Summary
- Fans have to rely on trailers for info on Death Stranding 2, leaving many questions unanswered.
- Sam and Lou appear in different forms, hinting at a potential time loop story in the game.
- Different appearances of characters in trailers may indicate a deeper narrative about repetition and cycles in Death Stranding 2.
There is still plenty of mystery surrounding Death Stranding 2: On the Beach's story, and that mystery will likely remain until just before the game's credits roll after its launch this June. The first Death Stranding, while it did reveal a lot about its story and lore up to its conclusion, still saved the biggest reveals for last, and Death Stranding 2 will presumably be no different. With such intrigue surrounding its story, there is plenty of room left for theories, including one that suggests Death Stranding 2 may be stuck in one endless time loop.
At this point, the only information Death Stranding 2 fans have to go on comes from its trailers. Even with both of Death Stranding 2's trailers being over ten minutes long, there are still a multitude of questions. Plus, considering how strange the first game was and Hideo Kojima's penchant for the bizarre, Death Stranding 2 could be headed in any number of directions. One of those potential directions, though, involves this theory of a time loop and has been given some substantial evidence in both of Death Stranding 2's trailers — at least, according to how everything has been laid out in said trailers.
How Death Stranding 2 Might Be Setting Up a Reverse Rescue Arc
Death Stranding 2 may flip the script, making Sam the one who needs saving, and Fragile the unexpected heroine who refuses to let him walk alone.
Death Stranding 2 Might Be Stuck in a Time Loop
Sam and Lou Have Both Appeared in Different Forms in DS2's Trailers
Something that Death Stranding fans were quick to point out after Death Stranding 2's reveal trailer dropped at the 2022 Game Awards was how old Sam appeared. Initially, he was shown with white hair and a much older complexion, in addition to looking weary and emotionally drained. However, in Death Stranding 2's latest trailers, Sam appears to be closer to his age in the first game, with darker hair and a much younger complexion. Sam's appearance in Death Stranding 2's 2024 State of Play trailer is also strikingly different from his appearance in the game's pre-order trailer. In this instance, Sam appears to not only be older but also completely grayed out in color, along with Fragile.
Even with both of Death Stranding 2's trailers being over ten minutes long, there are still a multitude of questions.
Sam hasn't been the only one portrayed in various forms either, as Lou, Sam's BB from the first game, has also appeared in different ways. At one point during Death Stranding 2's 2022 reveal trailer, Sam is holding a pod and heard saying Lou's name, just before what appears to be a Beached Thing (BT) emerges from inside the pod. In the rest of the trailer, as well as Death Stranding 2's pre-order trailer and State of Play trailer, Lou is shown to be a toddler. This means that, just like Sam, Lou has possibly undergone some changes in her form and age in Death Stranding 2.
Sam and Lou's Different Forms and Appearances Could Be Indicative of a Time Loop
If what has been revealed so far isn't a sign of a multiverse hidden within Death Stranding 2, Sam and Lou's different ages and forms could be indicative of a time loop. Not only has Sam appeared both younger and older up to this point, but his grayed-out form in Death Stranding 2's State of Play trailer suggests he might be on the Beach but somehow simultaneously in the world of the living. Lou's age and form discrepancies suggest something similar — unless, of course, Sam was simply hallucinating when he saw Lou transforming into a BT, just as he hallucinated in the first game.
Sam also implies during Death Stranding 2's pre-order that he could be isolated somewhere beyond reach when he says "I've been alone this whole time?"
If Death Stranding 2 really is caught in a loop, then every moment players spend retracing their steps could carry more weight than it first appears. The different appearances of Sam and Lou are likely not just stylistic choices considering Hideo Kojima's reputation, but clues to an uneding cycle. Kojima has never been shy about blurring the line between narrative and metaphor, so if Death Stranding 2 is a Mobius strip disguised as a road trip, the most important story beats might not be about where Sam ends up but instead about how many times he's already been there.
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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
