Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Death Stranding 2 is expected to be released next year on the PlayStation 5, and the gaming community is eager to learn more about the new characters joining Sam Porter Bridges, played by Norman Reedus. The original game was released a few years ago and piqued the interest of the player base as they dived into this new world.

The lore can be somewhat confusing, especially with the involvement of otherworldly elements like BTs and the fall of humanity. Sequels are meant to build upon what was established and are a great opportunity to introduce new characters like Elle Fanning’s Tomorrow.

There Is No Telling What Tomorrow Can Bring In Death Stranding 2

In typical Kojima fashion, the auteur of video games planned an epic reveal during the Tokyo Game Show and was ecstatic to host a panel for his upcoming project. The original game was ahead of its time, and the game director somehow predicted the future again after the global pandemic rocked the world and forced everyone into isolation akin to the game’s setting.

The gaming community had high hopes for the Death Stranding sequel after the first game left a lasting impact, and fans are excited to see where game director Hideo Kojima will take the story next. The first teaser trailer was revealed during The Game Awards in 2022, and fans erupted with joy hearing a familiar tune and a beautiful rendition of BB’s Theme sung by Troy Baker.

Director Hideo Kojima is making massive moves that could affect the future of the Death Stranding franchise. It is no secret that a live-action adaptation is in the works with A24, and Kojima intends to expand the franchise across different formats. On the Beach could set the stage for a much larger story that will be carried out in other formats, which could work now that Kojima has assembled a star-studded cast composed of Hollywood, theatre, and seasoned voice actors.

In the teaser trailer, we see Fragile with a baby, which could be set in the distant future after the events of the first game, and was later ambushed by mysterious figures. There is a possibility that Elle Fanning’s character could be a future version of this baby or the deceased child of Sam Porter Bridges hailing from a different beach that made its way to the land of the living similar to other BTs.

This is one of the best parts of waiting for a Hideo Kojima game to be released. Endless nights of theorizing and digging up convincing evidence give players a deeper insight into lore and a character’s origins. Perhaps all will be revealed tomorrow, and players will not have to wait any longer.

Anything is possible in the world of Death Stranding. Perhaps the lore will be further expanded and the origins of the Beached Things will be explained in On the Beach. Certain characters have unique understandings of life and death, such as Heartman and Deadman, who have gone through extreme measures to learn more about the beach.

Heartman has a unique condition where his heart stops at least 60 times a day, allowing him to visit the beach for a short while. Perhaps his endless days of dying and daily visits will bear good fruit for the sequel. It is not a good idea to underestimate Hideo Kojima’s creativity and let his previous works speak for themselves.

Who Is Tomorrow to Sam Porter Bridges?

In the original game, Mads Mikkelsen plays Clifford Unger and was initially viewed as an antagonist until it was revealed he is the father of Sam, and players were led to believe that Lou was what Clifford was after. Some aspect of time travel or escaping the beach was involved in this universe, which could be how Elle Fanning’s Tomorrow came to be.

In another trailer, Fragile, alongside George Miller’s Tarman, recovers a cocoon encased in tar, and within it is a woman. Perhaps this cocoon came from the beach, which would be odd considering nothing comes back from the other side with a few rare exceptions like Cliff and soon, Troy Baker’s Higgs Monaghan. Perhaps people who died in their previous lives aged on the other side and were reincarnated.

Kojima is fascinated with what it means to be human and emphasizes that idea heavily in the first game. People live behind closed doors and hellbent on self-preservation without caring about everyone else. Sam has gone through hell and back to connect the world, which could be the catalyst for the events of the next game.

Eagle-eyed fans can recall that Chapter 15 of the first game was titled “Tomorrow is in Your Hands,” and Sam has the opportunity to explore the world with Lou before the final cutscene. The way Kojima edited and released the trailers is meant to throw fans off, like seeing Sam with white hair in the initial teaser while he is seen with his regular dark hair in the other trailer.

Perhaps something terrible will happen to Lou; as seen in the teaser with BB’s pod trapping a few tentacles, Sam will encounter a future and adult version of his lost BB. The first game laid the groundwork that Lou could have been a MacGuffin for Cliff, but in reality, he couldn’t care less about Lou since Sam was his target. Perhaps Lou will finally have a significant role in the sequel.

There is also a possibility that Tomorrow could be a new character altogether with no prior history with any existing characters. However, it would be a missed opportunity not to explore Sam’s history with his late wife and potentially meet his child or meet an adult version of Lou.

Who do you think is Elle Fanning’s character, and what is her relationship to Sam Porter Bridges in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach? Let us know in the comments section below!