One of the more unexpected gaming rumors to pop up this year is that Kojima Productions could be teaming up with Xbox. Neither party has confirmed this, but given Hideo Kojima's desire for creative freedom and Xbox boss Phil Spencer's goal of increasing Xbox's reach in Japan, both parties seem like they could stand to benefit from collaborating on a game.
With a possible new game on the horizon, it's worth taking a look through Kojima Productions' past work. Since its founding in 2005, the studio has developed incredibly popular titles like the critically acclaimed Metal Gear series, but it's also dabbled in some lesser-known franchises. Kojima Productions' library is filled with titles ranging from all-time classics to the quirkiest of games, making it a worthwhile one to examine.
The Metal Gear Series
Metal Gear is virtually synonymous with Kojima Productions. The celebrated series is pretty well-known for its complex story and genre-defining stealth gameplay, but Kojima Productions wasn't afraid to let the series experiment with a few different styles of play from time to time.
Metal Gear Rising took the series in a more fast-paced, action-focused direction with a hack-n-slash game starring a cyborg ninja. Inversely, the Metal Gear Acid subseries slowed things down with a duo of turn-based card games. The series even tested out the mobile market with a collectible card game and a mobile version of Metal Gear Solid 4.
Death Stranding
For years prior to its release, Death Stranding was a bit of a mystery. No one quite knew what to expect from Kojima Productions' first post-Konami outing, but it's safe to assume that not many expected a mechanically-complex, post-apocalyptic romp.
Death Stranding's slow-paced gameplay and deliberately restrictive movement divided critics and fans alike, but its unique approach to multiplayer was praised. Players never directly interact with each other in the game, but they can spawn in various vehicles and structures that other players can use to better traverse the game's rough terrain. Some players find the communal aspect of Death Stranding so engaging that they'll ignore the main story just to make someone else's time spent playing a little easier.
Silent Hills/P.T.
P.T. popped up on the PlayStation store one day, appearing to be a demo for a new game from an unknown developer. Naturally, many were shocked upon reaching the ending, which revealed it to be a demo for a new Silent Hill game from Hideo Kojima and horror icon Guillermo Del Toro. Unfortunately, the split between Kojima and Konami in 2015 caused the project to be shelved, and the Silent Hill series has laid dormant since. P.T.'s chilling atmosphere and terrifying gameplay set a high bar for not just for Silent Hills, but horror games in general. Despite being a demo, it's commonly regarded as an all-time classic that has gone on to influence the horror genre.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Kojima Productions teamed up with MercuryStream to take Castlevania in a new direction with Lords of Shadow. This reboot of the franchise was dark, and had a greater focus on racking up combos; it has more in common with the likes of Devil May Cry than any of the Castlevania games that came before.
The game was a success, so much so that it received two sequels: Mirror of Fate for the 3DS, and Lords of Shadow 2 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. However, Kojima Productions was only involved with the production of the first Lords of Shadow.
Snatcher
One of Kojima's earlier titles, Snatcher is a visual novel about a skilled detective who is tasked with hunting down Snatchers — androids who can disguise themselves as humans to blend in with society.
If that sounds familiar, it's because Kojima was heavily inspired by Blade Runner during Snatcher's development. This game has some interesting ties to Kojima Productions' Metal Gear games, perhaps the most obvious one being that the main character's sidekick is the Metal Gear Mk. II, which would later appear in Metal Gear Solid 4 as Old Snake's robotic companion.
Policenauts
Policenauts stars private eye Jonathan Ingram as he attempts to track down his ex-wife's killer. Like Snatcher, it's a visual novel with heavy cinematic influences that also has many connections to the Metal Gear series.
Eagle-eyed fans of Metal Gear Solid 1 might remember seeing a Policenauts poster in Otacon's lab, but Policenauts also marks the first appearance of Meryl Silverburgh, who would appear in Metal Gear Solid 1 four years later. Unfortunately, the game was never released outside of Japan. However, a popular fan translation exists allowing players to enjoy Policenauts in English.
The Zone of the Enders Series
Hideo Kojima created this duology of stylish action games starring giant fighting mechs. They're pretty fast paced games, boasting both ranged and melee combat. Each Zone of the Enders game follows a mech named Jehuty that has a different pilot in each game.
The games were released in the early 2000s, but later received HD remasters for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. They're also referenced frequently throughout the Metal Gear series, most recently with the Hand of Jehuty item from 2015's Metal Gear Solid 5.
The Boktai Series/Lunar Knights
Boktai is essentially a solar-powered video game. The game's various weapons are literally powered by the Sun through a solar-sensor built into the game's cartridge. This outlandish gameplay mechanic is par for the course when considering Hideo Kojima created the series. While the first two entries saw releases outside of Japan, the third game was only released in Japan. However, the fourth entry still made its way westward, albeit renamed as Lunar Knights.
Similar to Zone of the Enders, Boktai is also referenced multiple times in the Metal Gear series. One notable instance is in Metal Gear Solid 4, where the solar gun from Lunar Knights appears as a secret weapon, and its ammo can only be replenished by exposing Snake to in-game sunlight.
The Baibai Trainer Series
If people were surprised Kojima Productions would make a game about walking, they'll be awestruck once they discover Baibai Trainer, which is Kojima Productions' series of handheld stock market simulators. There's not a lot of available information about these games, and the series never made its way to the west, but unlike Policenauts, there hasn't been quite as high demand for an English translation.
Kojima Productions' past is filled with such a varied assortment of games that it's hard to say what the studio will do next. However, there is one valuable piece of insight to be gained from the company's history: Nothing is off the table when it comes to Kojima Productions.