Summary
- Death Stranding 2 shifts from the theme of connection to exploring the consequences of connection.
- The game's tagline suggests a focus on the negative aspects of connections made in the first installment.
- Death Stranding 2 may involve Sam sabotaging established connections rather than building new ones.
While the launch of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is rapidly approaching, there's still plenty of time left to speculate on what it might bring to the table in terms of its narrative and worldbuilding. The game's developer, Hideo Kojima, is known for embedding layers of deep and thought-provoking themes within his work, and considering how compelling the first Death Stranding was in that way, Death Stranding 2 will presumably be just as gripping, if not more so. What's most interesting about Death Stranding 2, though, is that its themes already look to be moving in the opposite direction from its predecessor.
The first Death Stranding was all about connection, and on multiple levels, even. Set in a post-apocalyptic America where people are isolated in underground bunkers after a catastrophic event called the "Death Stranding," Death Stranding put players in control of Sam Porter Bridges, who was responsible for reconnecting the country by delivering packages and linking outposts to the Chiral Network. In this way, it was both Death Stranding's gameplay loop and one of its core messages on mending brokenness between people. Despite everything Sam went through in the first game, however, Death Stranding 2 looks poised to undo it all with a sequel that seems more about burning bridges than building them.
Why Death Stranding 2’s World Feels Both Familiar and Uncharted
Death Stranding 2 revisits key biomes with expanded scale, visual variety, and new hazards that give each environment a more distinct identity.
Death Stranding 2's Story May Undo the Work of the First
Death Stranding 2's Latest Tagline Implies the Consequences of Connection
One of the clearest indicators of what one of the sequel's core themes will be lies in its latest tagline, which was established near the end of Death Stranding 2's pre-order trailer. Death Stranding 2's initial State of Play announcement trailer ended with the tagline, "Should we have connected?" As a callback to the first game's most important mission. The recent pre-order trailer for Death Stranding 2, on the other hand, gives a direct answer to the game's previous tagline with the statement, "We should not have connected."
Despite everything Sam went through in the first game, Death Stranding 2 looks poised to undo it all with a sequel that seems more about burning bridges than building them.
Clearly, Death Stranding 2 won't be delving further into the goal of increased or strengthened connection and will instead likely examine the consequences of connection. Everything that Sam Porter Bridges and his allies accomplished in the first game will presumably be put on trial in Death Stranding 2, with even greater potential now that all that work will be intentionally undone for what is perceived to be the greater good. Knowing Kojima, Death Stranding 2's story won't be as black-and-white as simply severing those connections, but more so a scrutinization and exploration of their duality.
Death Stranding 2 Looks Poised to Explore the Dual Nature of Connection
Essentially, Death Stranding 2 may revolve around the idea that connection isn't inherently a good thing and actually has a dual nature that is largely unavoidable. For example, while connections can heal and unite, they also open the door to betrayal, grief, and disappointment. Connections can heal trauma, restore identity, and build trust, but they can also create codependency, enable dysfunction, and keep people stuck in cycles of insecurity, irresponsibility, and fear of being alone. Considering its latest tagline, Death Stranding 2's story may be more about the downsides of connection than the benefits.
If that ends up being the case, Death Stranding 2's gameplay loop might involve Sam looking for ways to break some or all of the connections he made in the first game. Based on what has been revealed so far, it looks like Sam's journey in Death Stranding 2 might be less about making deliveries in order to establish connections and more about making deliveries that sabotage or disrupt those connections. Whatever the end result is, it's clear that Death Stranding 2 seems bent on undoing what was done in the first game.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- June 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
