Summary
Death Stranding 2: On the Beachhas a similar plot to the first game. Sam is isolated in his bunker with his adopted child, Lou, when Fragile comes to visit. She wants to hire him to reconnect Mexico and then Australia to the Chiral Network. In the first game, Sam was tasked to reconnect all of the United States.
It seems like a simple task forDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach, as this is yet another game about delivering packages in a post-apocalypse. However, Sam will soon find that his journey is anything but easy. The story ofDeath Stranding 2has a lot of memorable quotesfora Hideo Kojima game, so let’s highlight a few of the best ones.
Spoilers Ahead forDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach.
Sam
“Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”by B.J. Thomas is a recurring song that plays throughout the game. It first appears in the opening when Sam is making Lou some food, and then again when players first meet Rainy, who can control rain.
The best inclusion of this song happens when Rainy is brushing Tomorrow’s hair, and they are singing along to the tune. Sam tries to jump in too, but his vocals are so off-key that they startle Rainy and Tomorrow.
7“Now That I Think About It, I Recall Seeing Something On Your Door Just Now…”
Dollman
Death Stranding 2: On the Beachis full of Easter Eggs, and players can come across quite a few through both Dollman and when Sam goes to sleep. One example will randomly occur if players decide to sleep on the DHV Magellan of their own accord.
This will trigger Dollman to tell a scary ghost story involving paper dolls, paper ships, and vengeful Tar spirits. At the end, the camera zooms in on a paper doll with Sam’s name written on it before Sam is abruptly startled awake.
6“Suffer, Rue The Day You Were Born”
Higgs
Higgs, as the clownish villain of both the first game andDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach, isan over-the-top characterwho delivers a lot of great lines. One of the most unhinged moments happens toward the end of the game, when he finally traps Sam in an endless cycle of death and rebirth via eternal flames from his magical guitar.
It’s a fate worse than death, and Higgs gleefully rejoices in Sam’s suffering as he sings “BB’s Theme” from the first game, which is a little bit of a fourth wall-breaking moment.
5“Death Can’t Tear Us Apart”
Deadman
Deadman appears before Sam in a pre-tapped message early in the game, explaining that he has gone to his Beach to live happily in death. Throughout several confrontations with Higgs or his Ghost Mechs, Sam is rescued bya giant cyborg ninjawho never speaks.
During one of the final missions, Deadman reveals that he was the one inside the cyborg all along, projecting his consciousness from The Beach to control a Ghost Mech. He says this line as he cuts a bridge in two, leading to Sam being able to escape, which is also just a cool moment in the game.
4“They Don’t Call Me Die-Hardman For Nothing”
Die-Hardman
In a game full of silly names, Die-Hardman easily stood out inDeath Stranding. At the beginning ofDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach, it seems like the character is not going to be in the game. That is, until he rescues Sam from an eternal Beach that The President was trying to trap him in.
Afterward, he winks at the camera,breaking the fourth wallas he says this line about how he is a hard one to kill followed by a chapter break called “Die Hard.” It’s a true Hideo Kojima audience wink if ever there was one.
3“Good God!”
“BB’s Theme” is another song that crops up repeatedly inDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach, which was originally composed by Jenny Plant and Ludvig Forssell for the first game. Higgs does use it to mock Sam in various scenes, but the most chilling and coolest version happens right before Die-Hardman reveals himself to the player.
He comes to save Samfrom The President, first appearing as the mannequin, Charlie, singing a rendition of “BB’s Theme” before transforming into his human self and dancing up a number like he’s part of a K-pop show. He adds in a few lines of his own like“Good God”and it is wildly bizarre but fitting for a Kojima game.
2“DHV Magellan Integrate!”
Heartman
While Sam and Higgs duke it out in the final battle, the crew of the DHV Magellan has to fight off a bunch of Kaiju-sized BTs, which are proving to be a lot for the ship. That’s when Deadman has the bright idea to possess one, and the crown jewel on top of that is when he places the ship on top of the BT’s head while Heartman shouts this line.
It’s kind of reminiscent ofGuillermo del Toro’s filmPacific Rim, except with a lot more horror thrown in. It’s a cool scene with a little bit of Kojima cheese thrown in for good measure, because it is beyond over the top.
1“We’ll Always Be Connected”
Tomorrow
One of the biggest revelations inDeath Stranding 2: On the Beachis tied to an early event and almost the final cutscene. Lou seemingly dies in the beginning, which is traumatic for Sam and probably players everywhere who don’t like to see child deaths in their media.
It turns out that the girl Sam later rescues from the other world, Tomorrow, is actually Lou, who aged up after crossing over. After the full reveal, Sam and Tomorrow embrace now that he knows the truth, which is a sweet way to endDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach,even though there is still a bit more story to tell after this.
