Few games in recent memory have sparked as much intrigue-and confusion-as Death Stranding. Hideo Kojima’s first post-Konami project is part courier simulator, part metaphysical sci-fi odyssey, and all-in on its deep, intricate worldbuilding. With the sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, on the horizon, there’s no better time to revisit the strange, beautiful, and often haunting journey of Sam Porter Bridges. Whether you’re new or just in need of a refresher, let’s unpack the major events, characters, and themes that define this one-of-a-kind experience.
Everything changed when the Death Stranding occurred. This cataclysmic event blurred the boundary between the world of the living and the realm of the dead, introducing an eerie dimension known as the Beach. From this rupture emerged Beached Things-or BTs-ghostly figures tethered to our reality and drawn to human life. When BTs and humans collide, the results are explosive-literally. These encounters trigger “voidouts,” annihilations powerful enough to level cities.
To make matters worse, the world is plagued by Timefall-rain that rapidly ages whatever it touches, making travel not only dangerous but physically destructive. These two phenomena, BTs and Timefall, have pushed humanity into isolated colonies, clinging to survival behind walls, cut off from one another and the remnants of civilization.
You play as Sam Porter Bridges, a solitary courier with a haunted past and a unique gift. Sam is what’s known as a repatriate-someone who can come back from the dead. When killed, he finds his way back through the Seam, a metaphysical space between life and the Beach. On top of that, Sam has a condition called DOOMS, which grants him varying levels of sensitivity to the supernatural-most importantly, the ability to sense BTs.
Though he wants little to do with grand missions or political causes, Sam is recruited by BRIDGES, an organization trying to reunite the United States-or what’s left of it. Their vision? The Chiral Network, a sort of quantum internet that operates through connections to the Beach, enabling near-instantaneous communication and fabrication across vast distances. Sam’s job is to bring this network to every corner of the fractured country.
Sam’s mission initially seems straightforward: deliver supplies, connect outposts, and expand the Chiral Network. But as he progresses, it becomes clear that the real stakes are far higher. Along the way, he meets individuals who, like him, are entangled in the strange consequences of the Death Stranding. Among them is Amelie, a central figure whose true nature holds the key to the broader mystery of what’s threatening what’s left of the world.
The Beach is more than just a ghostly realm-it’s deeply personal. Each person has their own Beach, a unique liminal space that exists between life and death. For some, it’s a passageway; for others, a prison. Amelie resides here in a more permanent sense, and it’s eventually revealed that she is an Extinction Entity-an otherworldly being meant to usher in mass extinction events. These beings have appeared throughout history, linked to each of the planet’s previous major die-offs.
Amelie, however, is different. While she was destined to bring about the “Last Stranding”-a final extinction for humanity-she grows attached to the world and begins to question her role. Her internal conflict becomes the game’s central dilemma: is extinction inevitable, or can connection override cosmic destiny?
Adding another layer to this already morally fraught world is the existence of Bridge Babies, or BBs. These infants, suspended in artificial wombs and harvested from brain-dead mothers, are tools of survival. Their link to the Beach allows them to sense BTs, making them indispensable to couriers. Sam’s BB, initially labeled BB-28 but later named Lou, becomes more than just a companion-it’s the heart of his emotional arc.
Through their shared journey, Sam and Lou become symbols of hope in a world that has seemingly run out of it. Their bond challenges the idea that tools are just tools, and that survival must come at the cost of empathy. In the end, it’s their connection that drives Sam to make choices not just for himself, but for the future of humanity.
Of course, no epic journey is complete without a compelling cast of supporting characters. There’s Fragile, another courier who shares Sam’s burden but has suffered her own personal losses. Then there’s Die-Hardman, the masked commander of BRIDGES, weighed down by secrets and regret. Clifford Unger, the spectral soldier who haunts Sam’s dreams, turns out to be his biological father, desperate to be reunited with his son.
Other allies include Deadman, a man assembled from dead parts but full of heart; Mama and Lockne, twin sisters divided by tragedy and Timefall; and Heartman, who dies every 21 minutes in order to search the afterlife for his deceased family. Each character explores a different facet of the game’s central themes: grief, isolation, redemption, and the power of connection.
And then there’s Higgs-charismatic, unhinged, and terrifying. A former porter turned fanatic, he aligns himself with extinction itself, believing that Amelie should fulfill her destiny and wipe the slate clean. Higgs sees annihilation not as horror, but as liberation.
All of these threads culminate in a climactic confrontation on the Beach, where Sam must make an impossible choice. Convince Amelie to reject her nature and give humanity another chance, or allow her to bring about the Last Stranding. Through empathy and the bonds he’s formed, Sam succeeds-not by fighting, but by connecting.
The game concludes with Sam leaving behind his role in BRIDGES and embracing fatherhood, choosing to raise Lou as his own child. It’s a quiet, personal ending in contrast to the game’s cosmic stakes-a reminder that sometimes the most profound acts are the smallest ones.
Yet the world of Death Stranding remains fragile. The Chiral Network is still active. BBs still exist. The balance between life and death is still precarious. And the Beach has not vanished. The story may have found resolution, but it is far from over.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to continue the narrative, bringing back familiar faces like Sam and Fragile while introducing new mysteries and mechanics. We’ve already glimpsed a grayer, wearier Sam and heard hints of deeper exploration into Lou’s origins and the legacy of the Beach. With the inclusion of an in-game encyclopedia in the sequel, players may finally be able to piece together even more of this fascinating puzzle.
In the end, Death Stranding is more than just a game about deliveries. It’s a meditation on what binds us together when everything else falls apart. It asks us not only to survive, but to care, to connect, and to carry each other-no matter how heavy the burden.
Keep on keeping on, porters.