To the delight of the many players who loved the original game, Death Stranding 2 has officially been confirmed. Its reveal trailer does not disappoint, as it has sparked plenty of discussion just like the trailers for the original game did. Troy Baker’s Higgs somehow knows and sings BB’s Theme, a cult is worshiping Amelie, Fragile’s skin is no longer damaged, and - for some reason - Sam is old. With so many random pieces thrown together, fans could be in for a major twist.
Hideo Kojima is known for many things, ranging from brilliantly directed cinematics to absurd marketing puzzles in the lead-up to his game reveals. He is also someone that loves to include twists in his stories, whether that be everything with Venom Snake in Metal Gear Solid 5 or Big Boss’s return at the end of Metal Gear Solid 4. Out of all his games, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty has the most memorable twists, and Death Stranding 2 might just give it some competition.
Why a Metal Gear Solid 2-Style Surprise Could Be Imminent
Not only does Metal Gear Solid 2 have a big late-game twist involving the characters who were helping the protagonist, but the protagonist in general was a major surprise. Though gamers control the iconic Solid Snake in the first two hours - with this Tanker mission being one of the most beloved levels in video games - control switches to Raiden for the majority of the sequel. Despite Solid Snake hardly being playable, Hideo Kojima’s trailers and marketing completely hid this fact from the audience.
Though the decision to spring Raiden on players was controversial, as he did not become popular until his transition into a Cyborg Ninja with Metal Gear Solid 4 and the cult classic Metal Gear Rising, it was certainly an unforgettable twist. Though it is purely speculation, there is a chance that players are in for the exact same kind of surprise with Death Stranding 2, and there could even be a double switch in protagonist along the way.
Based on the marketing and Sam’s limited presence within Death Stranding 2’s initial trailer, he may not be the primary protagonist for the game. That role could end up falling to Fragile, as not only would her teleporting be an exciting mechanic to play with, but she is featured on the first poster for the game and is shown to be the one caring for Lou. Why Sam is not the one with the baby is unclear, but Fragile being consistently shown with the child could be indicative of a new protagonist. Perhaps she is just watching the baby for Sam while he goes on an important mission, though it is odd that he would separate himself from his daughter in the first place.
Additionally, Elle Fanning’s character is a mystery, though many have theorized that she will be playing an older version of Lou. If this turns out to be true, perhaps everything in the first trailer is just a prologue, and players control Lou for the majority of the game. Alternatively, players could become Lou in the epilogue sequence, with Sam and/or Fragile dying and a Red Dead Redemption 2-like sequence coming as a result. Like Sam connected with his dad Cliff Unger post-death, perhaps an adult Lou will do the same.
If a character switch does not happen early on, there is a chance that Old Man Sam is only playable near the end of the game. Based on Fragile’s importance, Elle Fanning and Shiori Kutsuna being nowhere to be seen, and Sam’s odd aging, it seems like there is more going on than meets the eye. With Kojima playing games with his audience many times before, an intentionally deceptive trailer would hardly be shocking at this point. Though Sam could still end up being the only playable character, the trailer showing so little opens the door for another trademark Kojima twist.
Death Stranding 2 is currently in development for PS5.
