To say the Death Stranding games are strange would be a massive understatement. Not only have the Death Stranding trailers been misleading and vague, but the games themselves require a lot of exposition through cutscenes, dialogue, and in-game text to comprehend. Even if players manage to finish the first game, there are still many unexplained events that beg for the existence of Death Stranding 2.
Yet it is because of this strangeness that the franchise can be so appealing to some. Liberated from Konami's shackles, Hideo Kojima and his company Kojima Productions are free to get as weird as they want. Be it a massive shared world where players can make use of each other's creators or Norman Reedus exploring a Private Room as Sam Bridges, Death Stranding's penchant for surprising players seems to never end. But one thing Death Stranding 2 has to execute just as well if not better than the first game is an interesting boss fight.
The Boss Fight Against Higgs Is The Epitome Of Death Stranding's Strangeness
After making it to Edge Knot City, connecting the greater part of the United Cities of America (UCA), and fighting off a massive humanoid BT, Sam finally confronts Higgs at a Beach. After all the trouble the ex-porter caused them, players are more than willing to unleash their full arsenal on the Troy Baker lookalike. Unfortunately, all three stages of Higgs's boss fight strip the players of their weapons save for their trusty Strand rope.
The first stage of the Higgs battle is a clear nod to the stealth sections of the Metal Gear franchise. By picking up scattered cargo strewn throughout the arena and chucking it, players can distract Higgs long enough for them to sneak up and bind him with their rope. As Higgs struggles to break free, players can kick him several times. This method is repeated ad infinitum until the boss begins the second stage of the fight.
While the first part of the boss fight was an homage to Metal Gear's stealth gameplay, the second part focuses on Sam's Snake-like close-quarters combat (CQC). Still equipped with his Strand rope, Sam must counter Higgs' new knife attacks with properly-timed parries. Thanks to Death Stranding's forgiving parry windows and slow-motion assist mechanic, this section of the fight is much easier than the first.
The third and final part of the fight is a one-on-one brawl against Higgs. It is here where the game shifts to the perspective of a 2D fighting game while Sam and Higgs are given assigned life bars and movesets. Fighting this battle is not as difficult as a traditional fighting game like Tekken or Street Fighter, but some of the nuances of the genre such as blocking and attack spamming are present.
Death Stranding 2 Needs To Match Or Outdo This Level Of Weird
While the prospect of fighting Higgs conventionally is never realized, the three-part battle players partake in the first game is unique enough that it becomes memorable. The first two stages of the fight are straightforward implementations of Death Stranding's less-used mechanics, but the 2D fighting game scuffle against Higgs is something no one expects. Being able to beat Higgs not once but thrice carries with it a catharsis unlike any other. Add in the fact that the third fight zooms in on Sam's and Higgs' battered and bruised faces, and players feel every bit of damage they take and inflict.
Considering Higgs' return in Death Stranding 2, the sequel should give players another chance to beat him in creative ways. Adding something like Nier: Automata's bullet-hell segments or Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's third-person Guy Savage Easter egg would turn players' heads and make them rethink what is possible in Death Stranding games. There is still a lot the world doesn't know about the sequel, and if Hideo Kojima has his way, this can go a long way toward subverting players' expectations for the game.
Death Stranding 2 is now in development for PS5.
