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It’s always enjoyable to see one’s country in a video game. Even if it’s a fictional representation, it shows that developers out there are taking the time to learn about your culture and depict it in some capacity. Oddly enough, and with all the bizarre elements of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, it still features one of the most accurate representations of my country: Mexico. While it isn’t a replica, it does justice to many of the modern and classic elements of my country. Also, one that I’d wish more games would embrace if given the chance to do so.
Fiction With Realistic Elements
Before I proceed, I would like to issue a few disclaimers. First, there are no BTs in Mexico, including in our subways, hospitals, or downtown areas. Secondly, there are no spirits driving trucks on the ceiling or whales swimming outside of our windows. Thirdly, and most importantly, there are a few spoilers here for three boss fights in the game. You’ve been warned.
As you know, the first area you’ll visit in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is Mexico. Or at least a smaller representation of the northern area of the country, especially the one sharing borders with the UCA. While it has many beautiful elements like the forests and deserts, the real homage to the country happens in the three boss fights you have against Neil, in what is called “the Strange Realm.”
You’ve already seen the first glimpse in the trailer. When Neil — not Snake, ahem — appears, he is in a fictional downtown area of Mexico. What city? I can’t really tell you. Even after I conducted thorough research, analyzed every tortilleria sign, and even called the number listed, I was unable to pinpoint the city, so yes, it is fictional. However, it isn’t far from reality.
To the world, Mexico is just Cancun. Ask anyone about Mexico, and they will dare tell you Cancun is the only place in the country. Ironically, as a Mexican, I’ve never been there, but that’s a rant for a different place. In any case, no, Cancun isn’t the only iconic thing about Mexico. One of the best things we have is our downtown areas, which all feature different architectural styles depending on the city you are.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach does an excellent job of representing this. When you fight Neil for the first time, you spawn in the streets of a fictional downtown area. There’s fire all around it and a few spinning firework mechanisms. For the uninitiated, these are called “toritos” down here and are a significant part of some celebrations.
However, what really made me feel at home were the smaller details in the streets. You can see how faithfully Kojima tried to represent our architecture with some outside details that we find in our stores. Things like tortillerias, or tortilla shops, hardware stores, and even a few travel agency booths. All of them felt like the ones I see in my city almost daily.
On top of that, we saw these beautifully made decorations of papel picado. Something we usually use in Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, as many of you know it. Also, that scene with all the candles lit around Neil reminded me of how we light up our graveyards during the aforementioned celebration. And, last but not least, the interiors of the structures of this specific boss fight were a perfect depiction of our historical buildings. Even the paintings shared a lot of similarities with some that you can find in our museums or a few government facilities.
Mexico’s Iconic ‘Metro’ Is in the Game, and It’s As Faithful As It Gets, Minus the Flaming Soldiers
The first boss fight already blew me away. The second was great, but it was mostly inside a hospital and took place underwater, so I couldn’t appreciate all the details. But the third fight? Oh boy. I was not expecting Kojima to create a faithful depiction of our subway, also called “El Metro.”
At first, I was having a hard time believing this was actually our subway. But when I saw the iconic font, I was like, “Si, this is the real thing.” See, the subway or “Metro” is one of the most iconic things in our capital. For better or worse, we’ve all used it and have either stepped out of it traumatized or surprised by the ability to hold over a hundred people in one car. Yeah, New York’s subway is nothing compared to ours.
In truth, out of all the details of my country I was expecting to see in the game, this was not one. And you know what? It was my favorite. Most of the time, movies set in Mexico tend to portray things in a somewhat stereotypical manner. Or, in some cases, they will incorporate prehispanic parts and combine them with fantasy elements, such as FFXIV: Dawntrail. For once, it is great to see a different element and one that might not be the greatest representation of our culture, but it is one thing we all use almost daily.
Of course, having a boss fight in this place was even better. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I imagine I’d be seeing a pick-up truck driving itself on the ceiling of the subway while shooting at Sam. Or, halfway through the fight, shoot Neil across the subway cars and hide myself behind the ticket booths. It was surreal, yet very heartwarming.
One of the Best Depictions
While most of the game takes place in Australia, Kojima did a lot of justice to Mexico and its culture in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. If you ever take a few standard orders in Mexico, you’ll see a few more elements of my country. The Bokka will often order quesadillas, and the Artist will ask for high-quality tortillas. As a Mexican player, this felt like a wild dream. I was controlling one of my favorite video game protagonists to deliver Día de Muertos paraphernalia while dodging bandits—it can’t get more epic than that, right?
Needless to say, it’s so refreshing to see developers setting their games in my country. Even if they are fictional versions, seeing the accurate representations is always a treat. I just wish more companies would see the beauty of Mexico and break some of the stereotypes. Kojima brought beauty to one of the most mundane things we have in the country while infusing one of our iconic downtown areas with eeriness. That’s something that will stay with me forever.
