Death Stranding's nature as a primarily solitary experience is one of the reasons why it doesn't resonate with all players. As Sam Bridges, they must brave a vast, empty land to reconnect the United Cities of America while delivering packages to people all over the land. Because of paranormal dangers like the rapidly-aging Timefall and Voidout-inducing BTs, very few people decide to leave the confines of their shelters. As a result, Sam's journey is rife with loneliness.
While the same can be said for players to an extent, they are far from alone. Death Stranding incorporates multiple online features that allow players to aid and support each other without ever meeting. These features are unique in and of themselves, but if Death Stranding 2 wants to push the franchise's theme of interconnectivity, it might consider adding full co-op into the mix.
Death Stranding Already Has Some Strong Multiplayer Elements
It's quite astounding how Kojima Productions was able to implement online elements into a game with solidarity at its core. By interacting with Death Stranding's world, players are also contributing to a shared experience between others. Areas that are often traveled will transform into natural pathways that are easier for Sam to walk through. Structures like ladders and bridges will appear in areas where other players have set them, allowing for convenient traversal. Whether players choose to leave them or not, using shared creations will automatically provide their creators with Likes that increase their Porter Grade, thus increasing their stats and ability to make new and better structures.
But quite possibly the most direct way players can interact with each other is by providing materials to structures. Certain constructs like Death Stranding's Zip-lines and Highways require a lot of materials to create and upgrade. These improvements range from simple increases to their effective radius to the total amount of Timefall they can withstand before degrading. Players can contribute to a construct by interacting with its terminal and providing the necessary materials. They don't have to finish the construct immediately, but provided enough materials are donated by multiple players, the new structure will eventually reach completion.
Death Stranding 2 Could Go Full Co-op
Considering the multiple unique ways its predecessor implements online play, Death Stranding 2 could go one step further and allow a second controllable character to accompany Sam on his next adventure. The most obvious candidate for such a feature would be Fragile - one of Sam's allies who was primarily featured in the Death Stranding 2 reveal trailer. Fragile having a higher level of DOOMS than Sam would allow her to brave the harsh environment of America and the BTs that dwell in it. Likewise, being the owner of Fragile Express would allow her to use her delivery know-how to aid Sam in creating new ways to traverse the world and deliver cargo (it might even be possible for players to use her ability to move through her Beach for various purposes). From a narrative standpoint, having Fragile around would allow Sam to open up to someone as opposed to the long bouts of silence he exhibits in the first game
While these gameplay elements would be possible with an NPC, Death Stranding's emphasis on reconnection makes co-op a better fit. Two players in the same world would be able to help and communicate with each other as they complete tasks. This would make tedious objectives like transporting materials much easier and alleviate some of the loneliness players experience. During the tenser segments of the game like BT encounters, co-op players create distractions and openings for one another. The game should still be a single-player experience first and foremost, but the addition of co-op would make Death Stranding 2 more accessible to those who aren't keen on experiencing Hideo Kojima's madness alone.
Death Stranding 2 is currently in development for PS5.
