AdvGamer
What happens when Hideo Kojima decides the first Death Stranding was not quite strange enough? The answer, as fans saw during an extended Tokyo Game Show preview, is a sequel that hands Sam Porter Bridges a talking puppet, a submarine captain, and a photo mode that turns hardened couriers into Polaroid artists. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach does not just add more walking and more cargo; it doubles down on the series’ peculiar heart. By 2026, the game is no longer a distant rumor—it arrived on PlayStation 5 in 2025—but that TGS preview remains a useful snapshot of how far Kojima Productions was willing to push its weirdness.
Sam’s Strange New Crew
The preview opens with Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges reuniting with Fragile, played by Léa Seydoux. Fragile introduces Sam to Tarman, the captain of a submarine. Tarman has the likeness of director George Miller and is voiced by Marty Rhone. That alone would be enough for many games, but Death Stranding 2 keeps going. Dollman also greets Sam, and the little puppet quickly reveals a surprisingly heavy backstory: he was once a human medium before he got stuck in his current form. Jonathan Roumie voices Dollman, while the puppet’s likeness is based on Fatih Akin. It is the kind of detail that makes players laugh and then pause, because Kojima rarely includes a joke without a shadow behind it.
Sam also meets Rainy, a pregnant woman played by Shioli Kutsuna, and a newcomer named Tomorrow, played by Elle Fanning. When Tomorrow starts singing to Rainy’s baby, Dollman joins in even while he is hanging from Sam’s belt. That small moment says a lot. It suggests Dollman and Sam will travel together at some point, and it gives the sequel a musical beat that is both tender and absurd. Players who expected Death Stranding 2 to be only grim terrain and heavy packages should probably prepare for a puppet with a song in his heart.
Heartman Returns, and He Is Still Heartman
From there, Sam and Dollman meet Heartman, whose likeness is based on Nicolas Winding Refn and who is voiced by Darren Jacobs. Heartman can literally shut off his heart at will. His exo-suit also lets him sleep in any standing position he chooses. It is a wonderfully practical bit of sci-fi nonsense: the man can stop his heart, and he can also nap upright like a bat. The preview uses Heartman to remind fans that Death Stranding 2 is still interested in bodies, mortality, and the odd ways people cope with both.
| Character | Performer / Likeness | What Makes Them Strange |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Porter Bridges | Norman Reedus | The returning courier who somehow keeps meeting stranger people |
| Fragile | Léa Seydoux | Reunites with Sam and introduces him to the submarine captain |
| Tarman | Voiced by Marty Rhone; likeness of George Miller | Captain of a submarine |
| Dollman | Voiced by Jonathan Roumie; likeness of Fatih Akin | A living puppet and former human medium who sings |
| Rainy | Shioli Kutsuna | A pregnant woman who becomes part of Sam’s new circle |
| Tomorrow | Elle Fanning | A newcomer who sings to Rainy’s baby |
| Heartman | Voiced by Darren Jacobs; likeness of Nicolas Winding Refn | Can shut off his heart and sleep standing up |
Photo Mode Steals the Show
To close out the preview, Fragile, Tomorrow, and Rainy fool around in the camera mode. The resulting Polaroid-like pictures look more realistic than everything else in the demo. That is a funny flex. In a game full of living puppets, submarine captains, and men who can switch off their own hearts, the most striking visual trick might be a fake instant photo. Still, it fits the series. Death Stranding has always been about connections, and photo mode is another way for players to frame those connections—literally.
Why the Preview Still Matters in 2026
At the time of the Tokyo Game Show preview, the release date was still under wraps. The messaging pointed to PlayStation 5 in 2025. By 2026, players know how that turned out: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach made its PlayStation 5 debut in 2025. Looking back, the preview is a time capsule of Kojima Productions at its most playful and its most cryptic. It introduced a puppet who sings, a captain who looks like George Miller, a pregnant woman named Rainy, a newcomer named Tomorrow, and a Heartman who can nap while standing. It also showed that the sequel would not simply repeat the first game’s mood. It would add new kinds of warmth, new kinds of oddity, and a photo mode that lets fans turn quiet character moments into keepsakes.
For players who missed the Tokyo Game Show presentation, the takeaway is simple: Death Stranding 2 is not just a longer walk. It is a stranger journey with a bigger heart, a smaller puppet, and a camera ready for Polaroid-style memories. 🎮📸