The Irony of a Horror Master: ‘Resident Evil 2’ Director Wants to Purge the Scares from ‘P.T.’

In a surprising twist of industry commentary, Hideki Kamiya, the renowned director of the iconic survival horror title Resident Evil 2 and the creator of the adrenaline-fueled Devil May Cry and Bayonetta franchises, has publicly voiced his willingness to tackle a spiritual successor to Hideo Kojima’s legendary, delisted demo, P.T. (Playable Teaser). The catch? Kamiya openly stated that his version would not be a horror game, asserting a personal dislike for the very genre in which he made his name.

This development adds a bizarre new layer to the cult status of Kojima’s abandoned Silent Hills project. The original P.T., with its endlessly looping, claustrophobic hallway, remains a benchmark for psychological and environmental horror, having profoundly influenced the last decade of indie and AAA horror games. Kamiya’s peculiar proposal has sparked intense discussion among gaming enthusiasts, highlighting the enduring legacy of the demo that Konami permanently removed from the PlayStation Store in 2015.

The Ultimate ‘What If?’: Kamiya’s Challenge to Kojima

Kamiya’s comments, originally posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and widely reported, began by urging Hideo Kojima to revisit the unique format of the playable teaser for a new project. Kojima is already developing an experimental horror game titled OD, a collaboration with filmmaker Jordan Peele, but Kamiya suggested an alternative course if a direct revival of the P.T. concept proves impossible due to legal or creative constraints.

“If it’s impossible to resurrect P.T., Kojima should make a new game in the same style,” Kamiya wrote. He then followed with the eyebrow-raising challenge, “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 statement is particularly jarring given that Kamiya is celebrated for his masterful work on Resident Evil 2, a title that perfected the fixed-camera perspective and managed resources to generate deep survival horror tension. The director’s preference for hyper-stylized action, evident in his work at PlatinumGames, suggests a “P.T.”-style project from him would likely transform the eerie atmosphere and cryptic puzzle-solving into something vastly different—perhaps a fast-paced, surreal action experience set in a confined, recursive space. The concept of a non-horror, action-packed looping hallway is inherently comedic and deeply aligned with Kamiya’s characteristic, self-aware social media persona.

The Enduring Influence and Business of the ‘P.T.-like’

Kamiya’s remarks are not just personal musings; they underline a genuine business and creative gap in the video game industry. The success of smaller, “P.T.-like” indie titles, such as the Japanese sleeper hit The Exit 8, proves that the market is hungry for the demo’s unique brand of environmental puzzle and dread. Kamiya himself has acknowledged this impact, suggesting that the sub-genre should rightfully be named ‘P.T.-like,’ asserting its revolutionary status in game design.

• The Horror Irony: Kamiya’s professed dislike of horror is widely speculated to mean he dislikes playing it, not directing it, a phenomenon common among creators in the genre who find their own work too scary. He has previously admitted that P.T. itself was “too scary” for him to play alone.
• Creative Benchmark: P.T. remains a powerful case study for developers, demonstrating how minimal resources—a single, repeating hallway—can achieve maximum tension and player engagement, making it one of the most cost-effective and influential horror experiences ever made.
• The Kojima Factor: With Hideo Kojima now focusing on OD, his own ambitious and experimental horror project, the chances of him directly revisiting the P.T. style are slim. Kamiya’s playful offer serves as a highly visible reminder of the lost potential, using his considerable industry clout to draw attention back to the beloved concept.

Ultimately, while a “P.T.” remake from Kamiya without the horror elements may be more of a humorous thought experiment than a genuine announcement—especially given his concurrent work on a rumored Okami 2 at his new studio, Clovers—it reignites the passionate community debate over one of the most influential and frustratingly unavailable games in modern history. The question remains: is the infinite, recursive hallway a template for only terror, or could it be reimagined for pure, unadulterated action?