Throat babies, rapid aging and Norman Reedus: Death Stranding's new trailer might be the strangest yet

What is legendary developer Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding? We're no closer to finding out after the latest lengthy trailer was released during The Game Awards, which took place last night (7 December) in Los Angeles.

The project, the Metal Gear creator's first since departing Konami and going solo with Kojima Productions, has become known for the bizarre tone pieces that have been released as trailers. The first was debuted at E3 2016, the next at The Game Awards this time last year.

This latest short film features the protagonist Sam, played by Norman Reedus, and two other characters wearing what appear to be environmental hazard suits with tanks containing unborn babies attached to the front.

One man is trapped under an upturned vehicle and ages before our very eyes. The other tries to help him, but stops when invisible threats appear and he and Sam hold their breaths. Ghostly figures appear and then claim the two unnamed men.

An enormous figure comes into view as objects begin floating upwards, then something weird happens (describing things with certainty is a bit of a fool's game here) and Sam appears naked submerged in a body of water.

Around him are vehicles and a whale, above him are bodies and large creature obscured by the water. We then see Sam, once again clothed, and the camera peers down his throat to find a baby, which gives the camera a thumbs up.

What?

Sam wakes up again on the surface of wherever he is, and throws up a black, oil-like substance with five bugs. Reedus's character stands and looks at a tank that once contained an infant. A tear rolls down his face and he looks out over a crater to see five apparitions, similar to those in the first trailer.

The line that was repeated to open the trailer is then said again: "Once there was an explosion. A bang that gave rise to life as we know it. And then came the next explosion" The voice then adds: "An explosion that will be our last."

Your guess is as good as ours.

Death Stranding will be released on PS4 and PC. All we know is it's an action game, will feature an open world and will have multiplayer of some variety. We also know it stars Reedus alongside film director Guillermo del Toro and Mads Mikkelsen.

No release date or window has been announced in certain terms, but it certainly won't launch until late 2019 at the earliest. Hopefully in 2018 we finally get to see what the actual game looks like.