Hideo Kojima says Death Stranding 2's core message is that humans shouldn't allow AI and the internet to dictate their lives.
Kojima loves to put a lot of themes into his games, while Metal Gear Solid 2 can be read as a straightforward spy thriller, it's also a game with a heap of prescient themes about social engineering, meme culture, and pretty much predicted everything about the internet in the decades to come - from fake news, echo chambers, and the prevalence of AI bots. And while not as out there as the second (but technically fourth) Metal Gear Solid, Death Stranding 2 has some things to say too, which Kojima has elaborated on.
Speaking to Denfaminicogamer (translated via Automaton and machine translation) Kojima was asked about Death Stranding 2's mantra of "should we have connected?" However, Kojima explained that connection isn't the problem; rather, it's the overuse of these tools that leads to people making their decisions based on algorithms. "It’s not that I’m trying to say that technology is bad," Kojima says, adding, "the AI assistant in my phone tries to suggest me a lot of different things – personally, I kind of hate that."
Kojima explains, "I believe humans need 'coincidence' in their lives. You wake up in the morning, you go to school, you go to work, and on your way, you enter a café you stumbled upon by chance. Or you meet someone new by chance." Kojima feels these are the things that make people's lives, and that pre-determined algorithmic decisions can't replicate the human experience.
Of course, Kojima isn't a technophobe: "I have no intention to say, 'Stop using the Internet.' Because it’s really convenient. I also think it is because of the Internet that we were able to survive the Covid pandemic. However, I do believe it may be dangerous to get addicted to it." And considering a MIT study recently found that overuse of ChatGPT may be eroding critical thinking skills, it's hard to argue with Kojima there.
If you've beaten Kojima's latest and were a little lost with the long monolgues, you can check out our guide to Death Stranding 2's ending explained. Or if you're still not sold, check out our Death Stranding 2 review.
