As an action game released in 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Death Stranding was created by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. After Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions parted ways with Konami in 2015, this is their debut game as independent developers.
In July 2020, 505 Games published a version of the game for Microsoft Windows under a licence from Sony. In September 2021, a director’s cut was released for the PlayStation 5, and in March 2022, a Windows version was released.
The sequel to Death Stranding should take the Ludens’ journey to the moon. If Death Stranding 2 is going to achieve the same level of fervour as its predecessor, its trip will have to surpass even the long march across the country. In particular, this sequel should deliver on some of the themes discussed in the original game and the Ludens mascot is Kojima Productions’ trademark for the final resolution of this story.
Even though Sam Porter Bridges will spend most of Death Stranding 2 transporting parcels across the United States, perhaps even to and from the enigmatic Beach, the ultimate goal of the game should be to have him abandon Earth forever. Launching into space may even enable Cliff Unger to fulfil his pledge from the first game to take his BB to the Moon.
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Death Stranding’s Lunar and Ludens Allusions
As one would expect from a studio that isn’t hesitant to break the fourth wall, Death Stranding spends a good chunk of its early game making jokes about Kojima Productions’ mascot, Ludens. The Nendoroid Ludens charm on BB’s pod and the Ludens Fan prepper (modelled after The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley) make this possible. Notice how the references constantly centre on how their conquest of the Moon surpasses that of a post-Death Stranding planet.
The moon is mentioned several times in Death Stranding, mostly in the form of cutscenes involving Cliff Unger and BB, where the fourth wall is broken. One of these situations is Cliff vowing to take his premature kid to the Moon after reading him a book about the globe. It’s a simple thing, but it says a lot about how much Cliff cares for his kid, and it expands the player’s perspective beyond the damaged world.
Beyond the Horizon: From the Beach to the Moon
Based on what we know about Death Stranding 2 so far, it’s probable that the player’s first objective won’t be to head for the stars but rather the tar below. There’s an indication that the two worlds already established in Death Stranding will be connected in some way thanks to the Drawbridge ship that appears to rise from the same tar that BTs and void out leave behind. The Beach, or the greater afterlife to which it leads, could get the bulk of the sequel’s significant gifts.
Possible outcome(s) include a strictly linear timeline in which the only new sites explored are the liminal Beach and any potential destinations beyond. On the other hand, Kojima Productions is masterful at surprising players with plot twists, as the ones concerning Cliff Unger and Amelie Strand in the first Death Stranding.
Therefore, Sam’s visit to the Beach in Death Stranding 2 may be just the beginning of a much larger voyage that, rather than taking him beneath the tar, propels him upwards and away from the planet.
Separation anxiety and outer space travel
The new tagline for Death Stranding 2 seems to be moving away from ideas like the extension of the Chiral Network, which was a major focus of the first game. Should we have connected? seems to be a teaser for a fresh narrative about drawing lines in the sand or even cutting oneself off from society. Taking this line of thought to its most exciting conclusion, travelling into space is the ultimate detachment from Earth’s hyper-connected society.
The “I don’t want to live on this planet anymore” meme from Futurama is only one example of how the concept of “leaving the planet” is used as a metaphor for isolating oneself from society. Beyond the realm of popular culture, tales of escapists often follow the path of space exploration and colonisation of other worlds because of the inherent loneliness of such an endeavour.
So, going to the Moon could be a twist in true Kojima Productions fashion, and staying on Earth would probably be the greatest decision. For more such updates do follow us only on GameInnovative.