What we were shown in the first Death Stranding 2 trailer, and what it all means. The death of Lou, the elderly Sam, the return of the Higgs

Hideo Kojima is a master of subtexts and hidden meanings. Analyzing trailers of his games before their release is a difficult task, because with the same success you can both predict the entire plot and make mistakes in absolutely everything. However, we didn’t get past the trailer for Part 2. Death Stranding, which received a laconic name DS2. The video shown during The Game Awards 2022 caused quite a stir as we have a direct sequel featuring familiar characters and the world. Let’s take a closer look at the trailer and imagine what to expect from the new “courier simulator”.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the original game!

What we were shown

In the opening scene we see children’s toys – cubes and wooden dolphins, as well as a tape measure on which the child’s height is usually recorded. By the appearance of things it becomes clear that the hostess should not be more than 1-2 years old.

Maybe it’s not Lou at allMaybe it’s not Lou at all

This will be confirmed later. Lou has grown up in recent times, only it is not Sam who plays with the girl, but Fragile. However, it could be a completely different child.

In the next frame, Sam’s dream keeper. During the first part he wore it around his neck. Obviously, the thing couldn’t go to Fragile until after the finale.

But what happened to the girl’s aged body? During Death Stranding, she only appeared in a tight outfit, buttoned up to her throat. In the story, we learn that the heroine had to go through the chiral rain. The whole body, except the head, has grown old. In the trailer, Fregile is wearing a tank top and all the exposed parts of her arms and chest look completely smooth. Does this mean that the cunning Kojima is taking us by the nose? Let’s look further.

Is this really a game and not a movie?Is this really a game and not a movie?

The bunker comes under attack, the lights begin to flicker and Fragile looks frightened. The girl runs to the surface to the unicycle, in parallel behind the scenes, a man’s voice says: “darling, don’t worry, I will always be with you.” While it’s hard to determine who owns the words, it still doesn’t seem to be Sam.

The girl doesn’t escape, a well-aimed shot knocks Fragile down and the child dies (or doesn’t it?). Then something strange happens: in the broken bottle provided to carry the BB, a silhouette of exactly the same baby appears. You can understand this by the angel wings that were on the clothes – the silhouette has them too. Teleportation is this or something else – is unknown.

They also showed us the attackers. It seems that a full-fledged cult has sprung up from Amelia’s death. A banner enters the frame, on which it is very easy to recognize a woman in red. A whole army of people, dressed in red protective suits, carry a coffin of the same colors.

The leader of the disgrace will be our old friend – Higgs. He appears at the very end of the trailer wearing Amelia’s mask. The face is not shown, but the voice of Troy Baker (Troy Baker) is difficult to confuse. It is worth noting that the hero has changed. His suit has transparent inserts that show the internal organs – intriguing!

By the way, it is Troy who sings the song from the trailerBy the way, it is Troy who sings the song from the trailer

And finally Sam. He’s in the video too, but there are more questions with him. The original game ended when the chiral rain lost its properties. The hero calmly stood under the drops with the child. However, in the video, Sam’s hair is completely gray. At first one might think that a lot of time has passed, but that is not the case. The hero himself does not look old, moreover, Fragile says that he will have a new adventure.

The Witcher remake looks greatThe Witcher remake looks great

Remarkably, when Sam appears, another male character speaks off screen, not the one who calmed the baby down. The sentence reads something like this: “No one should suffer such a loss. That’s what I meant when I said I understand how you feel. But if you hold on to sadness, it will sink you like an anchor.” The main character will surely lose something important … for example, Lou?

The last sighting is the air-submersible ship Fregile’s team is on. It looks like Sam will be covering much longer distances.

What are we waiting for

There are not so many obvious conclusions. There seem to be two main characters. It is not for nothing that such an emphasis is placed on Refrigerator. Whether this means you can expect gameplay with different mechanics, or whether castling occurs at the request of the player is anyone’s guess. However, the girl looks like an interesting protagonist, and her abilities far surpass Sam’s.

The second detail is the child’s death. Part of the history of the BB will not help the heroes, the only question is – temporarily or permanently.

We also look forward to the return of the Higgs. But it is unlikely that the terrorist will become the only opponent. Kojima certainly wouldn’t have revealed all the cards in the first trailer. Amelia’s return? Anything is possible on the Shore, so this option should not be rejected.

The same shipThe same ship

Finally, the third is the same amphibious ship. With such a versatile means of transport, Sam definitely has to get under water, you can count on that.

***

The DS2 trailer leaves more questions than answers, but that’s a good thing. A twisted plot is something new games desperately lack. We hope that the Genius will listen to the fans and make the gameplay more dynamic. In the meantime, we are waiting for new videos and follow the development closely.