There are a number of iconic video game developers from the industry and if you’re a gamer who has been around for a number of generations now then chances are you know about Hideo Kojima. This famed developer has brought out a number of video game titles and franchises from his days at Konami but today he’s with his very own studio known as Kojima Productions. As he prepares for his first video game launch without being tied to a studio that can tinker with his creative control or views, we decided to look back at some of his past video game projects. These are the top five video game projects of Hideo Kojima that you definitely want to try out.
Snatcher
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Hideo Kojima has expressed his love for the film industry in the past and that’s where some of the inspiration came for with Snatcher. The video game took a similar cyberpunk science fiction story that can be found in Blade Runner. Developed in the late 1980s, Snatcher would release into a market with positive reviews and poor sales which is about the same response when the game finally released within the western markets later in the mid-1990s. Overall, the game puts players into a character named Gillian Seed who suffers from amnesia.
Within the game world, robotic beings have become hidden within the world snatching up bodies of humans. Gillian takes a role in a group that is hunting after these robots in hopes that he learns about his past. Gameplay is simplistic with a more of a point-and-click adventure or visual novel. If you’re one who enjoys adventure titles and a narrative story over some of the more traditional gameplay mechanics then we recommend playing this game. With that said, the game is pricey today so playing a physical copy may be out of the question. In fact, this game has a cult following so those who know about Snatcher are usually after copies making it hard to find.
Policenauts
Coming off of Snatcher Hideo Kojima brought out Policenauts which has the same type of gameplay and cinematic feel. Instead of Blade Runner, Policenauts is based around a story vibe similar to the cinematic film Lethal Weapon though like Snatcher this is also set in the future. In the game, players take on the role of a Policenaut named Jonathan Ingram who is part of the police force that protects the first space colony. However, during a test, Jonathan Ingram drifts off into space and is lost for nearly three decades. Thanks to the specialized space suit, Jonathan enters a cold-sleep which preserves his body until he was finally discovered.
Now with all of his fellow colleagues and loved ones decades older, Jonathan becomes a private investigator. One day his former wife visits and seeks help from Jonathan in order to track down her husband but shortly after she is killed when leaving his office. Now players are left picking up the pieces and meeting with his old crew to find out what is really going on. Again, as mentioned, Policenauts has a point-and-click visual novel gameplay mechanic. Unlike Snatcher, Policenauts never released outside of Japan and for western markets, you’ll instead be forced to either know Japanese or use the unofficial fan translation patch which will give you English subtitles.
Metal Gear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggpBtOnq_AA
Come on, you knew this franchise was going to be on this list. Arguably the biggest video game series that Hideo Kojima is known for is Metal Gear as it started out back in the early years of the Nintendo Entertainment System. This game is all about military, espionage, stealth, and over-the-top narrative stories with each game intertwining with the overarching storyline. There are a number of titles within the franchise and it can be a bit difficult to understand everything if you randomly jump into the series. Likewise, this series was mainly handled by Hideo Kojima but now that the famed developer is no longer with Konami it’s questionable how well the series will continue on. For instance, their latest installment Metal Gear Survive was a flop but the game wasn’t a real next step into the franchise to begin with.
Zone of Enders
A launch title for the PlayStation 2, Hideo Kojima brought out Zone of Enders, a mech third-person shooter video game set in the future. Within the world, humanity has started to colonize space with groups orbiting Jupiter and residing on Mars. However, forces erupt on all sides due to a precious resource found within space leading a military narrative that became a massive hit. This series spawned an anime series and two additional titles though fans have been waiting for a third installment.
Apparently back in 2012, it was revealed that a third game was being developed through the project was cancelled by Konami. Last year, 2017, it was revealed at the Tokyo Game Show that the Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner Mars was being enhanced for 4K support and VR capabilities. So far the next main installment remains to be in limbo, much like several franchises owned by Konami.
P.T.
P.T. was unveiled during a game show a few years ago where players were given access to a demo on PlayStation 4. With no indication of what the game was about or who was behind the project, gamers worldwide jumped online and started to play it. After several attempts, a few players started to complete all the puzzles which triggered a cutscene revealing that P.T. stood for Playable Teaser and the actual game it was promoting is Silent Hills which was being headed by Hideo. After years of being stale fans of the franchise were rejoicing over Konami’s decision to allow Hideo Kojima to develop the next main Silent Hill installment along with the franchise in general being picked up again by the company.
That project didn’t last very long as this was the last game being developed from Hideo Kojima and Konami before the two split. Since then the game was scrapped completely leaving Silent Hill fans disappointed and plenty of hate was spread around about Konami. Likewise, the P.T. demo was pulled from online though fans have been working on projects free online to download that mimics the original game demo, giving players a chance to enjoy the game if they didn’t get a chance to when it was freely available on the PlayStation 4.
