The Game Awards 2022 featured plenty of surprises and a myriad of announcements that prove that the gaming scene will be quite exciting in the upcoming year. One of the reveals came from Hideo Kojima, who gave gamers a glimpse of Death Stranding 2. While a few past characters are making a return, the game also seems to be embracing new environments.
It will likely take a few more trailers before gamers get a better sense of what the next game is attempting to offer. Nevertheless, enough Death Stranding 2 has been shown to demonstrate that gamers are likely in for a novel experience. While the Iceland-inspired landscapes of Death Stranding were enthralling, Kojima seems to have moved on to new ideas involving water.
The Dystopian Landscape of Death Stranding
While settings are important in most games, it is the main attraction in Death Stranding. Although there are enemies to contend with, including terrorists and MULEs, most of a player's time will be spent attempting to navigate the dystopian terrain without damaging their precious cargo. Sloping mountains can lead to Sam Bridges tumbling over, and rivers are impassable obstacles until players find the right tools.
Death Stranding is set in a future version of the USA that has been torn apart by strange creatures called Beached Things. Despite the American setting, keen-eyed players will have noticed that the landscapes are not what one would expect from the country. Players are met with black soil, rugged terrain, and moss-covered mountains.
This kind of scenery is more akin to what one would expect from Iceland. It has had its landscape uniquely shaped by millennia of volcanic activity and geological forces that have created steep mountains and deep fjords. This comes as no surprise, as Kojima's travels have taken him to the tiny European country, which is also where he discovered the music of Low Roar.
Death Stranding 2: New Game, New Setting
During the trailer shown at 2022's The Game Awards, gamers got a glimpse of Death Stranding's sequel which Kojima has been hinting at for a while. It sees the return of characters like Sam and Fragile, though it appears that it is prepping to tell yet another mind-twisting story. Although not many details are revealed, players do see Fragile attempting to protect a baby and a BB pod with scary tentacles within it.
The upcoming game appears to embrace a slightly new setting. Unlike the first game which had Sam outdoors at almost all times, Death Stranding 2 seems to embrace indoor environments much more. Fragile is seen sneaking down corridors and through vents, not unlike Snake in Metal Gear Solid. This is a direction that franchise seems to have been going in since the release of Death Stranding Director's Cut, which also features more indoor environments.
During the brief glimpses of the outdoors, there is no longer black sand and moss-covered terrain. Instead, the environment appears rockier and desert-like. With the game taking place after the first title, in a world that has seemingly connected more, it will be interesting to see how it introduces fresh traversal challenges. The new game isn't entirely void of large bodies of water, however. The trailer reveals a large device emerging from what appears to be a lake. The device may be a vehicle of some sort, as Fragile tells Sam that it's time to "start a new journey" as it arises.
Weeks prior, Kojima fans had speculated that the game may feature aquatic environments. This was mostly fueled by leaks claiming that Death Stranding 2 is being worked on under the codename Project Ocean. Having water as a new type of terrain to navigate would certainly bring new elements to gameplay and make the sequel feel fresh. Nevertheless, with no gameplay shown yet, it is difficult to determine precisely what Kojima has in store for gamers.
Kojima did speak at The Game Awards. Although he kept his lips zipped regarding what to expect from Death Stranding 2, he did mention that he had written the game before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after living through the pandemic, he decided to rewrite everything.
The Leaks and Hints Come Together
The theory that Kojima may be unveiling a Death Stranding sequel has been floating around for a while. Those rumors have, in part, been fueled by Kojima who has been consistently dropping cryptic hints at public events and on his Twitter account. This is nothing new for Kojima, as he is quite fond of trolling his fans and always keeping them guessing. This time around, fans did a fairly good job of predicting his next move.
As Kojima has previously hinted, the game will feature actresses Elle Fanning and Shioli Kitsuna. Norman Reedus makes a return as Sam, though he appears to be much older, and Lea Seydoux reclaims her role as Fragile. However, this time around, it seems that she will be taking a far more central role, and gamers may learn a bit more about her backstory.
Like its predecessor, Death Stranding 2 will be making use of the Decima engine, which has also been responsible for Guerrilla Game's Horizon franchise. The fact that the footage has been captured on PS5 suggests that the upcoming game will be a console exclusive, though this has yet to be confirmed. However, if it follows the pattern of the first game, it should eventually find its way to PC.
The announcement of the upcoming game gives plenty for Kojima fans to look forward to. To find out more about the upcoming game, gamers will likely have to keep an eye on his Twitter and an ear to his podcast titled Brain Structure. In addition to Death Stranding 2, gamers can also expect an Xbox game from Kojima. According to rumors, the game is titled Overdose, and it is a horror title that will feature Margaret Qualley.
Death Stranding 2 has yet to receive a release date.
