Revered video game auteur Hideo Kojima has revealed a new trailer and release date for his next mind-bending opus, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
Judging by the stunning 10-minute clip, the sequel is far heavier on action than the original, which some shrugged off as little more than a beautiful “walking simulator”.
There’s plenty of trudging around in the new game, too, but it’s interspersed with vehicular combat (on machine-gun-equipped motorbikes, no less), skirmishes with mechanoid robots, and boss fights with Beached Things the size of titans.
There’s even a nod to Metal Gear Solid, the stealth-action series Kojima is best known for — and one he left behind after his dramatic split with Konami to form Kojima Productions, with Death Stranding as its flagship title.
In the sequel, a new character named Neil is played by Luca Marinelli, who Kojima once said would be a dead ringer for Metal Gear Solid’s legendary protagonist, Solid Snake, in a bandana. Sure enough, the trailer delivers exactly that.
Set 11 months after the formation of the United Cities of America, the game also introduces automated deliveries and hints at a new opposing faction.
Alongside the new stuff, the trailer also includes a host of familiar faces. Norman Reedus is back as the game’s protagonist, courier Sam Porter Bridges, who went off the grid with BB (a telepathic baby in a jar – it’s a long story) at the end of the previous game. As is his tragic beau, played by erstwhile Bond girl Léa Seydoux.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach release date
Death Stranding 2 will release on PlayStation 5 on June 26. Before then, you’ll be able to pre-order the sequel from Monday, March 17.
For now, it seems like the game will be a PS5 exclusive, at least for a few years, anyway. Its predecessor, Death Stranding, did eventually make it to PC and even Xbox, though, so never say never.
What’s included in the Collector’s Edition?
As is the norm these days, the new game will be available to buy in several versions, including a collector’s edition that comes with the following extras for $230 (£178):
- 48-hour Early Access
- 15” Magellan Man Statue
- 3” Dollman figurine
- Art cards
- Letter from Hideo Kojima
- 7x bonus in-game items.
