Developer: Kojima Productions
Platforms: PS5 (Reviewed), PS5 Pro
Genre: Action, Adventure
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach picks up 11 months after the original following, Sam and baby Lou’s continuing journey; they have settled in Mexico and are loving life as much as can be in the Death Stranding world. New players don’t need to worry-the game provides a solid recap of the first instalment’s key events and ending. While veterans will catch more references and emotional beats, jumping straight into the sequel works fine.
Right from the opening, Death Stranding 2 hits you with stunning views of Mexico that showcase both the game’s gorgeous world and massive sense of scale. It’s a hell of an introduction. Those first gameplay moments are absolutely breathtaking, and the game keeps delivering these visual punches throughout. The original got hit with the “walking simulator” label, and while some of that DNA remains, Death Stranding 2 throws in plenty of new mechanics-combat, stealth, and more-that really tighten up the experience. It addresses those criticisms head-on. You’ll find yourself in the thick of action pretty quickly, and whether you want to sneak around or go in guns blazing is totally up to you.
Visually, this game is stunning-just taking in the world and its elements is a genuine pleasure. The incredible presentation hits you immediately, and with lightning-fast loading times, you’re thrust into this complex, narrative-driven story that can be pretty tough to follow at times. But that visual wow factor never lets up. When you’re not busy gawking at the scenery, the direction and soundtrack turn the whole thing into a cinematic masterpiece. It seriously elevates both the gaming experience and the world-building to another level. Add in the fantastic voice acting from Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Troy Baker (just to name a few), and the storytelling becomes genuinely immersive. Kojima’s distinctive approach to narrative and world-building creates something truly unique-a complex, and strange world filled with terror but punctuated by moments of hope and genuine wonder. The world genuinely feels alive-a place where scattered communities have been cut off by the Death Stranding, and porters like Sam forge crucial links between people caught between our reality and the otherworldly Beach. This blending of the living and the dead creates some seriously strange occurrences. Weather events like flooding, storms, sandstorms, and earthquakes really amp up the tension. I found myself genuinely on edge during these moments. This gets even worse when tar pits and BTs suddenly show up, trying to drag you into the Beach.
The gameplay, especially the revamped combat, gets you way more involved in the action and ditches that “walking simulator” vibe. Things get intense pretty regularly, and you’ve got a solid arsenal-pistols, assault rifles, grenades-to handle both human enemies and those creepy BTs. But if you’d rather sneak around and avoid confrontation altogether, that’s totally doable, too. Sam comes loaded with gear to spot BTs and enemies, plus you can construct buildings to better plan your missions. The mapping tool lets you plot routes and shows where you might run into trouble. The gameplay has real depth-as you progress, you’ll unlock new items and mechanics constantly. There’s honestly a ton of stuff to build and use as you navigate this world. These new mechanics genuinely improve your quality of life and make getting around much smoother. Plus, all these unlockables actually give the side missions real purpose. The main missions weave together cutscenes, boss fights, and some seriously weird Beach sequences into a narrative that’s gripping, sometimes confusing, but always pulls you in. The character development and NPC interactions just drag you deeper into this world and its lore, constantly trying to piece everything together. The boss fights and the cutscenes are absolutely incredible-definitely worth sticking with the game to experience them.
On top of all this is this incredible sense of community-both the one you encounter through NPCs, stories, and side missions and the real online community where players share resources and build structures for everyone to use. Other players leave warnings and helpful items like ladders so you can cross dangerous rivers. This community theme runs throughout the entire game and story, but the online elements really drive it home. It’s another brilliant game mechanic that makes Death Stranding special.
Visual Modes:
Quality Mode: aims for 4K @ 30 fps – this mode highlights visual fidelity in detailed scenery, characters and lighting.
Performance mode: aims for 60 fps with a focus on smoother gameplay and reduced visual fidelity to achieve this.
Death Stranding 2 runs on the Decima engine, known for its impressive graphics, and the game absolutely delivers. Weather effects like floods, earthquakes, sandstorms, and bushfires really showcase what this engine can do.
While my overall gaming experience was tremendously positive, I ran into online issues that kept me from accessing servers for several days. Once you get used to that community aspect, losing it really stings.
I also found the whole luggage system pretty tedious at times-there are way too many clicks needed to load up Sam, and you end up accidentally leaving stuff behind. This becomes less of a problem as you get familiar with the game, but I definitely left some valuable items behind early on because I was carrying so much gear. Some NPC interactions felt easily skippable, and certain elements like customization (which others absolutely love) just weren’t for me. Some players will probably find the traversal between sites and missions tedious and might get those “walking simulator” vibes again, but I felt like this was much improved from the original.
None of these issues detract from what’s ultimately an incredible experience and a genuinely stunning piece of art. It’s breathtaking and wondrous at times, with this underlying sense of dread that keeps you on edge. It’s a fantastic game that really improves on the original Death Stranding. I was honestly surprised by how much I loved playing it-I was completely hooked. I purposely kept this review spoiler-free because going in blind is definitely the best way to experience this game and get the most out of it. Kojima manages to juggle sadness, dread, fear, strangeness, terror, hope, joy, laughter, and exploration in this wonderful game. What a ride!
Death Stranding 2 is currently available on PS5 only—no PC version yet.
Overall: 9.5/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
