Death Stranding 2 SOP trailer — three wild moments that have me pumped Death Stranding 2 On the Beach is heading to PS5 in 2025. Here are the best moments from the Death Stranding 2 State of Play 2024 trailer.Opinion by Jack Ridsdale Published 02 Feb 2024 FollowtopicsSony Interactive EntertainmentPlayStation 5Jack Ridsdale The follow-up to Hideo Kojima's 2019 arthouse action game, Death Stranding 2 On the Beach is heading to PS5 in 2025. January's State of Play broadcast gave us a fresh look at the game, along with the official reveal of the subtitle and release window. We really can't wait to earn those Death Stranding 2 trophies. However, until that day comes, let's check out some of the best moments from the Death Stranding 2 State of Play trailer.Death Stranding 2 trailer gives us heaps of weirdness to unpack on PS5The original Death Stranding was one of the best PlayStation exclusives, offering an enigmatic and truly original world for players to explore. Death Stranding 2 On the Beach looks to expand that world with new locations, mechanics, and plenty of new whacky characters.Here are the things that stood out for me, in this, the biggest look at Death Stranding 2 we've got yet.New ship, new gunsThe new trailer was decidedly focused on story and cutscenes, as is Kojima's way, but we did get some intriguing glimpses of gameplay, as well as some hints about new and expanded elements that could be on their way into Death Stranding 2. First, there's the new UCA ship, which will serve as protagonist Sam's base of operations as he ventures beyond the borders of the United States to connect the world to the Chiral Network.It seems that this futuristic ship is captained by Fragile, Sam's ally portrayed by French actress Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die). It seems Fragile has brought a few new chums along for the ride, but we'll get on to that shortly. Most importantly, this new ship is home to Sam's armory, which appears to store some nifty-looking guns. This, coupled with comments made by returning villain Higgs later in the trailer suggests that gunplay and combat could be a more significant part of the sequel. We also got to see plenty of traversal in some stunning landscapes, as well as a bridge being destroyed and collapsing in real time.New connectionsIt's not just familiar faces popping up in Death Stranding 2, there are also plenty of new characters to meet, many of them portrayed by Hollywood movers and shakers. The first of these new faces we see is that of George Miller — the legendary director of the Mad Max film series. Much like Guillermo Del Toro in the first game, the character is voiced by a different actor, in this case Marty Rhone. We can't wait to learn more about his devil cat pet.Even more bizarrely, Sam has a new companion, a marionette that rides "shotgun" on Sam's hip. We're not sure who this is, whether he's some kind of automaton, or imbued with the soul of a real human being, but we're sure to learn plenty more about this quirky companion as the story unfolds.Finally, we get a quick look at Elle Fanning (The Great) in the game. This character is shrouded in mystery as well, but fans have speculated that she may be an adult version of Sam's bridge baby, Lou. This is an interesting theory but would require a lengthy time skip, and Sam and Fragile don't appear to have aged much, if at all.Death Stranding 2 has us intrigued, to say the leastHiggs goes all KISSTroy Baker's enigmatic villain Higgs is back for revenge in Death Stranding 2, sporting a radical new look. In the latest trailer, we see Higgs remove his spooky red mask, revealing new Joker-style makeup. Higgs has always had a flair for theatricality, but in DS2 he appears to have stepped up his showmanship with his new weapon, an electric guitar-railgun hybrid.Higgs appears to have returned from the beach for revenge on Sam and his friends, and is spreading chaos throughout the continent by dealing arms. When a traitor is revealed among Higgs' henchmen, we get to see the Bowie-styled renegade throw out some tasty licks as he engages in some fancy fight choreography. Just how did Higgs return from the beach and what is his ultimate goal? We can look forward to some answers when the PlayStation 5 exclusive launches next year.What are your theories about what's really going on in Death Stranding 2? Are you excited to return to Kojima's surreal world, or is it simply too weird for you? Do you think we have a new contender for our list of the best PS5 games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. PlayStation 5 Written by Jack RidsdaleJack is primarily a fan of big, dumb, action games with a soft spot for some Japanese quirkiness. His favorite game series include Metal Gear Solid, Call of Duty, The Last of Us, and Marvel's Spider-Man. He has a keen interest in the business of video games, and complicated opinions about Final Fantasy VII Remake.