Glancing at Kojima Productions' blank slate of upcoming projects, might be enough to trick some players into thinking the studio has been taking it easy since the release of Death Stranding. If repeated rumors, leaks, and teases are any indication though, this is far from the case. Beyond a heavily hinted at Xbox exclusive, it's starting to look like Death Stranding 2 for the PS5 might be in the early stages of development as well.
Thanks to several occasions where Norman Reedus has candidly spoken about stepping back into Sam Porter Bridges' boots, there's a growing list of reasons why Death Stranding 2 could be real. If Hideo Kojima walks onto a stage in the near future to announce the sequel though, there are several games he'd do well to reveal he's taken inspiration from features-wise. One the biggest the iconic director should be looking at is arguably FromSoftware's Demon's Souls.
Demon’s Souls’ World Tendency
When Demon's Souls debuted back in 2009 on the PS3, few could have foreseen the levels of success FromSoftware would go on to achieve with its Soulsborne games. Despite this, titles like Elden Ring and Bloodborne have since become some of the highest rated of all time. It's no accident that the studio's formula has taken off though, which means Demon's Souls can still teach the theoretical Death Stranding 2 a trick or two 13 years later. One of the keys to the game's success that should be of note to Kojima Productions, is the game’s pioneering World Tendency mechanic.
The easiest way to get to grips with Demon’s Souls World Tendency mechanic, is to view it as FromSoftware’s attempt at depicting morality in Boletaria. Certain actions that players will often do without realizing when exploring will tip each World’s unique karmic scale in one of two directions. Depending on the action and way the scales lean, the game will either get easier or harder in each region from its default Neutral standing.
Killing any of Demon’s Souls’ iconic boss fights will tip the World Tendency of the region they’re native to towards the White side of the karmic scales. In Worlds that have a Neutral White, White, or Pure White Tendency, the game will be comparatively kinder. Enemies in these Worlds are easier to kill, while the player is granted higher health and damage output. It should be noted that, as a trade-off, fewer items and Souls will be dropped.
On the opposite side of the scales is the Black Tendency part of the spectrum. In Neutral Black, Black, and Pure Black Worlds, Demon’s Souls becomes even more difficult. Beyond the player having less health, enemies will deal higher damage. Black Phantom enemy variants and Primeval Demons will also spawn. What makes this side particularly brutal though is the fact that any death that the player experiences while in Human Form will push them deeper into it.
Death Stranding 2’s Potential
Rumors regarding Kojima Productions' next game evolve almost every week. Right now a horror title code-named Overdose, seemingly starring Death Stranding's Margaret Qualley, is gaining a lot of attention. If a sequel to the studio's last project is also on the cards though, it's clear from the above that the incorporation of a World Tendency mechanic would enhance the experience a great deal.
Considering how the first Death Stranding revolved around the concept of community, it’s easy to imagine Sam’s follow-up quest incorporating a Demon’s Souls karma system remarkably well. In some respects a World Tendency mechanic would be a natural evolution of the multiplayer elements that were present in the original game. Helping the NPCs that call each part of the already separated map home could result in some interesting karmic benefits, such as higher health and resources.
On the flip side, delivering damaged items late could leave Sam with a poor reputation that makes Death Stranding 2 harder. The BTs that litter the world already are almost crying out for this kind of glow-up. Entering a region of the map with a low Tendency could result in bigger and meaner ghosts from the Earth’s past being placed within the player's way. A deeper and more versatile difficulty system would likely benefit the overall experience as well.
What made Demon’s Souls’ World Tendency mechanic so special on PS3 and PS5, was the way in which it fundamentally altered the world around the player. In each of the different points along the karmic scale, unique locations, items, and fights would pop up to make proceedings more dynamic. It would be interesting to see the same sort of feature appear in Death Stranding 2. With players having already explored an approximation of the USA, adding this kind of system into the mix could be the perfect way to make a return trip more exciting.
Death Stranding is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.
