Hideo Kojima has shared his thoughts on the critical reception of Death Stranding 2, revealing that he is now quite pleased with the review scores following the game’s release. This comes after a period where Kojima aimed to make the game more divisive, reacting to early feedback that was “too good.”
During the London stop of the game’s world tour, Kojima was interviewed by Geoff Keighley and openly stated, “I’m happy with the scores, thank you,” before engaging with the audience about their experience with the game. The PS5 title currently holds a solid 90 on Metacritic, reflecting widespread critical acclaim.
Hideo Kojima is very happy with the critics score for Death Stranding 2@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN pic.twitter.com/uCuPs9bXdj
— kjngamer (@kjngamer) June 30, 2025
Interestingly, before the launch, Kojima had expressed a desire to create a game that would spark more debate rather than universal praise. Soundtrack contributor Woodkid shared that Kojima felt the initial feedback was “too good,” and changes were made to introduce more complexity and challenge. Kojima had mentioned that he wasn’t interested in creating a game that simply appeals to everyone, but was eager instead to offer something new and potentially controversial.
Incredible evening for the #DeathStranding2 World Tour in London. @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN , Norman Reedus and Léa Seydoux with performances from Caroline Polachek and @CHVRCHES , hosted by @geoffkeighley. One of the best game events I’ve been to. Had such a good time. pic.twitter.com/vbmLV9gW9N
— Will Potter (@thequiffisdead) June 30, 2025
Despite these intentions, the overwhelmingly positive reviews seem to have won Kojima over. The game’s world tour event in London featured Kojima alongside Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, Caroline Polacheck, and CHVRCHES, who performed live music, making it a memorable night for fans.