Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is one of the most anticipated games of the year. The most awaited game of the year, except for GTA VI. And for some people, even without the exception. And it’s no wonder. Death Stranding was for many media outlets the GOTY of 2019 and it’s not surprising. It showed that Hideo Kojima had a lot to say outside of Konami and Metal Gear and that, in addition, it was possible to create a game where the act of walking was extremely tense and satisfying.
Now it has to raise the stakes, because we already know how good their systems are. They must surprise us with something different, something better, because we already know the secrets of what Death Stranding is. At least, as a concept. And that’s why we are going to clarify everything we know. And everything we think we know.
Price, release date, booking and other important recent information
To begin, let’s start with the most recent news. Last Sunday, March 9, there was a special presentation about Death Stranding 2: On The Beach where new information about the game was revealed. With a new trailer lasting over ten minutes, the most interesting part is that it gave us a release date: next June 26 exclusively for PlayStation 5. The exclusivity is more than justified, considering the quality of the graphics presented in the trailer, showcasing a new graphical benchmark for the current generation of consoles.
In addition, it was also confirmed what the main theme of the game is. Titled To the Wilder, it is a song composed by Woodkid and talks about opening new paths and not getting carried away by the possibility of walking already known and worn paths, which are traps that keep us stuck in our lives. Something that may also be a nod to what we will see in this sequel. Or in the concert series Stranding Harmony, which will begin on November 8 and will tour around the world, playing the soundtrack of the now saga of Kojima’s games.
On the other hand, if you can’t wait to pre-order the game, you’ll still have to do just that. Wait a little longer. Because you won’t be able to do it until March 17, with three different editions: a standard edition, a digital deluxe edition, and a collector’s edition for €79.99, €89.99, and €249.99 respectively. The latter is only available on PlayStation Direct.
Everything we know for sure about the game
About the story, we still don’t know much. It seems to take place eleven months after the end of the first game and that the consequences of the first game have not been as positive as one might expect. Something that will lead us to once again step into the shoes of Sam Porter Bridges, brought to life by the famous actor Norman Reedus. Once again accompanied by Léa Seydoux as Fragile, Nicolas Winding Refn as Heartman, and Troy Baker as Higgs Monaghan, joining the cast are Elle Fanning, Sioli Kutsuna, Luca Marinelli, George Miller, Debra Wilson, Fatih Akin, Alastair Duncan, and Alissa Jung as Tomorrow, Rainy, Neil, Tarman, Doctor, Dollman, The President, and Lucy respectively.
From here on, we speculate freely
Up to this point, the information. From here on, we start to speculate. And the trailer has made us imagine quite a bit of what could happen in the game. To begin with, it seems that Sam and Fragile may have established some kind of romantic relationship and that, because of this, upon Higgs’ return when he comes back in search of Lou, Sam’s daughter, Fragile tries to save her at the cost of her own life. This gives Sam an even more personal reason to confront the situation this time.
At the same time, it seems that we will have new mechanics. It appears that battles will be much more common in this sequel, but it gives the impression that this is because The Beach no longer has the same effects on the planet. Whether it’s because the chiral crystals are changing the world and that separation between worlds no longer exists, or because entire parts of the game do not occur exactly in our world, it seems that combat will have a much greater weight in this sequel. Especially highlighting what seem to be battles with and against giant creatures, perhaps the most spectacular moments of its predecessor.
On the other hand, from what they say in the trailer, it seems that we are leaving the US to go to another continent. If we look at the name of the figure in the collector’s edition, it is Magellan, the famous Portuguese explorer who discovered America. If we add to that the fact that at one point a character says that the former US is exporting its form of culture to this other continent, it seems quite evident that the new place we are going to travel to is Europe. Something that was already hinted at in the original, suggesting that the situation in Europe was subtly different from that of the US.
And there also lies the impression of where the themes of the game may reside. The militarism of ancient USA, seeking to expand into other territories, and the use of AI, as it suggests that part of the problem of what is happening is the automation of distributions, could be the cause or consequence of the new uprising of Higgs, now with what is clearly a paramilitary group with sectarian overtones.
We won’t have to wait long to know if we were right
In any case, this last part is mere speculation. We do not know for sure what will happen in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long. As we have pointed out, it will be released exclusively for PlayStation 5 on June 26, ending the intrigue of what the genius Hideo Kojima has cooked up this time.
