Hideo Kojima isn’t returning to the actual Metal Gear Solid franchise, but he is returning to its genre. With Physint, the upcoming espionage game now published by Xbox, the video game auteur is looking to create something almost new.
Speaking on the Koji10 Podcast, Hideo Kojima revealed that Physint will not be a carbon copy of Metal Gear Solid’s gameplay, although he’s said in the past that he could create that game in his sleep. In the decade since The Phantom Pain, which already advanced the series’ core gameplay, Kojima has come up with new ideas to further expand on what fans expect of Metal Gear.
Unlike MGS’ military-themed story, Kojima explained that Physint is specifically “about spies” with a greater focus on spycraft and real espionage. While MGS is stealth-focused, its story was often more militaristic in nature, which appears to not be the case for the secretive new project.
Kojima explains that his decision to focus on a variety of different game styles with Death Stranding, Physint, and OD is tied to his age as he strives to get every idea out before his passing. “I don’t know how much time I have left,” he said. “I’m much older than you all. So I make each one as though its my last. I’ve always worked that way, since I was young, that’s how I make my games.”
With Physint specifically, Kojima explained that the stealth-action game is being made to celebrate his anniversary in game development. “When I think about Physint… I entered the industry in 1986, so this is my 40th year. So it’s a project for my 40th anniversary, although that’s technically an afterthought… in my case, 40 years passed before I knew it.”
While Physint will return to Kojima’s iconic past of action-stealth, he promises that it’s also something brand-new. “I want plenty of new ideas and a different kind of spy action,” the director said. “It’s quite different.”
Kojima also discussed the casting of Bill Skarsgard as the protagonist of Physint. “I’ve been a long fan of Bill, his father, and his brothers,” he added. “He’s a wonderful actor. What do you call an actor who really becomes his character? He’s a method actor. He’s known for the clown in It, of course. He’s also a vampire. He’s been in some excellent films. Directors I know have worked with him and can’t praise him enough. I wanted to work with him for a long time.”
The director explained that Skarsgard’s casting came after the actor spotted piles of Kojima Productions merchandise in musician Woodkid’s studio. Woodkid, who created music for Death Stranding 2, eventually introduced the actor to Hideo Kojima, and he became the face of Physint. “I pitched him the game, and he agreed to do it,” Kojima said.
Kojima explained that Physint is still in early production. While Skarsgaard has been photo-scanned for the game, filming hasn’t started for the actor’s performances. “We have to scan actors early because the data processing takes so much time,” he said. “We’ll film the performance much later. But he’s so eager, he doesn’t want to wait. He keeps asking me for the script. I have the plot ready, but he wants to know the lines and how the character speaks.”
There is still no release date for Kojima’s upcoming spy game, and we know very few details about the game. Will it be open world like Death Stranding? Will it be a multi-media project? Will it make use of the cloud again? Firstly, we’ll have to wait for Kojima’s next game, OD, which also doesn’t have a clear release date. Afterwards, then we’re allowed to get excited for Physint.
