Previews for Death Stranding 2 have officially gone live, revealing much more about what to expect of the upcoming sequel. Per these previews, media was able to get very hands-on with the game, playing through the first 30-40 hours across a massive four day stretch at Kojima Productions. Along the way, plenty was revealed, including that “30-40 hours” is considered just a preview of what’s to come.
One of the biggest reveals – one that’s largely been kept hidden, to date – is that the game largely takes place in Australia. Based on details shared by our pals at Press Start, Death Stranding 2 is actually filled with Australianisms. Vegemite makes an appearance, and there’s plenty of representation in “dialogue, flavour text, and item descriptions.”
Writer James Berich described the game as feeling like a well-realised version of Australia, with a sense of “camaraderie, of the Aussie spirit” being captured perfectly. He speculated that a member of the game’s development team was actually Australian, as the country’s “unique vernacular” was implemented well, and not with the usual stereotypes seen in overseas media.
“The portrayal of Australians in Death Stranding 2 feels anything but stereotypical, with many of them prefixing their nouns with ‘bloody’ and one of them even mentioning they’ve got ‘buckleys’ when it comes to assessing chance,” Berich wrote. ” It feels beyond surreal to hear Troy Baker, in his reappearance as the scene-chewing Higgs, proclaim that Sam is going ‘walkabout’ during a pivotal scene.”
Read: Everything we know about Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
While the game isn’t a one-to-one recreation of Australia, the flavour and culture of the country is reportedly clear. In certain terrains, you’ll even spot Aussie fauna icons like Quokkas, Kangaroos, Echidnas, and Bilbys. It certainly makes sense of the game’s preorder bonus content, which includes a happy Quokka patch, and a Quokka hologram.
Elsewhere in new previews for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, we also learned a lot more about what to expect of the game, including that it will continue the action of the original game, with new twists. This adventure is set 11 months after Death Stranding, and continues to follow Sam Bridges as he attempts to live a quieter life with his BB in Mexico.
Of course, Bridges isn’t destined for a quiet life, so he’s eventually drawn to Australia, to continue his destiny to “re-connect” a disparate world. There’ll be plenty of familiar faces in this new quest, as well as some new ones. Mad Max director (and notable Aussie) George Miller has lent his likeness to one new character, Tarman, who still has a fairly mysterious role.
Award-winning director Fatih Akin has also lent his likeness to Dollman, a new character who’s been revealed as a tactical weapon in Bridges’ arsenal.
A brief aside in IGN‘s comprehensive game preview has revealed Dollman can be used to “observe the insides of bases from above, to grasp enemy placement and movement lines.” It appears the puppet will be both of companion and a tool, allowing Bridges to analyse surrounds before heading in to scope enemy bases.
Everything else revealed so far has been very convincing. With promises of a faster pace, and a larger cast of characters, each with their own fun little quirks, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach may even convince those on the fence about this franchise.
We’re certainly keen for more, after reading all about what’s next. At the very least, there’s not long to go before the game drops. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is currently set to launch on 26 June 2025.
