The Unexpected Twist: Resident Evil 2 Director Wants a New P.T.-Style Game

In a stunning revelation that has sent waves through the gaming community, Hideki Kamiya, the acclaimed director of the original Resident Evil 2 and the creative force behind Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, has expressed a surprising desire to see a new game in the style of Hideo Kojima’s legendary P.T. demo. What makes this statement so remarkable is his candid admission that he “hates horror,” a sentiment that has both amused and intrigued fans of the genre.

The Legacy of a Cancelled Masterpiece

For those who may not be familiar, P.T. (short for “Playable Teaser”) was a free, first-person psychological horror demo released in 2014 by Konami. It was a cryptic announcement for the now-infamous cancelled game, Silent Hills, a collaboration between Hideo Kojima and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Despite being a brief, looping experience set within a single, claustrophobic hallway, P.T. achieved a near-mythical status. It was lauded for its groundbreaking atmospheric tension, intricate puzzles, and a sense of dread so palpable that many players simply could not finish it. Its delisting from the PlayStation Store in 2015 only fueled its legend, turning consoles with the demo pre-installed into valuable collector’s items.

The impact of P.T. is undeniable. It spawned an entire subgenre of “P.T.-like” or “walking simulator” horror games, with titles like Visage and the recent viral hit The Exit 8 directly channeling its core mechanics. It is this influence that has Kamiya calling for its spiritual successor.

A Director’s Duality: Kamiya and the Horror He Hates

Kamiya’s recent comments, made on social media, have ignited a lively debate about the nature of game development and creative inspiration. He stated, “If it’s impossible to resurrect P.T., Kojima should make a new game in the same style,” before adding the astonishing caveat, “if Kojima doesn’t do it, maybe I’ll give it a go. I hate horror though, so it wouldn’t be horror… plus, I have no ideas.”

This confession of disliking the very genre he helped define is a fascinating psychological paradox. It’s a phenomenon not entirely unheard of in the industry. For example, Shinji Mikami, often hailed as the “father of survival horror” for his work on the Resident Evil series, has also expressed a certain weariness with the genre, though he has continued to create masterpieces like The Evil Within. This suggests that the best horror can often come from those who are not just fans, but are actively exploring their own anxieties and fears, creating a more genuine and unsettling experience for the player.

What Would a Kamiya “Not-Horror” Game Look Like?

Kamiya’s hypothetical “not-horror” game, a project he admits to having no ideas for, is the most intriguing part of his statement. It opens up a creative sandbox for speculation. If he were to borrow P.T.‘s looping, anomaly-spotting mechanics, what would the genre become?

• A Psychological Thriller: Instead of fear, the game could focus on psychological manipulation and a building sense of unease. The anomalies could be clues to a mystery, with the looping environment representing a fractured memory or a descent into madness.
• A Puzzle-Driven Adventure: The looping corridor could become a complex escape room, with each successful loop revealing a new puzzle element. This would lean into the cerebral side of P.T., stripping away the horror for a purely intellectual challenge.
• A Surrealist Art Piece: Given Kojima’s own propensity for the bizarre, Kamiya could create a game that is not scary, but simply strange and unsettling. This could be a pure artistic expression, a walking simulator without the jumpscares, leaving players to interpret its meaning.

The Future of “Aversive” Game Design

Kamiya’s challenge is not just a call to action for Kojima; it is a testament to the enduring influence of P.T. and its minimalist, yet effective, design. The fact that a game director of his caliber, known for high-octane action games like Devil May Cry, is drawn to such a passive, atmospheric experience speaks volumes.

This movement towards “aversion gaming,” where the player’s discomfort is a primary design goal, is a trend worth watching. It prioritizes psychological tension and player immersion over traditional action mechanics. While we wait for any official word from Kojima, who is currently working on his own horror project, OD, Kamiya’s statement stands as a powerful reminder of how a single, short-lived demo changed the landscape of the entire genre, proving that sometimes, the scariest thing is the unknown. The high CPC keywords for these games, such as “P.T. remake,” “Hideo Kojima new game,” “horror games on PC,” and “game director interviews,” show a strong market interest in this niche but highly influential style of gameplay.