If there are two games that have come to define the PlayStation 4’s lineup over the last couple of years, it would almost definitely be God of War and Death Stranding. While they are vastly different titles in terms of style, setting, and narrative, they have both been instrumental in defining the PlayStation as a console brimming with exceptional experiences. It’s clear the creators of both games have a great deal of respect for each other as well, with God of War’s director seemingly taking a lot of inspiration from a major aspect of Hideo Kojima’s recent release.
Sharing a screenshot of his phone to Twitter, Cory Barlog tagged Kojima to show him that he’d be listening to the Death Stranding soundtrack intently for inspiration while writing his newest project. The caption accompanying the tweet reads, “Writing like a mad bastard today thanks to your incredibly inspiring soundtrack [Hideo Kojima]!”
While Barlog’s admission of currently writing something new is no doubt interesting, it’s simply nice to see a great deal of respect between two of the most well-respected game directors in the industry today. Barlog has been a very vocal fan of Death Stranding after all, often discussing the game with fans on Twitter and talking about how frequently he played it during his downtime. Barlog clearly has a great deal of respect for Kojima's work, and hearing the God of War director has been inspired to write by the music of Death Stranding is proof that it’s not simply for show.
As for what Barlog’s currently writing, the answer is still somewhat obscure. While the natural assumption would be the highly-anticipated sequel to 2018’s God of War, there’s also been murmurings that Sony Santa Monica is working on an entirely new IP that will release on the PlayStation 5. Naturally, fans are likely hoping to see where Kratos and Atreus’ journey will go next, especially as the last game left many unanswered questions, but there’s no doubting that whatever the studio works on it will be of a high standard.
Hideo Kojima, on the other hand, appears to be working on a new project of his own, with the director hinting that his next release might be returning to the horror genre. Recently, however, the auteur also revealed that he’d be excited at the prospect of working on some smaller games, perhaps using an episodic or digital-only format to deliver his signature brand of Kojima weirdness. Only time will tell, but it’s clear both Kojima and Barlog will continue to innovate moving into the new console generation.
A sequel to 2018's God of War is rumored to be in development for PlayStation 5.