Death Stranding 2is shaping up to be an odd game, to say the very least. It’s the sequel to a brilliant but admittedly rather impenetrable experience that pleased a lot of diehard Kojima fans, ushered in a whole flock of new ones, and turned away those that weren’t quite ready for its surreal blend of intricate gameplay and off-kilter sci-fi storytelling. So, it’s no surprise that it’s a little bolder, a little stranger, and a little more Kojima than ever before, introducing a whole host of new features that are sure to entertain those that loved the first game.
However, while these newincredibly bizarreDeath Stranding 2featuresare certainly a fun addition to the game, and a novel change for the sequel,there are a lot of elements coming over from the first game, and not all of them are great. Kojima has clearly evolvedDeath Stranding 2in very interesting ways, but he’s also held on to some of the worst aspects of the first game. While they’re not necessarily game-breaking features, their inclusion is a little frustrating.
Death Stranding 2’s Cameos Feel Indulgent And Pointless
Hideo Kojima Just Wants To Show Off His Famous Friends
Death Stranding 2, much like the first game, will feature a handful of cameos from famous actors, including acclaimed director George Miller, who is best known for directing theMad Maxfilms. There are returning ones too, including Nicolas Winding Refn’s Heartman, and undoubtedly many more, as the originalDeath Strandinghad so many cameos. Of course, these cameos don’t account for all thefamous actors inDeath Stranding 2, as many of them, such as Elle Fanning and Norman Reedus, are actually playing the roles they’ve been scanned for.
The main difference is the fact that, just like with most - although not all - of the cameos in the first game, the people they’re based on aren’t performing them. George Miller’s character, Tarman, is being performed by Australian actor Marty Rhone, and Heartman is being performed by Darren Jacobs. It begs the question ofwhy do they even exist beyond simply name-dropping - or rather face-dropping in this case - famous celebrities within the world of film and TV that Hideo Kojima knows.
Only one of the most notable cameos inDeath Strandingwas performed by the person it was based on. This was Conan O’Brien’s character, The Wandering MC, who has a handful of funny lines. Outside of him, the rest only gave their likeness to the role and were performed by other people.
They’re distracting inclusions, completely breaking the immersion, especially when they’re used for frivolous purposes, such as Conan O’Brien’s cameo in the first game. Hideo Kojima has a habit of making a big deal out of his celebrity connections, such as when he spent 10 minutespromoting his new horror game with Jordan Peeleduring the 2023 Game Awards. However, these cameos feel a little overindulgent, namely because they serve such little purpose narratively, gameplay wise, and in terms of immersion.
In-Game Marketing Returns To Death Stranding
Players Can Buy The Drawbridge Jackets In Real Life
The originalDeath Strandinghad terrible product placement, with blatant in-game advertising completely ruining the immersive experience the game promised. Fortunately, most of theDeath Strandingproduct placement was eventually removed, but for the majority of players, their initial experience was marred by Monster Energy drinks and Norman Reedus upcoming TV shows. Unfortunately,Death Stranding 2looks set to be following in the same direction thanks to another collaboration withAcronym.
Players may recognizeAcronym for their product placement inDeath Stranding, which apparently Kojima loved so much that he collaborated with them again forDS2. This time,they made the bright orange and black jackets worn by the characters in-game and sold them just after the Tokyo Game ShowDeath Stranding 2showcasefor the very small amount of $1,720. Of course, they immediately sold out, making them an incredibly limited edition product that will likely return once the game is ready to come out.
Death Stranding 2’s Biggest Issues Could See It Fail
The Game Is Already Confusing Enough
Death Stranding 2is already shaping up to be anincredibly weird experiencethat will likely feel incredibly isolating to non-fans of the original game. It’s a sequel to a game that required two parts for its novelization and has led to seven-hour YouTube breakdowns because of how confusing it can get. That’s not a slight against the original game - asDeath Strandingis truly a masterpiece - but rather a demonstration of how much is required of the player going into the sequel.
Death Stranding 2is also a game that features returning characters - one of whom, Higgs, wields a guitar as a weapon -, conversations about having children that devolve into a puppet singingRaindrops Keep Falling On My Head, and so, so many other weird elements. It’s certain to be a marvel to play and experience, butadding any other confusing or otherwise bizarre elements to it will surely push people away. Naturally, cameos of real-life directors, actors, and more will take players out of the game, as will unnecessary product placement, just as it did with the first game.
Death Stranding Already Hinted At The Return Of Higgs In DS2
Death Stranding 2 will bring back Troy Baker’s villainous Higgs Monaghan, but the first game already teased the antagonist’s inevitable return.
The originalDeath Strandingjust about got away with it, but the sequel, with all of its questionable design choices and awkward mechanics - that photo mode is really bizarre - may not. Of course, it remains to be seen how prevalent this all is in the sequel, but there’s a good chance it’ll feel as poorly handled and pointless as it did the first time around, proving to be a fun inclusion to no one other than its creator. Hopefully,Death Stranding 2can avoid the other issuesof the first game, even if it is saddling players with infuriating features.
