Renowned game director Hideo Kojima has opened up about the technical challenges his team faced when incorporating Asian actors into Death Stranding 2. The highly anticipated sequel boasts stunning visuals with photorealistic character models, but Kojima explains that achieving the same level of realism with Asian facial features presents unique difficulties in current CGI technology.

In an interview with IGN Japan, Kojima elaborated on these technical limitations: "While we're committed to diversity in our casting, we've found that Asian facial features - particularly those of women and younger individuals - often appear less authentic when scanned and converted into 3D models. The smooth complexion characteristic of many Asian faces can sometimes appear artificial in digital rendering."

Despite these challenges, Death Stranding 2 does feature several notable Asian actors, including Ma Dong-seok as Samson Hook and Lauren Tsai as The Artist. Kojima's team has made significant progress with their new scanning technology, particularly evident in their work with Japanese actress Shioli Kutsuna, who plays the new character Rainy.

Kutsuna's casting was particularly strategic - not only for her acting talent but also for her bilingual fluency in English and Japanese. As Kojima Productions films performance capture in Los Angeles, language proficiency became an important factor in casting decisions. "Working with someone who doesn't speak English fluently would create unnecessary barriers in our creative process," Kojima explained.

The visual fidelity in Death Stranding 2 represents a new benchmark for the industry, with details like facial pores and micro-expressions rendered with unprecedented clarity. This level of detail presents both opportunities and challenges, as the team continues to refine their approach to diverse character representation.

As players explore the rich world of Death Stranding 2, the industry watches with interest to see how Kojima Productions will continue pushing technological boundaries while addressing the representation challenges unique to different ethnic features in high-fidelity CGI.