Gaming auteur Hideo Kojima has praised the director of the recent Backrooms film for bringing “analog” horror back to the screen, and noted the similarities between the horror film and his own process of game development.
In a wide-ranging joint interview with Famitsu after the Tokyo premiere of Backrooms, Hideo Kojima and film director Kane Parsons discussed their personal inspirations for their projects, as well as directly complimenting each other’s work.
Related
We Need More Horror Games That Embrace The Ordinary
As we enter a horror gaming Renaissance, more developers should incorporate the mundane.
The Liminal Hallway of P.T. Continues to Inspire
Kojima mainly touched on the similarities between Backrooms’ liminal spaces and his own chaotic code for game design, which is heavily inspired by the silver screen and boundary-breaking directors like Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa and Martin Scorsese. He famously toyed with the concept of space in his highly-regarded and much-mourned P.T. demo, guiding players through a set of repeating identical hallways that intensified with horrific imagery every cycle.
The P.T. creator said he was happy to see new directors being inspired by the video games of their childhood, saying: “I think this way of perceiving space [in Backrooms], which disregards theory, is influenced by the fact that Kane and other young directors of the YouTube generation have been playing 3D games for a long time.”
The horror DNA present in Kojima’s P.T. runs deep in Backrooms, with its major focus on claustrophobic repetition and psychological distortion, as opposed to cheap jumpscares. Kojima said Backrooms “leaves you with a slightly unsettling feeling” and praised Parsons’ “sense of innovation”, saying the way he constructed the haunting backroom locale as “very game-like.”
Parsons responded, saying he agreed with Kojima and confirmed he was directly influenced by games he has played. He said he “perceive[s] space itself as a digital structure” and said when playing games, we have to “understand our environment and move very carefully and precisely.”
Related
Silent Hill Film Reboot Rumored to Be Planned After Major Resident Evil Success
Konami is reportedly planning a huge reboot of the Silent Hill film series after Resident Evil’s runaway success.
Analog Horror’s Big Comeback
The famed game creator also discussed Backrooms’ use of digital cameras to capture a very analog sense of horror—far removed from technology and focusing on the basic concept of space and location. Kojima said: “What’s particularly interesting about Kane is that his series of works are presented as if you were watching footage shot with a video camera in the 1990s… he incorporates analog methods of visual expression, such as so-called found footage.”
This results in a unique perspective which Kojima describes as “surprising”, saying: “Kane and his generation, while using a digital style, are exploring the feel of analog expression from the past, effortlessly leaping over film theory.”
Currently in production at Kojima Productions is OD, a new horror game that appears to similarly utilise space as a device for terrifying players. Kojima recently posted a photo from the game, showing a half-lit yellow hallway (very Backrooms) and a darkened doorway with the figure of a woman standing in it.
Fans immediately believed it harkened back to P.T. and discussed whether Kojima would be utilizing his previous ideas for his Silent Hills game for the upcoming title. Little else is known about OD, but Kojima has said he was inspired by the idea of “overdosing on fear.” The game is being produced as an XBOX exclusive, alongside Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid spiritual successor, Physint.
In the industry as a whole, more and more games are returning to the analog age for inspiration. Take Silent Hill: Townfall, for example. Key to gameplay is a tiny handheld CRT TV that players must use to tune into frequencies, solve puzzles and avoid enemies. Where most games now would have crystal clear visuals, mini-maps and countless tools at a player’s disposal, games like Townfall seek to enhance the fear with static, signal noise and subliminal imagery.
Next
XBOX CEO Message is Salt in Sony’s Wound at Kojima Productions
XBOX CEO Asha Sharma has left a message on Kojima Productions wall that fans are taking as a shot against Sony, which tried to cancel PHYSINT.