Hideo Kojima’s creativity that pushes boundaries has once again come to the fore with an unusual mechanic for Death Stranding 2. The famous game designer had imagined an innovative system he called “forgetting game”, where the character would lose their skills and knowledge over time if the player took a long break from the game. If this mechanic were implemented, it could have radical consequences such as the character forgetting their profession, weapon usage, and even the ability to walk.
Kojima's Mechanic That Will Keep the Player Engaged
Kojima elaborated on this striking idea in the latest KOJI10 podcast episode, explaining that if the player doesn’t play the game for a long time, the character will start to lose their memory. This forgetting process would progress gradually; first some basic skills, then the character’s profession, and eventually even the basic action of walking would be forgotten. This would force the player to stay constantly engaged with the game, otherwise it would be quite a difficult process to restore the character to their old abilities. In this way, the gaming experience would be shaped not only by the action and storytelling, but also by the player’s continued involvement with the game.
In Pursuit of Experimental Approaches
This idea once again demonstrates Hideo Kojima’s deep interest in innovative and experimental systems in games. Having previously managed to play with the player’s perception with unusual mechanics such as weakening an elderly sniper using time in Metal Gear Solid 3, Kojima planned to test the player’s loyalty and commitment to the game with a real-time forgetting system.
Commercial Concerns Postpone “Forgetting Game”
However, Hideo Kojima has stated that he is not sure how commercially viable this innovative idea is. He has given up on the idea of a "forgetting game" for now, as he thinks that the vast majority of players would be uncomfortable with such a mechanic. Still, this suggestion provides an important clue in terms of how experimental and different approaches Death Stranding 2 was developed.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach continues to be eagerly awaited in the gaming world. Even the idea of this “forgetting game” that Kojima did not implement reveals how creative and bold a vision the game was shaped by. Players will have to be a little more patient to find out what kind of extraordinary surprises they will encounter from Hideo Kojima’s mind this time.
