Hideo Kojima reveals how combat will work in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

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Famed video game director Hideo Kojima has sat down for an interview with IGN where he revealed several details about the highly anticipated sequel to Death Stranding, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

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Kojima was asked how combat has been changed in Death Stranding 2, with a new emphasis on strategic combat versus the first game, where players were encouraged to avoid combat as much as possible. The director of the game responded by saying the developers have "pursued more enjoyable combat," but added this doesn't mean combat is forced or pushed onto players, as "the game is still fundamentally about cargo delivery."

However, combat in Death Stranding 2 has "become more flexible" with players having a choice to detour around enemies or engage with them. The director of the game went on to explain that some of the staff who worked on Death Stranding 2 also worked with him on his Metal Gear series, which sparked internal concern that Death Stranding 2's combat was "getting a little Metal Gear-ish."

Moreover, Kojima said that combat is actually connected to the game's overall theme of "we should not have connected." The director continued with an ethical and philosophical explanation, which can be viewed below within the full quote.

Kojima on Combat in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Q: It felt as though there's an emphasis on strategic combat in Death Stranding 2. What kind of effect did this change have on the game's design and storytelling?

It's not that I'm simply pushing combat. The game is still fundamentally about cargo delivery, but combat has become more flexible. Players have the choice to take a detour around enemies or use a car or motorcycle so as not to encounter them. This does mean there's a need for new weapons as well, though. Some of the staff on Death Stranding 2 worked with me on the Metal Gear series, so there were times when people worried that it was getting a little Metal Gear-ish. My personal explanation for it is that we simply pursued more enjoyable combat. This is actually connected to the theme of "we should not have connected."

This even relates to war. Our world today is connected by a rope that is the internet. But at the same time there's conflict going on in the world. We ultimately can't connect to each other in harmless and inoffensive ways alone. Higgs tells you that ropes on their own are not enough. Maybe we also need sticks to connect with one another. The story keeps on progressing in that direction. That doesn't mean that you will be forced into stealth. I don't even use stealth myself.