It goes without saying that Death Stranding is not a game for everyone. Many will find the idea of delivering packages back and forth tedious and boring, wishing there was more combat and less walking to do in the 2019 release. Those players may get their wish with Death Stranding 2, but hopefully Sam will still have some deliveries to embark on from time to time, as those that did fully engage with the gameplay loop found it interesting and relaxing.
In the original Death Stranding, the environment was the biggest threat players had to deal with, as they had to plan out routes to sneak past BTs and keep their packages from taking damage. Ascending mountains, crossing rivers, and climbing down cliffs with the help of other players’ tools all made for a refreshing style of gameplay, and for some, it was even better than the fights against MULEs and BTs. Hopefully, with Death Stranding 2, Hideo Kojima seeks to perfectly balance combat and deliveries as opposed to favoring the former over the latter.
Why a Combat Focus For Death Stranding 2 Seems More Likely
There are a few reasons that Death Stranding 2 seems poised to feature more combat than its predecessor. For starters, the new tagline “Should we have connected?” suggests that the game will highlight the negative consequences of bringing America back together. With this in mind, it makes little sense to deliver more packages and continue strengthening connections, as the darker tone implied by the tagline and use of the color red both suggest a lot of violence is coming.
Outside of the sequel's tagline hinting that the game’s overall message will be significantly less positive, Higgs having a villain faction only adds to the likelihood of increased combat sequences. After all, it only makes sense that players will have to fight against the mask-wearing antagonist and what looks to be his robot army several times. If they are sprinkled throughout the game at a consistent rate, players could be in for Metal Gear Solid-like stealth sections and large gunfights that happen far more regularly than they did in the first game.
The original game’s slow-paced style not only turned away a larger audience, but made the game a hard sell for Twitch streamers. From the outside looking in, Death Stranding could seem like a repetitive walking simulator, as much of what makes the game appealing is being in the world and taking in the environments as well as Low Roar’s music. With this in mind, making the game more action-packed and less delivery-focused could guarantee that it appeals to a broader audience, increasing discussion about the game and helping its performance on Twitch.
However, while more combat makes sense based on the tone of Death Stranding 2’s reveal trailer, and would likely help increase the game’s player count, it would be a shame to lose deliveries completely. Plotting out deliveries, building and using futuristic pieces of equipment, and dealing with BTs is what made Death Stranding special. Hopefully, that uniqueness is maintained, with deliveries happening from time to time as the story progresses.
Death Stranding 2’s new setting looks like a major shakeup from the previous game’s, and being able to explore it thoroughly during deliveries would be ideal. Though these deliveries would likely be used sporadically like the MULE camps were in the first Death Stranding, having Sam carry supplies and weapons from place to place would be welcome. Though Death Stranding 2 shaking things up with its gameplay is not a bad idea, making sure those that loved the original game still have content that appeals to them will be important.
Death Stranding 2 is currently in development for PS4 and PS5.
