Little is known so far about Hideo Kojima's upcoming Project Overdose, thanks in part to the way that the developer continues to only hint at what the game will even be. However, from what fans of Kojima Productions have seen so far, Project Overdose appears to be a horror title that could be drawing from some old ideas that the developer had to scrap when Silent Hills was canned.
With this horror leaning in mind, the path to success for Kojima Productions might be in through another title that seemingly repurposed concepts from what was supposed to be Silent Hills. Drawing from the atmosphere and meticulous mechanics of Death Stranding could be the best way to approach this upcoming title. Importantly, this would also mean turning away from the developer's background with the Metal Gear series.
Death Stranding Defined the Strand Genre
Although the game itself was divisive at launch, Death Stranding defined a new genre when it launched in 2019. Most commonly referred to as the Strand genre, Kojima Productions pioneered a unique form of gameplay that combined stealth mechanics, restrictive traversal, and a third-person shooter. The multiplayer system also goes a long way to define the genre, where players are able to influence the worlds of others without ever making direct contact with them.
The delivery gameplay wasn't a hit with every player that gave Death Stranding a try, but it has held strong enough with fans to still reach sales milestones three years later. However, the divisive aspects of the monotonous gameplay isn't the influence that Project Overdose should take from Kojima Productions' last title. Instead, the developer should lean on the Strand genre's iconic multiplayer, allowing players to influence both the success of players, and the effectiveness of horror-filled moments.
Metal Gear Solid Was the Benchmark for the Stealth Genre
In contrast to the way that Death Stranding defined its genre, Metal Gear Solid set the bar for stealth games and the heights these titles could reach. The mix of stealth and action, with iconic puzzle bosses throughout the series, offers multiple ways for players to approach any situation. As early as the first Metal Gear Solid, the varying methods of approach made this one of the first games that could give each individual player their own unique experience based on the decisions they make.
All of this being said, while the benchmark that Metal Gear Solid set may have been how other stealth games were judged, it never defined the genre as a whole. The series would often innovate, adapting to the changing norms in stealth titles and bringing the best aspects together in a well-polished package. However, with Hideo Kojima's cryptic teasers, Project Overdose will need to do more than Metal Gear Solid's benchmark setting and be a proper successor to Death Stranding.
Project Overdose Needs to Define its Genre
It's no small feat to define or redefine a genre. In the last few decades, only a few titles have managed to create a whole new genre of gameplay, which most notably would include Death Stranding's Strand genre or the Soulslike genre. However, it's much more common for a new game to arrive that redefines a genre, like what Skyrim, Breath of the Wild or Elden Ring were for open-world games. Of course, there is certainly a trend in what genre(s) most often gets reworked in the AAA realm.
From Hideo Kojima's own comments, the developer wants to make a revolutionary new horror game, and Project Overdose could be it. Considering that the PT demo and Death Stranding have already created all new types of horror content, this is something that Kojima Productions has already proved capable of. All that leaves for fans of the developer's recent releases, is to wait and hope that Project Overdose strikes gold again.
Death Stranding is available for PC, PS4, and PS5.
