Hideo Kojima reveals 8 minutes of new cutscenes for Death Stranding 2, including not less than two musical numbers featuring the little puppet guy called 'Dollman.'

Hideo Kojima revealed nearly eight minutes of previously unseen cutscenes for the upcoming Death Stranding 2 On the Beach as part of a 90-minute Japanese language panel during the Tokyo Game Show. Kojima Productions uploaded the English versions of these clips to X "The Everything App." Would you be surprised to find out that they are incredibly bizarre and surreal?

The first scene is set aboard the Submarine That Made You Blue. Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) and Lea Seydoux as Fragile are on the bridge. I'd guess that this scene is near the beginning of the game as Sam is still getting his bearings, and meeting the crew.

Fragile says, "It is always like this when DHV Magellan moves." Uncertain if "like this" means that everything is covered in goop or that people have blue-grey colored skin. Sam meets Tarman, the character of Mad Max director George Miller, who Fragile introduces in the role of the Magellan’s “doctor and geologist” who also happens be the thing’s pilot. The Magellan is revealed to be underground, not underwater. Its means of travel is the metaphysically empowered death goo.

Fragile sheds a single tear that I assume is thematically significant (more about this later!) Sam meets the kooky quarter-rate-animated puppet he loved in the previous trailer. Mr. Puppet, who was once a human, lost his spirit medium abilities when he took on his new form. He is now "alive and [his] master," and is called Dollman.

In the next clip everyone is back to normal, and Sam listens in on a discussion between Elle Fanning’s Tomorrow and Rainy, a newly revealed character played by Japanese actress Shioli Kutzuna. Rainy, who's pregnant, explains (more or less) to Tomorrow where babies are from, as Tomorrow comes from a dimension where "noone gave birth to babies; they just stayed in their mothers' bellies." Rainy, Tomorrow, and Dollman sing "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," to Rainy's belly.

The third clip features Nicholas Winding Refn as Heartman, who dies every 21 minutes after a heart attack before being revived by a defibrillator. Heartman is now wearing heart-shaped glasses, a Huey Emmerich style exoskeleton and sheds and collects one tear before addressing Sam & Dollman. Heartman's Huey exoskeleton lets him now have heart attacks while standing. Heartman, while posing in gravity-defying positions, declares, "Thanks for this support unit, I can flatline anywhere, anytime without worry."

The fourth clip shows Death Stranding 2's Photo Mode, as Sam takes pictures of Fragile and Tomorrow while they dance, giggle and strike different poses in the Magellan. The final clip is Another Musical Number featuring Dollman. Here, he dances along with holograms he created of himself and Japanese Pop Musician Daichi Miura.

And I'm guessing I'm onboard. I haven't played Death Stranding 1 yet, but from what I've heard I don't think it will help me much in understanding the story. It's fine, it's part of the appeal. What's unquestionable is that Kojima Productions trademark craftsmanship and sense surreal whimsy are out in full force.

On The Beach's use of its ensemble cast gives me a real Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker vibe, a sense of lightness and camaraderie which might make a tasty contrast to Death Stranding's grim universe. Also? This puppet is getting some mileage. He was a constant presence in all of these trailers. It's as if Daxter, from Jak and Daxter, were charming. Death Stranding 2 is still not released, but it's coming.