Only Kojima could put a Pokémon in Death Stranding 2, and the reason is he’s a complete Pokémaniac. The head of Kojima Productions has been dreaming of being a Game Freak for years.
After a few hours with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and having played the original, I figured Hideo Kojima couldn’t surprise me anymore. A few plot twists or unexpected character fates? Maybe. But what I truly didn’t expect was for the Japanese visionary to slip a Pokémon minigame into his legendary delivery simulator.
No, there’s not a Bulbasaur popping up to help with a package for West Fort Knot. What happens is that Kojima has tucked a genuine Pokémon-inspired mechanic into Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’s gameplay. Yesterday I discovered it for myself during a routine trip connecting the F5 East Distribution Center to the Australian chiral network.
The first step: depart from the Metagenomista refuge, located on the northern rim of a crater in central Australia. The simplest path? Skirt the lake along its eastern edge, straight from Metagenomista to your destination.
Catch ’Em All… The EVs
After linking the woman to the Chiral Network using your Q-Pido, you’ll instantly unlock your first reward by filling the affinity star at her safehouse—an EX Capture Grenade. The catch? Not every case gives you more, but the Metagenomist leaves a package of five EX Capture Grenades at the terminal this time—Kojima clearly wants to make a point.
It becomes even more obvious when, near your goal, a portal tremor signals a major EV boss fight ahead. A tutorial urges you to weaken your foe, then toss an EX Capture Grenade to “catch” it.
The reference is obvious—this is Pokémon. Especially once three more giant tar monsters appear in the next area. If you’ve managed to capture the EV Octopoid, the game suggests summoning it. Even as the soundtrack channels Godzilla vibes for a proper kaiju clash, the capture/summon mechanic, and use of white EV crystals, all scream Game Freak’s pocket monsters.
It’s clear Death Stranding 2 has a lot more action than the original, but it’s not just about more enemy outposts. Before, there was little reason to fight these giant tar creatures, but now, when you can “catch them all,” everything changes.
Kojima Even Gave This Minigame Its Own Achievement
So, how did Kojima decide to put a Pokémon minigame in his latest title? The answer comes from an old Famitsu interview, where the Japanese auteur confessed his love of Nintendo’s series: “A while back, I played Pokémon Gold and Silver with my son. I didn’t really get what was so fun about it until I tried it. When I finally did, I was shocked—it’s such a great game. I played through it twice.” Kojima already sprinkled some of that “catch them all” philosophy into Peace Walker with the Fulton system.
Kojima’s devotion to Pikachu and friends is evident. When asked for his favorite game in EDGE magazine’s 300th issue, he picked Pokémon Gold and Silver, saying they’re the titles he played most during that span.
Even the Chiclana & Friends crew pointed out that Kojima did whatever he wanted this time. The Pokémon-inspired EV-catching proves it—especially if you know the legendary designer’s Nintendo obsession.
Source: 3djuegos
