As bizarrely unorthodox and oddly avant-garde as the first game felt, Kojima Productions may very well surpass itself with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. It has everything that fans of director Hideo Kojima could want – Luca Marinelli looking like a dead ringer for Solid Snake and the DHV Magellan integrating with a massive B.T. to form the Metal Gear-like Magellan Man. Perhaps most importantly, however, it also has a release date – June 26th for PS5, with pre-orders kicking off on March 17th.
Ignoring all the Metal Gear inspirations, there’s plenty of weird stuff happening in the latest 10-minute trailer, which meticulously balances spoilers with a distinct lack of context. We saw more of Fragile attempting to escape with Lou but not what happened to the latter (or how Sam will inevitably reunite with her).
Tarman is missing a hand at some point, raising concerns about how much Tar and how much Man he really is. Tomorrow is seemingly synchronizing with Higgs in an unknown manner, perhaps further hinting at her DOOMS condition. A sentient mannequin named Charlie appears, and there’s also the mysterious Red Samurai (whoever they may be). Perhaps the only regular character is Doctor until you notice she has two right hands.
Of course, none of that even begins to scratch the surface of what’s happening visually. Death Stranding was one of the best-looking games ever made, even when it launched on the PS4 in 2019. It’s a testament to the Decima Engine’s scalability that it’s looked even better on the PS5 and PC. However, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is on another scale entirely.
Though it’s still in progress, and things could change significantly, especially with the performance and resolution (especially since graphical modes have yet to be detailed), the trailer is a trove of gorgeous highlights and scenes. The lighting and shadows from the opening scene look incredible, and ambient occlusion is notable throughout the trailer.
Venturing outside the UCA, the sequel boasts a more impressive variety of environments. Sam is seen walking along the shore of a lake as the sun sets, with the waves naturally flowing and diffusing sunlight on its surface. The water physics is all the more impressive in a different scene when a river of dirty water flows into a cleaner water body, naturally mixing with it. More violent instances of this are apparent during the fights with B.T.s, and it’s satisfying to see the difference in viscosity that tar possesses in some scenes.
Though mountainous ranges and fjords are very much apparent and look incredibly sharp, there’s a distinct amount of foliage throughout. When Sam exits the DHV Magellan around the two-minute, 38-second mark, a variety of vegetation – from grass and weeds to patches of green is visible. The foliage even realistically parts when he walks through it, though the effect is subtle, and there’s still a substantial amount that his body is simply phasing through. The fact that the grass calmly sways with the wind is also notable, making an otherwise lonely environment feel alive.
Then there’s the forest environment, which is briefly shown but offers up an even more lusher variety of greenery with its extensive trees and falling leaves. Atmospherics are similarly impressive, with effects like the aurora borealis coming as more natural and not as chiralium-infested as the first game’s. It’s also interesting to note things like fire, which not only creates realistic embers but naturally deforms the environment. You can see a tree on fire, which slowly but surely crumbles before falling.
Incredible particle effects are also visible when the dust storm begins rolling in, which also highlights the gorgeous volumetrics. It’s a gradual shift until Sam is practically pelted by shards and dust particles. Even the lightning hitting the car looks sharp, kicking up some sparks in a brief but brilliant flash.
However, this scene also highlights some oddities in the visuals, which should be ironed out by launch time. Though the vehicles are covered in dust, some of their textures look a little muddy and not quite as crisp when the camera gets closer. You also can’t see Sam’s reflection in the car’s windows. Perhaps this is due to the perspective, the dust covering the windows or some combination of the two. You’ll also notice per-object motion blur, especially during the scenes with fast-moving vehicles.
It’s not like Death Stranding 2 isn’t capable of sharp-looking reflections – that one scene where Neil’s face is reflected in the glass looks clear and distinct. Then again, that is a cutscene, so perhaps the effect is subdued during gameplay. Neither Kojima Productions nor Sony has confirmed if there’s ray tracing – based on this trailer, it’s difficult to really point to any specific uses of it, especially for the ambient occlusion and reflections.
This isn’t to say that the feature is absent since the trailer represents a product that’s still a work in progress (regardless of how polished it looks). Perhaps ray tracing is a separate graphical mode to be revealed. Given the lack of ray-traced reflections in more contemporary titles like Horizon Forbidden West, it remains to be seen.
Regardless, the sheer graphical fidelity and enhanced scale are something to behold. My particular favorite scene is the one where two giant B.T.s are battling it out while Sam peppers one of them from the ground with bullets. The muzzle flash contrasts impressively with the darker environment and the impact of punches, with one uppercut creating a spray of liquids. Then there’s the scene on the highway at around four minutes and 55 seconds, with Sam shooting an enemy on his reverse trike. It’s an impressive showcase for the ambient occlusion, shadows, and environmental effects like rain.
It probably shouldn’t surprise anyone that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is shaping up this well, especially with how immaculately detailed its predecessor is. The sheer amount of fidelity in each scene is worth appreciating, especially in the cutscenes with other characters. The cinematography definitely deserves a nod but even details like bruises and sweat come across so naturally that it’s uncanny. The same goes for the facial animations and movement.
Death Stranding 2 is still several months off, and some smaller details could change (and even improve). However, when it comes to the overall artistic vision and fidelity that Kojima Productions is going for, it looks set to compete with the best-looking titles of this generation, if not set its own benchmark in aesthetics. Time, as always, will tell, and we’re keen to see what kind of performance and resolution parameters all this brilliance entails.
