Death Stranding certainly boasts one of the more unique narratives in video games, and creator Hideo Kojima knew the project would be controversial. Death Stranding was first released back in 2019 as an action-adventure title from Kojima Productions and Sony, and the story follows courier Sam Porter Bridges, who is tasked with delivering supplies to various colonies after a significant event caused dangerous creatures to begin polluting the Earth.
Players returned to see Norman Reedus’ second outing as Sam in the recently released Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which welcomed back other familiar actors in Léa Seydoux and Troy Baker, alongside newcomer Elle Fanning. Kojima recently celebrated Death Stranding 2’s success, noting the game’s critical triumph and the community’s support despite the challenges facing the development process during the pandemic.
Death Stranding 2 Player Learns Painful Lesson About Ziplines
A Death Stranding 2 player shares the painful and funny moment when they learned a tough lesson about how the game's ziplines work.
During an interview with SSENSE, Death Stranding’s divisive feedback from fans was given the spotlight, as some gamers hoped the first game would be the last Strand game, and others praised its creativity. “I always knew that it would be controversial. People would love it or people would not like it. It would be like zero points or 10 points,” Kojima revealed and touched on the gamble of taking creative risks, saying, “If there is no risk, there won't be any good things that would be born.” While negative criticism is always hard to hear for creators, Kojima confirmed he listens to all feedback given, not just the positive accolades. The game still faces controversy six years after its release, such as Death Stranding’s photo mode being used to bypass age verification, but even previous naysayers have been converted to the IP over time.
Hideo Kojima Knew Death Stranding's First Game Would Be Controversial
Kojima was also asked why he made a sequel, and his response got straight to the point, saying, “It's my IP. Death Stranding is actually my IP, Kojima Productions’ IP. I wanted to leave my IP in the future.” On the heels of the sequel’s accomplishments, fans were hopeful for a Death Stranding crossover with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, after the Sandfall Interactive dev team visited Kojima Productions’ headquarters. Both games offer breathtaking visuals and unique stories, and while the jury’s still out on a possible Death Stranding 3, Sandfall is already hard at work brainstorming a Clair Obscur sequel.
So, what’s next in line after Death Stranding 2? Gamers have already gotten a taste of Kojima’s next horror. OD is currently in development, alongside Physint, and Death Stranding 2 may have already teased the scares OD has in store. Fans also have the live-action Death Stranding movie to look forward to, which is currently in development under the well-regarded A24 production company. A Quiet Place: Day One director Michael Sarnoski is set to helm the adaptation, and the team is currently eyeing a 2027 release window.
Death Stranding
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 79%
- Released
- November 8, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Engine
- Decima
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes! Players will share the same server as Steam and Epic users
- Cross Save
- yes
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action
