Hideo Kojima wants to expand the Death Stranding universe to include other "Strand" games and sequels.
What is "strand" exactly and, more importantly, what does it mean? Leaving a boat, animal, or individual aground on a beach is one meaning. Even the shore itself is a strand, which makes sense given its shape. In the Oxford Dictionary, under the definition of "a string of peals or wire," is another definition that details Kojima's forthcoming project with clarity: "An element that forms part of a complex whole."
Death Stranding is a title brimming with a multitude of different concepts, themes, mechanics, and genres that have already made heads spin in more ways than one. Kojima seeks to reimagine how gamers experience narrative. His methodology includes blending genres and tropes together into one cohesive element, which he coined as the "Strand game." Although the hype the newest game is at an all-time high, Kojima doesn't want the story to end there.
Death Stranding is only the very beginning of the madness.
Death Stranding Is A Tangled Web Of Designer Collaborations
In an interview with Financial Times, Kojima stated: "Death Stranding ... even now, I don't understand the game. Its world view, gameplay, they are all new. My mission is to create a genre that does not currently exist, and which takes everyone by surprise. There is, naturally, a risk in that..."
Much like its creator, Death Stranding is filled with insight. The game features layers upon layers of different elements, from science fiction and horror to action and adventure. The game sports no noticeable main villain. Instead, there are various antagonists, such as Mads Mikkelson's mysterious Cliff, Troy Baker's Higgs (a member of the militant Homo Demens), and the interdimensional BTs themselves. Even the addition of an easy mode, which will allow for a more cinematic experience, is a completely new concept.
"The stories helped me when I was lost in life," Kojima said in the same interview. As a huge movie buff and voracious reader, Kojima is influenced by films such as 2001: A Space Odessey, Blade Runner, Fantastic Planet, as well as writers such as Kobo Abe, Paul Austere, and Ryū Murakami. What do they all have in common? They are all able to shape original worlds of unimaginable depth, purpose, and meaning while balancing intuitive imagination.
Kojima isn't stopping at Strand one title. Instead, the franchise might become a life-long process that could take years and include multiple games. There's also the underlying component of connection. In an interview with Game Informer about the game's asynchronous multiplayer, Kojima said: "Your solitude, you’re alone – the storyline itself is a worst-case scenario. So, why don’t I put in a system where it’s really more positive than negative?"
Though it may not explain why Kojima wants to be a crab, it does lend credence to his immense talent and his drive for revolutionizing the open-world video game. We hope to see many more Stranding games in the future.
Source: Financial Times, Game Informer