Hideo Kojima, the legendary creator behind Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, has once again sparked conversations across the gaming world with a series of wild and innovative game concepts. On a recent episode of his KOJI10 podcast, Kojima discussed time-based mechanics he has used—and considered using—in his past and upcoming projects.
With nearly four decades of game development experience, Kojima is well-known for pushing the boundaries of storytelling and gameplay. His latest title, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, is set to launch on June 24 and promises more of his signature philosophical and cinematic approach.
The Power of Time in Gameplay
In his podcast, Kojima reflected on one of his most iconic time-related mechanics: the sniper battle with The End in Metal Gear Solid 3. In that battle, players could manipulate the PlayStation’s internal clock to age the enemy sniper to death if they waited long enough—a perfect example of how Kojima blends real-world systems into in-game strategy.
But the legendary developer didn’t stop there. He revealed that during development of Death Stranding 2, he explored the idea of having protagonist Sam Porter Bridges (played by Norman Reedus) grow a beard in real time. Players would need to shave regularly to maintain his iconic look. Kojima scrapped the idea, fearing it would interfere with Reedus’s visual appeal, but hinted it could reappear in a future game.
Games That Forget With You
Perhaps the most fascinating concept Kojima shared was a game idea in which the main character would begin to forget important information and abilities if players took too long of a break between sessions. This mechanic would mirror the player’s own memory gaps and encourage consistent engagement, creating a more emotionally immersive experience.
Kojima noted that while these concepts didn’t make it into Death Stranding 2, he hasn’t ruled them out for future titles. As always, his ambition lies in creating not just games, but experiences—ones that can interact with the player’s real world in unexpected ways.
Looking Ahead to June 24
With Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on the horizon, Kojima fans are eagerly waiting to see what groundbreaking features will make it into the final release. Whether it’s real-time beard growth or memory-fading protagonists, one thing is certain—Kojima is still playing 4D chess while the rest of the industry plays checkers.
Stay tuned as the countdown to release continues and more secrets from Kojima Productions are unveiled.