Despite its offbeat premise and gameplay mechanics, Death Stranding was successful enough to receive a Director’s Cut, and Norman Reedus, who plays Sam, has hinted that a Death Stranding sequel may be in the works. If true, Kojima Productions has the opportunity to address one of the biggest complaints waged against the game - its pace. With the United Cities of America established thanks to Sam’s hard work, it may be time for Death Stranding 2 to speed things up and plunge Sam into more high-adrenaline scenarios.
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It Is Time for Sam to Mature
At first, Sam seems like the least qualified person for the task of reuniting America. He is isolated, and he has an irrational fear of being touched, a condition known as aphenphosmphobia. However, by making deliveries, he overcomes his insecurities and learns the importance of human connections. The gameplay helps players to experience Sam’s personal growth because the long, lonely journeys make players appreciate the recipients at the end so much more.
By the end of Death Stranding, Sam has grown a lot, and he has overcome many of his fears. While he is still mostly a gruff loner, he has gained the capacity to forge connections with others. This is most brilliantly seen with Lou, the adorable fetus he cherishes and protects with all his might. Death Stranding 2 should reflect Sam’s maturation with a gameplay style that illustrates that he is no longer the recluse he once was. Sam is no longer in need of slow, lonely journeys alone. Rather, he should enjoy exciting adventures with friends and have the opportunity to put all those connections made in Death Stranding to use.
The UCA Will Likely Face Bigger Dangers in Death Stranding 2
In Death Stranding, Sam goes up against several dangers, including massive Beached Things and Higgs Monaghan and his Homo Demens. Fortunately, Sam overcomes all obstacles and finally mends the fractured United Cities of America, with Die-Hardman as the president. America’s future looks bright, and there may just be an opportunity for the country to return to its previous glory. However, it is possible that there are bigger troubles that the UCA may be up against, and they may not be solved by simple deliveries. The re-establishment of the UCA could trigger retaliation from terrorists and MULEs who hate to see a good thing come to fruition. All it would take is a charismatic figure to convince a few porters that the UCA should be attacked before Sam has another threat on his hands.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut gave hints that the franchise’s future may lie in a more fast-paced direction, as the game included plenty of features designed to speed up gameplay and offer a more exhilarating experience. Consequently, a Death Stranding Fragile Circuit racing mode was included for players to max out their vehicles, as well as sweat-inducing stealth missions that have Sam going indoors to neutralize his targets.
When it comes to Hideo Kojima, it is near impossible to predict what he will do next, and there are several directions a Death Stranding sequel could take. Although the slow-paced gameplay appealed to a certain niche of gamers, it may be time for the franchise to kick it up a gear and throw more exciting challenges at Sam at a faster pace. Making deliveries may have worked once, but it should take more than that to stop the next mass extinction event.
Death Stranding is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.
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