Hideo Kojima’s most recent title, Death Stranding, is his biggest and strangest yet, and that’s saying a lot considering his last game was a beefy fifty-hour Cold War science fiction thriller with a scantily clad sniper getting nutrients from photosynthesis. Most gamers are finally finishing the massive journey across the shattered United Cities of America.
Maybe it’s too early to start talking about sequels, but the unique world and new game play mechanics are just begging for expansion. Should a second title come, here are ten things we desperately want to see, both with story and game play. Anyone who hasn’t beaten it should be ware of the obvious spoilers incoming, and maybe check out some of our other lists which won’t give any plot details away.
10 A Time Jump
The game deals with some cosmic themes about existence and the universe. Because of this, we wouldn’t want a sequel to take place immediately after the conclusion. Seeing an older Louise in a new world and seeing how the UCA is coming together after many years is more interesting than picking up right where the game ends. If Higgs comes back, seeing the effect years of isolation had on him is an intriguing idea, assuming he didn’t choose death in the first place.
9 Salvation For Amelie
As an Extinction Entity Amelie has no choice but to go through with her purpose of destroying all life. To prevent this, she separates herself from the world, opting to an eternity of solitude on the Beach. This sacrifice is commendable, and seeing it rewarded in a sequel would be a relief. She caused this whole mess in the first place, but existing forever away from all other contact is cruel even for her sins.
8 Higgs
Troy Baker has hammed it up in the past, but never to the extent he does as Higgs. This deliciously evil antagonist is easy to hate. His fate is somewhat ambiguous by the end of the story. Fragile lets him choose whether to die or spend an eternity on the Beach. A gunshot rings out, but Fragile doesn’t let the player know exactly what his decision was. Assuming he survived, maybe he could come back with vengeance, but his feelings could be more complicated. After feeling betrayed by Amelie, it’s anyone’s guess what he will do next.
7 Dealing With Repatriates
Repatriates are gifted their ability by the Extinction Entity. Had Amelie completed her task successfully, they would have been wiped out with everyone else. With extinction is staved off for millennia, what becomes of Sam when he grows old? Does he succumb to terminal illness and natural causes, or would he just wake up again afterwards. If this is the case, would he come back to life still having the ailment? Maybe such a dilemma could be a major plot point of a sequel.
6 More Enemy Types
Other than bosses, three enemy types exist within Death Stranding: Beach Things, Mules, and Terrorists. In any other game this would be considered too little, but this title isn’t focused on combat, so it gets a pass. However, sequels always have to go bigger and better.
Even if exploration and long distance traveling remains the principle feature of a hypothetical second part, more enemies need to come into the picture. Maybe new threats arise, or Mules and Terrorists develop new technology giving their respective factions more variety.
5 Playing As Louise
This idea goes hand in hand with the desired time jump. Wouldn’t it be wild to play as Louise in the sequel? This character the player nursed and protected becoming the hero of the next journey feels appropriate. It would also make for Kojima’s first game with a female protagonist. Justifiable criticism at the depiction of women in his work has gone on for years, maybe a woman at the forefront could ease this issue. Then again, it could make it ten times worse.
4 Louise’s Parents
All BBs are connected to their still-mothers, who are in a braindead state to keep up the illusion the child in the womb. Throughout the game, we never learn about Louise’s real parents. It’s thought to be Cliff and his wife, but the ending reveals these memories as Sam’s. Maybe the mother is irrelevant, but what about the father? As of now, one can assume he passed away, but there is always a chance that he is alive and well. If this is true, he could make an appearance in the sequel.
3 More Game Play Variety
Most of Death Stranding involves traversing from location to another. Several segments in the story diverge from this into action packed battlefields, but they are few and far between. Kojima’s games have always had a wealth of game play variety. the mechanics and controls don’t change, but the objectives force players to use their tools in a different way. The bomb disposal segment from Metal Gear Solid 2 is a perfect example of this.
2 Exploring The Ethics Of BBs
The BB concept is pretty messed up. Could this research have been even darker? Were all of the still-mothers volunteers or victims of tragic accidents?
Were any of them forced into it? The attitude Bridges has towards Sam’s Bridge Baby is hostile as it is. They always referred to Louise as a tool, never acknowledging it as a baby. Maybe as the truth unfolds and the citizens find out about the UCA’s past, unrest will stir within the country.
1 Expanding The Strand Concept
The shared world players use to help each other out is ingenious. People never directly interact with each other, but their structures assist others along the way and likewise use different players’ bridges, ladders, and zip lines to more easily get around the world. Seeing as this is the main draw of the title, a sequel would have to expand this concept significantly. New tools would have to become available. Like the roads, more infrastructure projects should come into play for many players to contribute to over time.
Next: 5 Characters We Love From Death Stranding (And 5 We Cannot Stand)
