After Death Stranding and Metal Gear, Hideo Kojima wants to create a game that aliens will look at "centuries later" and say "that's awesome"

Hideo Kojima
(Image credit: Mega64)

Hideo Kojima understandably wants his games to impress generations to come, but that's not all - he also thinks his beloved work may possibly reach the eyes of more otherworldly beings one day.

Speaking in a recent interview with Anan News (thanks, Automaton), the legend behind smash-hit titles like Death Stranding and Metal Gear explains that, first and foremost, it's important for game developers to create games that they're satisfied with personally. "I cannot put out a game that I don't feel convinced by," he states. Not only does he want to approve of his own work, though, but he also wants it to stand strong against the ultimate test - that of time.

"For starters, the way art is evaluated changes with the times," describes Kojima. "Just as paintings are appraised 100 or 200 years after the artist's death, games and films also remain as objects to be passed down through generations after their creators pass away. If I make something I'm satisfied with, centuries later aliens may come and say, 'that's awesome'" - and according to the longtime dev, "that's what it means to leave something behind."

I personally think it's safe to say that if any games catch the eyes of extraterrestrial beings in the distant future, it'll be Kojima's own. His current project is OD, an ever-mysterious horror experience he describes as "a bit risky" and "a game like no other" - and if his thoughts on it are anything to go by, then it certainly does sound like an impressive work of art that will reach generations (and perhaps even aliens one day?) to come. 

Here are some of the best horror games to play while you wait for more news on OD.

Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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