#It has been a number of days since I completed Loss of life Stranding 2, however I nonetheless cannot cease eager about its ‘peak Kojima’ remaining hours – Destructoid

It took me round 35 hours to complete Loss of life Stranding 2: On the Seaside, however its most memorable moments come in the direction of the tip of Hideo Kojima’s “strand” epic. I would like to speak about it.

Spoilers will observe, clearly, so should you haven’t completed Loss of life Stranding 2 but or don’t wish to know what occurs, then steer clear and are available again when you’re prepared. I promise you, it’s one thing you wish to expertise for your self should you can handle it.

Like the unique recreation, after the handfuls of hours of “strolling simulator” gameplay, as soon as Sam has efficiently related all of Australia into the Chiral Community, the sport’s climax is triggered by Higgs kidnapping Tomorrow and explaining that she is none aside from Sam’s daughter someway.

Tomorrow truly being “Lou” was telegraphed fairly laborious on this recreation, much more so than the revelation that Cliff was truly Sam’s dad and Sam was his “BB” all alongside. However that didn’t make the twist any much less cool, in my eyes.

The true enjoyable then begins as Sam and the DHV Magellan crew monitor Higgs to his Seaside the place, in true Kojima vogue, all the pieces escalates into an epic motion scene, of which the sport has a really memorable handful. Sam leaves the ship to trace down Higgs, whereas within the background, we bear witness to an completely spectacular battle that includes kaiju-like big B.T.’s, considered one of which is hijacked by the DHV Magellan because the vessel replaces considered one of its heads. It’s simply ridiculous, however so rattling cool.

Sam makes his approach down the seaside, combating B.T.’s and ghost mechs alongside the best way, and is once more saved by a mysterious purple samurai from earlier within the recreation. That is no “the Cyborg Ninja is Grey Fox” second, but it surely undoubtedly evokes comparable recollections, because it’s revealed that the badass is none aside from the deceased Deadman, controlling the ghost mech from past. Outrageous and superb.

Finally, Sam finds Higgs on the seaside, and that is the place Troy Baker delivers considered one of his greatest performances, and that’s saying rather a lot for an actor along with his repertoire. Right here, Higgs reveals that he has been caught on the seaside for “tens of 1000’s of years,” therefore his unquenchable thirst for revenge on Sam and Fragile.

It’s a stunning efficiency, delivered splendidly by Baker as Higgs pours his coronary heart out to Sam earlier than the 2 kick off a multi-phase boss battle that includes traditional Kojima well being bars and…guitars. Yeah, the musical instrument that doubles as each an axe and a gun of kinds turns into the focus of the duel.

Sam and Higgs shoot at one another, hack away at one another with the axe-like weapon, after which lose their shirts and completely shred the instrument like they’re on stage at Coachella, or in a Scott Pilgrim film. It’s simply plain foolish, however it’s pure Kojima via and thru. And there’s no actual rationalization for any of it, as a result of there simply doesn’t must be.

As the 2 struggle, we see Tomorrow within the background, revealed as one other Extinction Entity that Higgs makes use of to convey in regards to the Final Stranding and put an finish to humanity for good. It looks like all the pieces is about to return to an finish, till the sky provides start to a large model of Lou, the child. In fact.

The large child coos as Higgs performs a canopy of “BB’s Theme,” the heartbreaking tune from the unique recreation, and a lullaby that Cliff used to sing to Sam as a child. It’s a recurring tune all through the sequence, and one which I’ve bother listening to with out crying myself, for my very own private causes.

After which the skyscraper-sized child plucks Higgs from the seaside, sticks him in her mouth like a Cryptobiote, crunches him like a snack, after which spits out the villain’s gold masks to indicate his remaining finish. It’s hilarious, twisted, bizarre, and poetic all on the identical time.

We’re then seemingly transported to the very starting of the sport, the place Sam and Lou are coming back from a supply, and “BB’s Theme” performs but once more. As soon as Sam returns dwelling, he’s introduced again to the present second the place he finds Tomorrow’s physique, whom he brings again to the DHV Magellan. After which comes the everyday Kojima grand exposition.

It’s about 40 minutes of uninterrupted cutscenes to shut out the primary storyline of the sport. It is a lot for a lot of. However for me, and lots of Kojima followers like me, it’s one thing we’ve turn into accustomed to. It’s the cherry on high of a recreation journey, a reward for all the pieces we went via within the recreation. Is it good? No. Is it nonsensical? Completely, however the performances given by the actors in these remaining scenes are great.

Throughout the ending, Sam finds out that Fragile has been “lifeless” for fairly a while, as she didn’t survive earlier occasions within the recreation, however her residing physique endured. We then get the complete reveal that Neil Vana, an antagonist within the recreation’s occasions, was truly a hero who saved and guarded Lou (Tomorrow) after she bought caught within the in-between world of the lifeless, the place she grew up earlier than being rescued by Sam earlier within the recreation.

There’s extra to it than I may correctly describe right here, however I discovered the ending extremely satisfying. All of it looks like Kojima at his greatest: ridiculous, hilarious, and foolish, but poignant, stunning, heartfelt, and soulful all on the identical time. I’m grateful that we nonetheless get to expertise Kojima’s distinctive thoughts via video games like this, and I proceed to look ahead to what’s subsequent.

If you wish to relive the ending, test it out on YouTube in 4K because of YouTuber Shirrako. I’ve watched it a pair occasions since ending the sport 4 days in the past, and I can’t get sufficient.