Hideo Kojima says "I'm happy with the scores, thank you" as Death Stranding 2 settles at 90 on Metacritic, overcoming his fears that it might be too likable

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You know what, maybe massive critical acclaim isn't so bad

lea seydoux as fragile smoking a cigarette
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)

Speaking at the June 30 London installment of the ongoing Death Stranding World Strand Tour 2 – yes that's what it's called – director Hideo Kojima came to terms with the fact that his latest release is both extremely weird and also widely liked, with Death Stranding 2 sitting comfortably at 90 on Metacritic.

Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley took the stage to help lead the event, introducing Kojima for the umpteenth time in his emcee career and asking him how it feels to finally have the game out in the wild.

"Well, it was [well] evaluated. I'm happy with the scores, thank you," Kojima replied via interpreter. He then asked the already cheering crowd if they were playing the game – a pretty safe bet at the Death Stranding World Strand Tour 2 – and noticed someone in the crowd was playing right now via what seemed to be a PlayStation Portal, according to our own Issy van der Velde, who attended the event.

This follows a spell of pre-release anxiety from Kojima which manifested as extremely on-brand concerns that Death Stranding 2 might be too likable. The worry, it seems, was that the sequel may have lost some of its edge – that ineffable, polarizing oddness that can inspire fiercely loyal zealots as well as equally motivated haters.

"For Death Stranding 2, when I tested it, it wasn’t like that," Kojima added. "Everyone liked it. That’s why I said, 'Maybe this is a problem.' It was more than my prediction, in the first Death Stranding, everyone had pros and cons."

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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