Hideo Kojima and Jordan Peele have teamed up to deliverOD, a predictably enigmatic horror game revealed all the way back in 2023. Fans can likely expect to learn more about it sometime afterDeath Stranding 2: On the Beachis released, and the surrounding hubbub has died down, but for now,ODhype is more or less being carried by the prestige of its creative leads.
In addition to Kojima and Peele,ODwill benefit from the star powerof actors like Hunter Schafer, Sophia Lillis, and Udo Kier.
This is perfectly reasonable, as Kojima and Peele are luminaries in their respective mediums, though their styles are quite different. Peele, who was originally best known for his comedic work on shows likeMad TVandKey and Peele, has become a breakout director in the horror film world, making waves withGet Out,Us, andNope. It’s still relatively early in his directorial career, so it will certainly be interesting to see how his penchant for unique horror and social commentary bleeds into his work onOD. Kojima, by comparison, is less experienced with proper horror: although his games often have horror elements, he hasn’t made a dedicated horror game just yet. As such, it’s not entirely clear which creative mind will be represented more in the final product.
Should OD Be More of a Kojima Game, or an Interactive Jordan Peele Movie?
OD Will Be Kojima’s Chance to Redeem Himself in the Horror Games Space
As many gamers are likely already aware, Hideo Kojima was initially meant to directSilent Hills, a soft reboot of theSilent Hillfranchise, alongside visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. The game, which was revealed via the still-iconic andmasterfully craftedP.T.demo, was eventually scrapped after Kojima’s messy departure from Konami, where he had worked for decades. And while certain aspects ofSilent Hills, like Norman Reedus' leading role, would bleed intoDeath Stranding, the project has ostensibly been abandoned.
This is widely accepted as a tragedy by bothSilent Hilland Hideo Kojima fans, which is a big reason whyODis such an exciting prospect. Again, virtually nothing is known about the upcoming game, but the mere fact that Kojima is diving head-first back into the horror sphere—alongside a different auteur filmmaker, no less—is tantalizing. As such, one could make the case that Kojima’s voice should be strongest inOD, as it would allow him to realize thelost dream ofP.T.
Why OD Shouldn’t, and Likely Won’t, Be ‘Just’ a Kojima Game
Comeback stories are alluring, and Kojima’s journey from ousted Konami leader to successful independent artist can safely be called one—even if he wasn’t much of an underdog, in the traditional sense. Him getting another shot, as it were, atP.T.viaODwould certainly support such a narrative, and while this would be nice, it’s notwhat makesODso exciting.ODshould be a bold and exciting new collaboration between Kojima and Peele, not just a vessel for Kojima to do business as usual, with Peele tacked on for soundboarding or optics purposes.
Rather,ODshould be a lovechildof the two creators. It’s rare for such a well-established filmmaker to team up with a game developer as unique as Kojima, so the more Peele DNA that gets intoOD, the better. The game will be covered in Kojima’s fingerprints regardless—he is the legendary game developer of the pair, after all—which is precisely why Jordan Peele’s influence ought to be strong as well. There should be little doubt that Kojima feels similarly, otherwise he probably wouldn’t have invited Peele onboard in the first place.
