During the 2023 Game Awards ceremony, Hideo Kojima made a dramatic reappearance on the Peacock Theater stage, ready to reveal the first look into his latest project, “OD”. As expected from the father of video game survival horror, the look is brief yet strange, and even vaguely cathartic. Since then little information has been released, but context clues point to major exciting developments.
The bizarre first trailer mostly shows talking heads speaking a random incohesive sentence rapidly at first with ease until the scene changes and each head becomes much more petrified, beckoning their silence until one lets out a piercing scream of shock. With careful attention to their reflective eyes, the audience can make out a flashing door that slowly opens before the trailer turns black and the letters “OD” appear on screen.
Although there was allure, the footage itself revealed little about what “OD” exactly is.That doesn’t stop the excited crowd from cheering in anticipation, however. Kojima took to the stage to announce that he’s working on the project in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios, but there’s a twist. He reveals that “OD” will be much more than a game, even making a bold point by announcing that “OD” is something “no one has seen before.”
Kojima continues his speech, reassuring the crowd with the following: “It is a game, don’t get me wrong. But it’s at the same time a movie and at the same time a new form of media.” Suddenly, the familiarity of the talking heads makes sense. The floating heads in the trailer include Sophia Lillis (known for “IT” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”), Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria” & “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”) and Udo Kier (“From Hunters” and “Swan Song”).
Just as the audience is trying to wrap their own heads around Kojima’s statement and the feature of stellar actors, academy award winning director of “Get Out” and “Nope”, Jordan Peele, made his own dramatic entrance onto the stage through the same flashing door revealed in the trailer. On stage, Peele confirms that he will also be collaborating with Kojima on “OD”. Expressing his admiration for Kojima, such as through his previous works like “Metal Gear Solid 2”, Peele continues with, “He’s been an inspiration to me, and the opportunity to collaborate with him is truly incredible.”
“In my films, I’m always trying to maximize the immersion, put the audience into the main character’s shoes. Hideo is the master of this and he does it on a whole other level. What he’s cooking up here is completely immersive, utterly terrifying and I am absolutely honored to be collaborating with the GOAT [greatest of all time]. Let’s go!” Peele finishes. Kojima didn’t share the extent of Peele’s involvement, but he did tease for more impressive collaborations, whose names are yet to be released. Kojima remarks that although he’s unable to reveal anymore at the current moment, he can at least say that he’s working with absolute legends who are amazing.
The showcased motion-capture of the popular cast is phenomenal. Considering its unusual movie/game hybrid, there’s no doubt that Kojima and Peele’s collaboration will combine their attuned genres of psychological horror. But in terms of gameplay alone, Kojima’s previous track record from “Metal Gear Solid” games hint at a cinematic stealth action video game. Noting the partnership between Kojima Productions and Xbox Game Studios, “OD” is likely to blend passive and active gameplay through its leverage of Xbox Cloud Gaming for development.
The Game Awards served as the perfect show to display the first official look at “OD”. With creative horror masterminds like Jordan Peele and Hideo Kojima, “OD” is highly expected to be a spectacular performance. While anonymity still surrounds the project, further details surrounding release are anticipated.
