Hideo Kojima Makes Blockbuster Games, But This "Overwhelmingly Positive" Indie Title Is One Of His Favorites

The legendary game developer Hideo Kojima is well known for crafting blockbuster games that revolutionize the industry, from titles in the Metal Gear Solid franchise to Death Stranding and the ever-popular P.T., but there’s one “overwhelmingly positive” indie game that he considers to be one of his favorites. As of late, Kojima is enjoying all the praise that came with the release of Death Stranding 2. Screen Rant’s review of Death Stranding 2 gave the title a 10/10 score, citing its varied gameplay and “astounding” cinematic quality as some of its positive points.

Death Stranding 2 is just one of the many great titles the developer has put out and only contributes to the legendary status he has achieved. Aside from games, Kojima has a significant voice in the TV and movie industry, consistently reviewing shows and movies. Earlier this year, for example, Kojima called Scorsese “the second god.” The game developer’s deep appreciation for the cinematic arts is seen applied to his games, which have a lot of investment in acting and narrative depth.

Hideo Kojima Called Inside One Of His Favorite Games

The Developer Considered The Indie Horror Game Worth Mentioning

Even though Kojima usually praises large productions, he still pays attention to smaller titles. In a conversation with Eurogamer in 2019, the developer talked about his favorite games, which include Super Mario Bros. and Outer World (Another World in Japan). During the conversation, however, Kojima also mentioned that one of the games he most enjoyed in the past five years, referring to 2019 as the last year in his calculations, is the indie horror game called Inside.

Forget Death Stranding 2, Hideo Kojima’s Most Creative Game Is One You Probably Haven’t Even Played Before

Hideo Kojima has been widely praised for his work on Death Stranding 2, but there’s an underrated and extremely creative game under his belt.

The ever-innovative developer Hideo Kojima didn’t explain exactly why he appreciates Inside, but considering his love for creative storytelling and the intricacies of horror as a theme, it should come as no surprise that the game caught his eye. Inside is a puzzle platformer that puts you in control of a boy in an eerie setting. The game plays around with the concept of horror, expanding on some of the lessons that had already been shown to the world with Limbo, studio Playdead’s previous title.

Inside Is An Iconic Indie Game For A Reason

The Horror Game Blends Gameplay With Storytelling In A Creative Way

Aside from being praised by Kojima, Inside is an iconic game. On Steam, Inside has “overwhelmingly positive” reviews from its players. On Metacritic, the game has a 93 Metascore and an 8.3 user score. A lot of this positive reception is due to the story being told in Inside, which happens through the very puzzles that you resolve during your playthrough.

Kojima with his arms outstretched and Venom Snake in front of a mountain from Death Stranding.

“I Want To Die Making Something”: Hideo Kojima May Have Already Announced His Final Game, But That’s Okay

Hideo Kojima may be planning his retirement, but if what he says is true, we have nothing to worry about – the gaming industry is in good hands.

Everything you do in the game happens for a reason, and gameplay is intricately woven together with the narrative itself. Overall, this is a fairly short game, which takes about four hours to beat, according to HowLongToBeat, but despite how short it may be, it is considered a powerful game. Hideo Kojima’s acknowledgment of Inside’s quality, even with a lack of further explanation, makes perfect sense, so if you haven’t played it before, perhaps you should listen to the legendary developer.

Source: Eurogamer, Steam, Metacritic, HowLongToBeat