Death Stranding 2: On the Beach PC version is set to release on March 19th. However, we believe everyone's attitude towards Kojima Productions' latest work goes beyond just "playing for fun." In fact, the 3DM editorial team shares similar sentiments. We want to know more about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Kojima Productions' development journey.
Fortunately, at an offline media event earlier this month, we met three key creators of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach: Lead Level Designer Hiromasa Yoshike, Technical Art Director and Lead Environment Artist Takayuki Uchida, and CTO and Technical Director Kaikichi Sakamoto, and conducted face-to-face interviews with them.
The answers to your questions might be found in this exclusive interview.
Hiromasa Yoshike (second from left), Takayuki Uchida (third from left), and Kaikichi Sakamoto (far right) during the interview.
Q: As the Lead Level Designer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, what do you consider the most significant innovation in this game's level design compared to its predecessor, and something PC players should especially experience? Could you discuss this in terms of specific level design concepts?
Hiromasa Yoshike:Compared to the previous game, the core experience we most want players to have in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the diversity of choices. First is the diversity of paths; we hope players can gain more enjoyment from exploration by taking different routes.
In the previous game, there was a character type called "Mules" who would steal the protagonist's cargo. Therefore, players mostly had to think about how to avoid having their cargo stolen and how to evade combat.
However, in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Director Hideo Kojima specifically emphasized, "We need to strengthen the combat aspects." Therefore, for map exploration, we have provided players with more optional paths: you can choose to traverse harsh natural environments to clear the stage, engage enemies head-on to defeat them, or use stealth to find the shortest path. Throughout the full gameplay experience, players can freely choose whichever style they prefer at the moment among these three modes.
In addition, we offer players diverse gameplay options across other dimensions. If you just want to immerse yourself in the story, you can quickly advance through the main storyline without engaging in much combat. If you wish to build deeper connections with NPCs, you can continuously deliver cargo to solve their various problems and increase your affinity with them. If you want to help other players, you can interact with them by building infrastructure, working together to explore the entire game world. These are the richer gameplay directions we have prepared for players.
Additionally, we have added a greater quantity and variety of content, including character customization items like hats and other small accessories. We hope players can find content they like in the game and discover their own fun through customizing their appearance. We have also incorporated a rich variety of natural disasters into the game, providing a dynamically changing environment. We hope players can make dynamic judgments and optimal choices based on the scenarios they face, advancing through the game step by step.
Q: The PC version will launch new asynchronous multiplayer servers. Will resource-intensive content like highways and trains have reduced costs, allowing players to complete construction faster?
Hiromasa Yoshike:In the PC version, players can also experience asynchronous social content within the same server. To accommodate the PC launch, we have added new content, introduced additional features, and made corresponding adaptation adjustments.
Q: So, does that mean the PC version and the PlayStation 5 version share the same server?
Hiromasa Yoshike:Yes, PC players and PlayStation 5 players will play on the same server.
Q: During the production of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, you completed scene construction through remote location scouting. What challenges did this special scouting method bring to environmental art work? And how did you accurately recreate the realism and atmosphere of the local terrain using materials from remote scouting?
Takayuki Uchida:Regarding the final visual presentation, our remote location scouting method did not negatively impact the outcome. However, compared to traditional location scouting, remote scouting took three to four times longer, so we did encounter significant difficulties regarding the timeline.
That's an excellent question. Specifically, if you haven't personally visited a location, it's difficult to capture the indescribable atmosphere needed to realistically recreate the terrain and local ambiance in the game. This was one of our biggest challenges during development.
The remote location scouting method we adopted this time specifically involved commissioning personnel on-site to capture real-world footage, which we then used to generate CG. Since we couldn't visit the locations in person, we had to trust the on-site feelings conveyed through the provided materials.
The most crucial aspect during the asset conversion process is confirming the scale of assets like character models and prop models. In practice, we first import these assets into a special workflow, using CG to recreate the remotely scouted scenes, and then place these assets into the recreated scenes for verification. Actually, this workflow was already very mature during the development of the original Death Stranding.
As you mentioned, only after actually creating the CG can we perceive the differences between the CG and real-world footage. Therefore, we use this workflow to repeatedly verify whether the produced results sufficiently recreate the realism of the actual location.
Q: Is there any deeper design intention behind the various scenes featuring Neil Penna throughout the game?
Takayuki Uchida:The character Neil is of Mexican origin, so for these related scenes, we also used remote location scouting to survey real locations in Mexico. During the scouting process, we matched potential filming locations with the character design of Neil Penna created by Director Hideo Kojima, finally selecting suitable locations as the stage for the plot.
The core reason these scenes appear in the game is that the character Neil has experienced trauma in his past. We wanted to recreate scenes related to his memories, conveying his personal feelings to players through these few scenes.
However, I can only reveal this much detail, as saying more would involve spoilers. We hope players can find the answer to this question themselves within the game.
Q: The PC version of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach supports various upscaling technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS 4 and AMD FSR 4, while also introducing a proprietary upscaling solution. How do you view the impact of these upscaling technologies on the game's visual experience? What unique advantages does the Pico solution offer in terms of visual presentation?
Kaikichi Sakamoto:First, let me introduce that the Pico solution was developed by Guerrilla Games within the Decima engine and provided to us. After receiving the Decima engine, Kojima Productions improved the Pico solution and integrated it into our game. Subsequently, we shared our accumulated experience with Guerrilla Games, and both parties collaborated to continuously optimize this solution.
There are indeed differences between various upscaling technologies. Including the Pico upscaling technology and the other upscaling solutions you mentioned, each member of our art team has their own preferences when using them, and may feel不适应 (uncomfortable/unaccustomed) with the adaptation effects of a particular solution in specific scenarios.
As for why we specifically added the Pico solution option, an example might make it easier to understand. During development, we create special visual effects, such as instant flash effects. During the presentation of such effects, multiple frames influence each other, which can likely cause the final result to differ from the art team's initial design expectations. At this point, we need to make numerous adjustments, including attempts with anti-aliasing and other techniques. Ultimately, we found that using the Pico solution effectively achieves the desired effect.
Based on our actual development experience, other upscaling technologies tend to have shortcomings in visual presentation in certain scenarios. In contrast, Pico performs more comprehensively than other upscaling technologies, without suffering from poor performance in specific situations. For our art team, the impact of shortcomings in different upscaling technologies is very noticeable, as it directly affects the game's final visual effects and atmosphere. We found that, given limited resources and time, Pico usually delivers results that satisfy our art team, which is the core reason we adopted this solution.
Furthermore, on a technical level, different upscaling technologies exhibit similar characteristics—they all have types of image content they struggle to handle. When the game runs into these corresponding parts, it places a higher load on the device. We want the game to maintain stable frame rates and visual effects throughout its runtime, and we don't want to have to lower the resolution just to ensure frame rate stability. In this regard, Pico also performs excellently. Therefore, we integrated this technology into the PC version to achieve compatibility and adaptation for devices with varying performance levels.
Q: During the development of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, were there any instances where level design conflicted visually or technically? How did you balance design inspiration with technical limitations?
Kaikichi Sakamoto:During development, there weren't many conflicts among our team members. Our main struggles stemmed from Kojima Productions' own development process. In the early stages, Director Hideo Kojima would first propose an overall concept, and we would proceed with development based on that concept. During this phase, it was common for existing assets to lag behind the development progress. Throughout development, we had to ensure both a great player experience and high-quality visual effects. Finding the balance between these two aspects was our biggest challenge. When encountering such issues, we had the art and technical teams provide continuous feedback to each other, refining their work through frequent communication to move development forward.
Takayuki Uchida:This question is actually quite difficult to answer, but from a technical perspective, we haven't encountered such "conflicts" in the past. After all, our entire team shares a common goal: to realize the content we want to create, and we have indeed achieved that. Our team atmosphere is excellent, with everyone working hard towards the same direction.
However, finding a balance between visual effects and level design is indeed very difficult. For instance, there is a beautiful fireworks scene in the game, inspired by the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. Since it was our first time creating such content, we anticipated during production that the final result might deviate from our expectations. Later, we indeed discovered issues with character displacement when moving within this scene, and we subsequently made repeated adjustments to address this problem.
Another example is the "Torii" gate structure in Japanese culture. If there is only a mountain in the distance in the game, players might not feel inclined to go there; but if a Torii gate is placed on the summit, players might be attracted to climb the mountain to see what's up there. During production, we often suddenly come up with ideas like this, which requires modifying existing production plans. Such situations occur frequently.
When encountering such issues, our approach is to sit down and communicate seriously, fully exchanging information about each person's strengths and the problems encountered. Through this process, once we have clarified the current development conditions and design requirements, we return to the production phase.
Hiromasa Yoshike:In level design, there are occasional instances where the art team and technical team have differing opinions, such as when I want to modify something but other team members do not. However, this doesn't really constitute a "conflict" because we engage in extensive communication about it. Death Stranding is a game series that places great emphasis on visual effects, so typically, the art team first makes adjustments they are satisfied with, and then the technical team considers how to integrate these elements into the game. During this process, both sides make compromises to find a balance. Of course, depending on the specific situation, one side may put in more effort, but ultimately, everyone collaborates with the shared desire to "make this game well."
Kaikichi Sakamoto: After listening to the two gentlemen share their insights, I have some additional thoughts to add. From a development perspective, we don't necessarily need to know the specific methods used by art team members or game designers to achieve certain content. What we really want to know is their core objective and the final effect they want to present to players. Once we understand their core ideas, we do our best to implement them using existing technical means. Sometimes, from a technical standpoint, we also provide suggestions to the art team and designers, indicating that our technical solutions might achieve better results, ultimately leading to a higher-quality final product.
Ultimately, because team members in different roles share the same final goal, we sit down to communicate thoroughly, clarify all issues, and then work together to achieve them. This is also why I love my job so much.
Q: Finally, do the three of you have any message for Chinese players?
Kaikichi Sakamoto:I sincerely hope Chinese players will experience Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, especially those who have played and experienced the previous title. In this game, we have brought players richer delivery enjoyment and prepared more diverse gameplay options. We hope everyone can find their own fun in the game this time as well.
Takayuki Uchida:Thank you very much to Chinese players for their love of the Death Stranding series. I know that many Chinese players have played the original Death Stranding. For those who haven't tried the Death Stranding series yet, or who stopped playing the original due to encountering some setbacks, I hope that after learning more about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach through this media announcement, you will give this game a try yourselves.
Hiromasa Yoshike:After launching the PlayStation 5 version of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, we received many requests from Chinese players hoping for a PC version of the game. We take these opinions very seriously. It is a pleasure to be in China this time to introduce the PC version of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and I am very happy to do so.
Compared to the previous title, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach further enhances gameplay. In the PC version, we have added even more playable content. We hope everyone can experience various rich and differentiated gameplay styles in the game, enjoy the freedom of choice, and feel a stronger sense of "connection" in China. Thank you very much for your continued support!