All eyes are on the follow-up to Hideo Kojima’s first post-Konami project asDeath Stranding 2looks to evolve beyond elements introduced in its predecessor. While the gaming auteur has established himself as a legendary icon within the industry, this notoriety came about thanks to the genre-defining success of one of his previous titles,Metal Gear Solid. Now,Death Stranding 2is in a similar position and could help turn the series from a somewhat niche game riding the coattails of its director to a household name much like howMetal Gear Solidelevated theMetal Gearseries to such a status.
Death Stranding 2is coming at a crucial point in gaming history, where lines are being blurred between what defines a “game” and narrative driven games are rivaling movies as cinematic experiences. The originalDeath Strandingset out to pioneer the “strand” genre as new type of game that emphasizes asynchronous player interaction, an ambitious step even for an icon likeHideo Kojima. However, defining a completely new genre is nothing new for the director, and despite the mixed reactions toDeath Stranding, its sequel could follow a trend Kojima has experienced before.
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Death Stranding 2 Could Define the “Strand” Genre Like Metal Gear Solid did for Stealth Games
AlthoughDeath Strandingwas far from unsuccessful, its atypical gameplay was hit or miss for a lot of players, leaving the game in a relatively niche position for being a AAA title from a legendary developer. While the emphasis on world traversal was an interesting change of pace from other major titles on the market at the time, the sense of what made astrand gameits own unique genre was difficult to understand.Death Stranding 2now has the opportunity to really sell players on the strand genre, a feat that Kojima has accomplished before.
TheMetal Gearseries is what made Kojima such a beloved game developer and has defined the stealth genre of games, but the series didn’t really take off until the release ofMetal Gear Solid. The originalMetal Gearreleased in 1987 for the MSX2, with later ports to the NES, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. This was the first game fully directed by Kojima and flipped the script on the typical action game by introducing elements that required players to approach encounters stealthily such as an enemy alert mode that would activate when the player was spotted.
Despite the mixed reactions for critics, Kojima would persevere in this new stealth genre of games with the release ofMetal Gear 2: Solid Snakein 1990,and finally the break-out success that wasMetal Gear Solidon the PlayStation in 1998.Metal Gear Solidtook the stealth genre to a whole new level by including in-engine cinematics that helped the player feel like they were playing through a spy movie, establishing it as one of the most important games of all time a cementing Kojima’s legacy in the industry.
There are a lot of parallels to be drawn between the originalMetal GearandDeath Stranding. Both were ambitious titles that looked to pioneer a whole new genre, but were met with resistance from players due to their avant garde nature when compared to other games available at the time. WithDeath Strandinglaying the foundation for the strand genre much likeMetal Geardid for the stealth genre,Death Stranding 2is in a position to be the defining entry in the “strand” genre and refine the controversial design choices of the original into a game that is more digestible for mainstream audiences.
Death Stranding 2is now in development for PS5.
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