Watch the New Trailer for Death Stranding and Get Even More Confused

By Cameron Wade | December 2, 2016 | 9:47am

Image via Twitter (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN)

Video Games Video Death Stranding

Watch the New Trailer for Death Stranding and Get Even More Confused

Last night Hideo Kojima debuted a new trailer for Death Stranding, his mysterious new project after he spent literally decades working on Metal Gear Solid. The new trailer reveals some new elements, but really it just teases even more questions, which is apparently what Kojima was going for.

We see more oily mud and dead sea life, similar to what was seen in the game’s E3 reveal, but instead of Norman Reedus, this time we see director Guillermo Del Toro (who was working with Kojima and Reedus on Silent Hills before it was canceled) protecting a baby. Is it the same baby Reedus was cradling? Del Toro’s character is also wearing a blue neon handcuff that Reedus was wearing, so there’s definitely some connection between the two. Then there are the World War II-era tanks, with globs of flesh on them, and planes, which seem to be trailing some black fluid, possibly the oil that’s becoming a theme.

The other big reveal from the trailer is Mads Mikkelsen, decked out with a modern gun and night-vision goggles, leading a group of skeleton soldiers in WWII-era gear. With his skeleton crew and oily tears (knowing Kojima’s love of cinema, that’s a Casino Royale reference), Mikkelsen definitely seems like the bad guy here.

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So what’s going on here? The mix of different eras suggests maybe time travel, or perhaps Mikkelsen is doing something to raise the dead. With all the dead sea creatures laying around, the oil polluting everything, the globs of flesh on the tank, the skeleton soldiers, and both trailers prominently featuring a newborn baby, perhaps life, or living flesh, is a precious commodity in this universe. Reedus and Del Toro could be trying to protect the baby from Mikkelsen, Children of Men-style.

Whatever’s going on, Kojima enjoys the speculation. He posted on Twitter, “How did You like our new DEATH STRANDING teaser? There’re various hints(misleads) hidden so pls watch it to think as many time as you want.” Kojima was also at the awards to accept the Industry Icon Award, which, though well-deserved, partly feels like an excuse to give him a trophy on-stage after Konami banned him from appearing at last year’s ceremony when Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain took home two awards including Best Action/Adventure Game.

Watch the new Death Stranding trailer above and see Kojima accept his award below.