feel more in-line with the studio's quirky previous endeavors. While there's rumors that suggest Kojima Productions' will partner with Microsoft for an episodic adventure, whatever shape its next game takes should be influenced by the lessons it's learned here.
Death Stranding: Director's Cut launches September 24, 2021, on PS5.
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