Hideo Kojima’s eagerly awaited sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, is set to uphold the franchise’s legacy of incorporating hidden surprises, eccentric cameos, and moments that elicit a range of reactions, from puzzlement to bewilderment. In recent interviews and media appearances, Kojima has characterized these hidden elements as ‘bizarre’ and ‘cringe-inducing,’ revealing that even within his development team, there were reservations about their inclusion prior to the game’s launch.
Nonetheless, consistent with his creative approach, Kojima chose to retain these distinctive features. Speaking to GameSpark, Kojima laughed that some Easter eggs were his alone:
“Even if I asked the staff to put them in, they just pretended not to hear.”
Among the oddities found in the game are messages only visible while looking at the night sky from the hot springs. Kojima teased that some might ‘make players cringe’, but they stand as the epitome of the quirky hands-on style expected by fans.
Signature Easter Eggs and Unexpected Cameos
Concealed within Death Stranding 2 are Kojima’s signature Easter eggs, which reward diligent players who seek out cryptic details. A notable example is the unexpected cameo featuring Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii as a pizza chef, culminating in a surprise confrontation with Sam Porter. This surreal and cinematic sequence has been widely praised, contributing to the game’s stellar 9/10 rating.
The inclusion of VTuber Usada Pekora, a Hololive star with millions of followers, is yet another unexpected surprise, appearing as one of the Preppers—the NPCs who may help or hinder the player as they traverse the post-apocalyptic landscapes. It has been speculated that she may give a rather unusual anime-style mission.
Challenges in Keeping Secrets
Kojima attempted to keep certain spoilers under wraps during the Death Stranding World Tour 2 in London. However, he acknowledged that the secrets, particularly those surrounding the ‘pizza man,’ were quickly revealed on social media just a week after launch. Kojima took responsibility for inadvertently contributing to the leaks through his retweets.
There is a subtle and heartfelt surprise for gamers who bring a little real-world identity to the table: a birthday sequence. Players who log into the game on their birthday are treated to a heartwarming celebratory moment, where the main characters, including Norman Reedus’s Sam and Léa Seydoux’s character, gather around a cake. However, the scene takes a comically chaotic turn, unfolding in a quintessentially Kojima-esque manner.
The Art of Player Discovery
To sum things up, Death Stranding 2 grinds its gears for the development of a very worthy Kojima auteur piece: layers upon layers of stories, inside jokes hardcoded into the setting, and meta postulates lurking right beneath the surface. Some might find these Easter eggs to be cluttering or perhaps outright cringeworthy, but they fit snugly into a design philosophy that prioritizes player discovery just as much as it prioritizes story progression.
The game boasts a Metacritic rating in the high 90s. Fans are meticulously scouring every detail for new secrets. Kojima has successfully walked the fine line between crafting a visually stunning and emotionally engaging experience while also incorporating strange and unpredictable surprises.
The Legacy of Kojima’s Unique Touch
What it comes down to is that Kojima Easter eggs in Death Stranding 2 are not casual graffiti; each one is a little oddity meant to be discussed, to evoke laughter, or, most of the time, to give one an uneasy feeling. Texts painted in the sky and pizza-chef anime icons reveal the creator’s unique touch. An actual birthday shout-out adds to the personal feel. These moments offer a glimpse into the mind of a creator who refuses to play it safe. He invites players to explore every peculiar layer of his world.
