Nearly six years after Norman Reedus first picked up that child in a jar and chucked his urine at goop monsters, Hideo Kojima has returned with Dying Stranding 2: On The Seaside. Whereas the studio is engaged on a horror recreation (OD) and not-Steel Gear (Physint), the follow-up to Kojima Productions’ debut recreation is the following to drop.
I beloved the unique Dying Stranding, however the sequel seems much more promising—an already ridiculous recreation made even sillier with big ships, guitar-wielding cyborgs, and a ventriloquist dummy model of Turkish director Fatih Akin. Plus, for individuals who took problem with the unique’s strolling focus and (relative) lack of motion, Dying Stranding 2 seems to be far more action-packed.
What’s Dying Stranding 2’s launch date?
Dying Stranding 2 shall be launched on June 26, 2025, for the PlayStation 5, with gamers who shell out for the deluxe version getting it earlier on June 24, 2025. Dying Stranding 2 prices $70 / £70 on PS5, with the Deluxe Version bumping that as much as $80 / £80.
However that’s the non-canon launch date so far as we’re involved right here on PC Gamer. So when can we play it?
Sadly as of proper now Dying Stranding 2 doesn’t have a launch date on PC. In actual fact, it isn’t even confirmed for PC but.
When is Dying Stranding 2 coming to PC?
Kojima Productions and Sony aren’t speaking a couple of PC launch proper now, however that is common. If it’s something like the primary recreation, we gained’t be ready too lengthy for Dying Stranding 2 on PC.
Dying Stranding launched on PS4 on November 8, 2019, with the PC launch arriving eight months afterward July 14, 2020 (with the Director’s Lower coming six months after the PS5 launch). So if there’s an identical exclusivity window this time round, then we will count on Dying Stranding 2 to hit PC round February 2026.
Kojima Productions now owns the IP, so it is attainable we may very well be in for a fair shorter wait this time round. Or an extended one, relying on the publishing deal it made with Sony—we’re actually simply speculating, at this level.
On the intense facet, Sony video games are usually cheaper after they finally come to PC, with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (which was additionally $70 / £70 on PS5) promoting for $60 / £50.
Dying Stranding 2 trailers
Dying Stranding 2’s newest main trailer premiered at SXSW earlier this 12 months and was additional proof that Hideo Kojima is unmatched as the perfect trailer man within the biz. This 10-minute epic reveals off random vignettes of characters talking dialogue that makes zero sense with out context. In the meantime, it reveals off gameplay of Sam strolling about and getting in scraps in opposition to some genuinely breathtaking environments.
Not solely is that this trailer way more motion packed than you’d count on from Dying Stranding, nevertheless it additionally focuses closely on the Strong Snake lookalike Neil, who appears to have a complete lot of stuff happening in his life.
Plus we get a have a look at much more of the sport’s supporting forged together with the President, performed by none apart from Steel Gear Rising’s Senator Armstrong actor Alastair Duncan (finest identified for the Scottish detective present Taggart… oh, and Mimir from God of Conflict, I suppose.)
Dying Stranding 2 gameplay and options
As within the first recreation, Dying Stranding 2 may have you strolling a couple of post-apocalyptic world, delivering parcels, and coping with the freaks and goo monsters you encounter alongside the way in which. This time round Sam Porter Bridges shall be visiting different components of the world, with the Australian outback and Mexico turning into a part of the massive community. Whereas some have dubbed the sport a ‘strolling simulator’ (I imply, it actually is, however develop up), Dying Stranding 2’s traversal appears to have been given an enormous enhance thanks to those new locales, with the likes of sandstorms and earthquakes occurring on the earth.
In the meantime, fight—which took a again seat within the unique recreation—has been given a far increased precedence. Kojima described this as an intentional resolution this time, saying, “the sequel balances the stick and the rope.” Which boils right down to rope equals assist, stick equals bonk (he primarily based the saying on Kobo Abe’s novella Rope, which had an excerpt opening the unique recreation).
There’s additionally set to be far more stealth this time, with Kojima claiming Dying Stranding 2 has a lot tactical espionage motion that even his personal employees ‘anxious it was getting somewhat Steel Gear-ish.’ As somebody who has needed to contend together with his favorite sequence of all time being useless for the final 10 years, with solely a remake to nourish me, this element means the world to me.
Dying Stranding 2 story and characters
Regardless of the six-year wait and big international pandemic we’ve contended with within the time since, Dying Stranding 2 picks up 11 months after the unique recreation ended. Sam is outwardly residing a peaceable life, as AI has automated the supply course of for essentially the most half, however Fragile returns and offers him the basic ‘I gotta pull you out of retirement for one final job, child’—to attach Mexico to the Chiral Community.
The forged consists of recent and returning characters; Sam, Fragile, and Child Lou all return alongside the unique recreation’s villain Higgs who’s now a weird-looking cyborg. In the meantime, a forged of recent faces like a mysterious younger girl named Tomorrow, who appears to have some connection to Higgs and the facility to regulate the goop; Tarman, who has the likeness of Mad Max director George Miller and an lovable tar cat; and Dollman—a sentient ventriloquist dummy. There’s additionally a cyborg samurai, which is completely completely different from a cyborg ninja, it ISN’T Steel Gear, we swear.
Most attention-grabbing is the character of Neil, who featured closely in one of the current trailers for the sport. Neil—performed by Italian actor Luca Marinelli—appears to be taking up an identical function as Mads Mikkelsen’s Cliff from the primary recreation… oh and the dude seems precisely like Strong Snake. Like, it’s not even delicate. Kojima even stated 5 years in the past that the actor can be “the spitting picture of Strong Snake” if he wore a bandana. He’s hung up on his ex, and I can’t wait to see extra of it.
I am unhappy to report that there’s no signal of Die-Hardman.
Will Dying Stranding have DLC?
Kojima Productions is presently promoting a digital deluxe version with new cosmetics and early merchandise unlocks (as a result of who doesn’t love after they make the sport simpler for you since you paid extra?).
The unique recreation did have the Director’s Lower enlargement alongside its PS5 launch, however with no PS6 launch imminent, it’s laborious to say whether or not Dying Stranding 2 will repeat that method.
Will Dying Stranding 2 have extra bare Norman Reedus?
I don’t know, man, most likely.
Is Die-Hardman’s actual identify truly John McClane?
Sure. This has nothing to do with the sequel; I simply wished to remind everybody as a result of it’s hilarious.
