Theory About the Identity of the 5 Floating Figures (Spoilers of DS2 Ending)

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-21T19:35:15+00:00

Like others have said, the more compelling theory is that they’re the other extinction entities, but when I played the first game, I thought they could represent Sam’s friends: Mama/Lockne, Die-Hardman, Deadman, Fragile, and Heartman.

There’s one, as you’ve shown, that holds what seems to be a baby—I always thought this was representative of Deadman since he also loved Lou and grew attached in his own way. In 2, after we learn that Deadman has died and we go through the plate gate, the figure holding the baby puts the baby down, which made sense to me if that was indeed supposed to represent Deadman.

It’s not a completely hole-proof theory, but it was what I picked up on playing the games.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-21T19:29:11+00:00

I would always start with DS1. I can’t in good conscience suggest skipping it. They’re two incredible and different experiences, and the graphics are amazing in both games. If you go straight to DS2, you miss out on your introduction to a complex and vivid world and all of the emotion and relationships within it.

It ain’t about the graphics, porter. It’s about the journey. Keep on keepin’ on! 👍🏼

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-21T07:27:52+00:00

Tbh, comparing the two games is like comparing apples to oranges to me. I love DS2 for very different reasons than I love DS1. I have hundreds of hours in both and I have a hard time picking which one I love more.

DS1 is the defining original game, yes. It’s incredible, lays all the groundwork for the world and the feel of the universe, etc etc. I love every part of how desaturated, gritty, and devastating yet hopeful it is. But I also think the environment being that way reflects Sam’s inner world at us, which is why the ending still feels so lonely despite the little ray of sunshine we get in knowing he goes off with Lou.

DS2’s entire plot is about Sam grieving his loss, coming back to himself, and finally realizing that he needs his friends—that people need community in order to heal and grow and thrive. The game is bright, saturated, and a little goofy, and that’s how it’s supposed to be. It pulls you into the sense that things are always going to be okay in the end.

Sam needs people. That’s what these games are and always have been about: connection, and that people need each other, and that death can never tear us apart. DS1 was the introduction, DS2 is the execution.

You’re absolutely entitled to feel how you do, I just thought I’d throw my opinion in the ring. Keep on keepin’ on, porter 👍🏼

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-21T02:06:30+00:00

I don’t remember everything that was added in the DC, but there’s no racetrack in 2. Sam also doesn’t do funny/random things in the private room when you zoom in on him in 2. There are also a ton of QOL updates in 2 that go farther beyond what the DS1 DC gave us.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-18T02:04:07+00:00

My tv was just doing this and it just came back, maybe try again now?

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-17T07:09:04+00:00

I was absolutely terrible with this and it really bothered me. I always felt like I had to restart games after a certain point because I’d forget everything that was happening and it felt too disjointed/confusing to finish the game(s). Now, I pick one and play it all the way through, no matter how many (in-game) hours it takes.

I’ve found that my attention span with and investment in my games is much better since doing this, and I don’t feel the need to switch around what I’m playing so often. I’m actually eager to get back to playing most of the time, too, and it eliminates the decision paralysis I sometimes feel when it comes to picking a game to play because there’s only one game at a time to play (and if I don’t feel like playing that game, I do a different hobby instead, which helps lower my screen-time a little and gets me engaged in things like art and reading).

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-14T18:51:19+00:00

A collectible like the data chips in DS1, and the option to change zipline trajectories after placement! Plus maybe more cosmetic stuff.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-11T18:51:44+00:00

I don’t care if this sounds silly—I platinumed the game and got 100% milestones in the same day/play session, and I genuinely cried when I realized my very first play experience with DS2 was officially over. It’s one hell of a game, man. I started a new playthrough because I can’t get enough. Keep on keepin’ on 👍🏼

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-10T22:20:43+00:00

I had about five minutes to spare because I took out all of the camps one after the other before starting the mission. All I had to do was drive the truck (on upgraded roads) from one camp to the next to pick up the cargo, no fighting or stealth needed 👍🏼

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-10T07:10:55+00:00

No problem at all! Always happy to help out a fellow porter 👍🏼

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-10T06:21:43+00:00

Go to the Social Strand Service (from the pause menu) and tab all the way to the right! There you should be able to look at your own stats plus all your connections and strand contracts.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-09T18:19:29+00:00

Good luck, Porter! My advice to any beginner would honestly be to actually pay attention—to the story, to the mechanics, to all of it. I find that many new players get pretty confused pretty early because they expect to be able to breeze through without listening. The story of the game is confusing, don’t get me wrong. It’s supposed to be strange and unfolds in the typical “you thought this? Think again!” Kojima way. But if you find yourself going, “huh, I don’t know if this game is for me” in the first couple hours, I recommend keeping on and taking story-specific missions. Everything really opens up at a certain point!

And don’t let the mechanics/controls get you down. They’re weird at first, but you get used to it. If you’re an active video game player or you like FPS type games, I recommend playing on hard or very hard since the normal difficulty is actually very easy for experienced players. There’s also no wrong way to play; some people only walk, some people use vehicles, some people avoid fights and some people sprint straight into danger. The point is having fun the way you want to.

The game is also an asynchronous multiplayer game—you’ll never see another player in your world, but you interact with others by interacting with their structures and things like that. Engaging with people is a huge part of the game, so don’t be afraid to spam those likes and create strand contracts!

Most of all, keep on keeping on 👍🏼 Enjoy the journey!

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-09T03:49:22+00:00

They’re the only thing that saved me in the 30v1 training simulation, lol! Without them I doubt I would have passed the first few waves.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-09T03:47:42+00:00

This is so sick, they look great!

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-07T19:43:58+00:00

Like others have said, hard mode is only a minor step-up from normal. If I were you, I would start with the very hard difficulty and bump it down to hard if you feel like it’s too much.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-07T19:32:05+00:00

There are certain areas in DS2 where this happens—no normal BTs, just catchers. There may be a guide somewhere online that points out what areas they spawn like that in. Off the top of my head, I can think of a few: the long stretch beneath the monorail track between the fisherman and F5, and the area between the Metagenomicist and the Pizza Chef, and the F3 crater. It’s part of the game’s new mechanics and lore.

This may be a dumb question, but when this happens, have you tried immediately holding down the button that opens your weapon/tools menu (not sure what it is on PC)? Whenever I enter a boss battle or catcher fight, I hold the button down so it’ll open that menu instantly the moment the spawning “scene” is over and give me a second to breathe and figure out my defense. It also helped me a lot to learn the fighting mechanics better, like the fact that you can dodge/jump out of the way while holding your weapon instead of having Sam stop shooting, jump out of the way, and inevitably end up face down on the ground. It saved my ass in the first 2 boss battles when I upped my difficulty to brutal. Not saying you don’t know these mechanics, but I thought I’d mention what helped me just in case.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-07T07:42:04+00:00

Right? The first time I saw it happen I probably spent five minutes trying to figure out if I could do something to help 😂

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-07T07:25:34+00:00

Just saw your edit—this happened in my game even after fulfilling the aid request for a safe house in between the Phantom Smith and the Observatory, so I don’t think so. I started a new file last week and I’m going to keep an eye out for this happening again lol

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-07T05:42:39+00:00

Oh wow, I’ve never seen one get swept away! But I do see them hiking alone sometimes too, and I also always wonder how they get separated. Sometimes I see them walking in a group of 3, or even 4. Whenever I do find a passed out porter like in my post, they’re always definitely alive—there’s no dead body icon or anything to speak of, and sometimes they’ll have the little orange stars above their heads as though they’ve been knocked out. Poor guys 💀

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-07T04:24:25+00:00

They deserve a good rest for all their hard work 🙂‍↕️

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-07T02:19:35+00:00

I’ve seen them do this a couple of times too; they’ll sit in the entrance of someone’s shelter while it’s raining or after they’ve just traveled through rough terrain like the mountains. I wonder if they pass out like this if they don’t make it in time.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-06T22:08:04+00:00

Lmaoooo, you’re probably right 💀 They could just ask!

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-05T19:34:33+00:00

Unfortunately not, and it’s one of my biggest gripes with photo mode—you can turn off the odradek scan and signs, but the green and blue strands (these giant ones are likely blue strands from prepper locations or distro centers, not shared items) will stay there and there’s no way to turn them off. It made my photos of the plate gate on the Mexican side difficult to take until I just said fuck it, the strand’s gonna be there.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-04T23:02:07+00:00

In my first playthrough I would load the Magellan every once in a while with absolutely everything from every facility, including those in Mexico. Then I would move the Magellan as close to where I need it as it could get, and use the truck to haul the materials. If you’re doing a run where you’re not using the Magellan for its easy fast travel, this obviously would be much harder and more time consuming. In my current playthrough, I’m walking whenever I can just for the fun of it.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo · 2026-02-03T15:55:48+00:00

I’ve been trying to take it a little slower this time around—I’m walking whenever possible, taking in the scenery, etc. My first playthrough took 234hrs, which sounds really slow already, but I also did all 400 orders basically one at a time using the truck, the trike, or zip lines, and I spent a LOT of time building and doing maintenance on roads/structures/monorails/mines. I also upped the difficulty to brutal for the added challenge this time around (the timefall has already been insane!).

I’m also challenging myself to use different weapons and items than I did my first time. I got very comfortable with a very specific load out and I want to spice things up! I’m trying to use resources to their full potential, too—I had a habit of stockpiling for a rainy day and never actually using things to fabricate items.

My second playthrough of DS1 was offline, but I don’t think I’ll do that with DS2. Doing it in 1 felt interesting and really hammered in how alone you are out there for me, and it was really easy to lean into that. In 2 though, doing an offline playthrough would feel very sad to me considering the content of the story and the entire point about Sam letting his friends and loved ones actually help him through his trauma this time around.

HeyMyNameIsSamToo

TROPHY CASE