Add this to the list of awesome features that would’ve worked amazingly in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, but will never see the light of day.
In a recent interview that got translated by Genki_JPN on Twitter, game creator and director Hideo Kojima revealed that the team had originally worked on a hair growth system for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. This system would allow protagonist Sam’s hair and beard to grow over time. Players would then be able to decide when they’d want to cut it.
To make things even more awesome, there was also a hair color system baked into this feature. This means that players could’ve chosen to make Sam’s hair blonde or red if they wanted to. However, Kojima eventually decided to scrap this feature because he was concerned that players might get too carried away, or that this might alter actor Norman Reedus’ look a bit too much.
I mean, I kinda get it. You’re paying a ton of money to get a big actor like Norman Reedus to star in your game. You want people to know it’s him. You certainly wouldn’t want people to mess around with the hair system too much to make him potentially unrecognizable. That would be a waste of money! Still, imagine Norman Reedus with green hair or something. With bangs that covered his eyes. Or maybe a hobo beard.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach serves as a direct follow-up to the original 2019 game. Players take control of Sam Bridges once again, who’s tasked with establishing connections all over Australia. Whereas the first game was critically acclaimed but also criticized for being too much of a walking simulator, Kojima has confirmed that the sequel will be more combat-focused.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to be released for the PS5 on June 26.
