Magellan’s way of traveling may seem brilliant in Death Stranding 2, but it’s far less original than you — or Hideo Kojima — might think. Kojima presents the DHV Magellan as a revolutionary vessel, but the concept draws from classic sci-fi sources and real theories of space-time.

Hideo Kojima has always been a creator who draws on an ocean of external ideas and concepts to shape his projects. His genius doesn’t necessarily lie in inventing new things from scratch, but in how he adapts, reinterprets, and transforms them with his unmistakable style. In Death Stranding 2, a perfect example of this is the DHV Magellan, the ship piloted by Tarman that serves as Sam Porter Bridges’ mobile base and fast-travel vehicle. What’s striking about Magellan isn’t just its design or capabilities, but the way it moves: by using TAR to access a plane of existence between realities, connected to the Chiral Network. And no, despite what you might think about Kojima’s “state of mind,” this isn’t an entirely original or wild idea — it has deep roots in science fiction.

DHV Magellan: Mobile Base and Chiral Transport

The DHV Magellan acts as a vessel, mobile operations hub, warehouse, and fast-travel system. Linked to the Chiral Network, it can jump between synchronized facilities, transport resources and cargo, and serve as logistical support for Sam’s missions. Piloted by Tarman (inspired by George Miller, creator of Mad Max), and assisted by an AI, the ship lets the crew stay behind while Sam lugs around crates and metals like a human pack mule.

From a gameplay perspective, Magellan simplifies travel between nodes and enables inventory management from any connected location. But because Kojima is meticulous about grounding everything in lore, this transportation system is explained within the Death Stranding universe through the manipulation of chiral matter and a connection to the Beaches — a science-fiction justification tying the technological to the ontological. Big words for a concept that, in truth, isn’t his own.

Not as Original as It Looks

Although Magellan is impressive within Death Stranding’s universe, the concept of traveling through an alternate dimension, a “fold” in space-time, or a “space between spaces” is hardly new. Sci-fi has explored these mechanics for decades: portals, hyperspace, and dimensional pathways that allow near-instantaneous travel across great distances.

In The Authority comics, for instance, the Transport ship crosses “The Bleeding,” an extradimensional medium connecting distant points for instant interventions anywhere on Earth. Similarly, Star Wars uses hyperspace to shorten stellar journeys to seconds. Though it’s a technological tool, canon now suggests hyperspace could be a physical manifestation of the Force, adding a spiritual layer to interstellar travel — much like Death Stranding’s reflections on the afterlife.

This concept isn’t confined to comics and movies. Doctor Who’s TARDIS travels via space-time folds; Stargate SG-1’s gates create subspace tunnels connecting worlds. In Star Trek, warp and subspace enable travel beyond light-speed limits. Jack Kirby’s Boom Tunnels, Jodorowsky’s voids, Warhammer 40,000’s Warp, EVE Online’s jump drives, Mass Effect’s relays, and Halo’s Slipspace — all follow the same blueprint. Even films like Final Horizon show experimental drives tearing through space-time to reach another dimension (spoiler: bad idea).

All these examples share a pattern: using an alternate layer of reality to bridge distances — with its own rules and risks — just like Magellan does with the Chiral Network. Even real science echoes this: the Alcubierre metric, proposed by Miguel Alcubierre, theorizes a warp drive capable of distorting space-time to achieve faster-than-light movement.

Kip Thorne and others have explored traversable wormholes, though their stability requires exotic energy forms beyond our current reach. NASA’s Eagleworks has even experimented with these concepts in the lab. String theory and multiverse models add more speculation: proposing hidden dimensions and parallel universes that could serve as shortcuts or bridges. Though purely theoretical, they all share the same impulse — transcending the limits of space and time.

Why Magellan Stands Out

Magellan is more than a transportation system in Death Stranding 2; it’s a logistics hub that seamlessly integrates gameplay and story. Its presence reinforces the series’ core philosophy — connecting territories, uniting people, and giving meaning to each piece of cargo. Its chiral-based technology merges science and metaphysics, shaping how Sam Porter interacts with a fractured world.

The brilliance of this idea doesn’t lie in creating something new — alternate-dimensional travel is a staple of science fiction — but in how Hideo Kojima reinterprets it within his universe. Magellan transforms a familiar idea into a powerful narrative and gameplay tool that feels fresh. It doesn’t just move the protagonist — it carries the player into an experience where logistics, speculative fiction, and Kojima’s creative vision intersect.

Source: 3djuegos