Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – A Bigger, Better Sequel

Different ideas and unique experiences can be disappointingly scarce in the AAA games space, so 2019’s Death Stranding was quite an interesting release. Not only was it auteur Hideo Kojima and his team at Kojima Productions’ first game as an independent studio in a post-Konami world, it was also deliberately and entirely unlike anything else out there- an open world game with a gameplay loop so divorced from what the genre has usually been known for and with some really intriguing new ideas, delivering something that was certainly divisive, but for those who clicked with it, it was a truly special experience.

Now here comes Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, looking to recapture its predecessor’s unique magic while building on it with expanded gameplay ideas and a continued trademark Kojima focus on unhinged, gleefully over the top storytelling. In many ways, Death Stranding 2 does that in expected and familiar ways, but though it doesn’t radically shake up the first game’s gameplay core, it does many plenty of notable additions and tweaks elsewhere that do make it feel like a much more mechanically dense, diverse, and fleshed out experience.

"Meanwhile, in true Kojima fashion, the game also boasts a large cast that is full of memorable personalities with wonderfully weird quirks and backstories."

Mileage will likely vary on whether it could convince those who didn’t enjoy the first game to come back for a second shot, but it wouldn’t surprise me if an appreciable number of players did end up getting turned. The sequel builds on the core mechanics with more variety, better pacing, and a greater emphasis on player agency, smoothing out the more divisive aspects of the original’s delivery-focused gameplay without compromising its identity

Death Stranding 2 picks up a few months after the events of the first game, with Sam and former Bridge Baby Lou in hiding from the UCA (and others). After a meeting with Fragile, however, Sam is roped back into a mission that will take him on a long trek full of deliveries and a mission to reconnect the world. Players tend to go into Hideo Kojima games with very specific expectations from the storytelling, and Death Stranding 2 definitely sticks to that uniquely eccentric style.

That will, of course, mean that that style won’t work for everyone, but Kojima does continue to deliver engrossing storytelling, wonderful cinematography, and captivating characters for those who tend to enjoy his style- which, personally, I always have. Sure, Death Stranding 2 does have the tendency to get too silly at times, to the point where it can feel tonally inconsistent, but as with its predecessor, that also adds to its charm in some ways.

Meanwhile, in true Kojima fashion, the game also boasts a large cast that is full of memorable personalities with wonderfully weird quirks and backstories, played by a who’s who of celebrities, each bringing excellent flair to the script and their characters with their performances. Whether it’s through eccentric dialogue, uncanny mannerisms, or subtle emotional beats, these performances add a theatrical edge that only a Kojima production can pull off.

"Mexico and Australia also feel more densely populated with things to see and do."

Sam’s trek also takes him to entirely new locations. With the UCA having been reconnected and re-established as a new nation in a world teetering on the edge of extinction, Sam’s latest missions take him to Mexico and Australia, which not only serves as a narrative step forward, but also allows the game to feature entirely new maps for players to explore. Death Stranding 2’s open world definitely feels like a step up over the first game in terms of its design, not only because of a more diverse range of environments, but more thoughtful and confident design that does an even better job of truly leveraging the central traversal mechanics on a moment-to-moment basis.

Mexico and Australia also feel more densely populated with things to see and do. Don’t get me wrong, this is still Death Stranding, which means environments are still characterized first and foremost by natural beauty and gorgeous vistas, and there are little to no actual people to see. The point is always to find a way to navigate natural environmental obstacles, from rushing rivers and dense forests to treacherous mountain slopes, harsh deserts, and more.

On top of that, however, the game also places an added focus on combat and stealth – at least as options for those who care – which means new kinds of activities and open world fixtures that the first game didn’t have too much (or any) of.

Players will often come across areas patrolled by bandits or enemy encampments, with the choice being yours regarding whether you want to fight your way through, stealthily sneak across, or find a long way around that allows you to avoid both stealth and combat entirely. Death Stranding 2 still isn’t a stealth or combat focused game by any means, with the focus very much being on traversal-based challenges and delivery missions, but both aspects do take on a larger role as more prominent addendums to the traversal-driven core.

"Death Stranding 2 also boasts notable improvements with the traversal and open world navigation aspects of the gameplay."

Personally, I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the game’s improved stealth mechanics. This should come as no surprise, coming from the mastermind behind Metal Gear Solid, but Death Stranding 2’s stealth strikes the perfect balance between challenge and player empowerment.

Enemies and stealth scenarios can put up an actual challenge from time to time, but the game also provides players a range of options to deal with those obstacles, and figuring out how to effectively and stealthily make your way through consistently feels rewarding. I find the combat much less compelling, meanwhile, even though it does feel undeniably tighter and more responsive on a mechanics front than the first game.

Coming back to the core, Death Stranding 2 also boasts notable improvements with the traversal and open world navigation aspects of the gameplay. Take, for instance, the new mechanics- as you make your way around the game’s environments, you’ll chance across earthquakes, sandstorms, avalanches, wildfires, and more, each bringing unique challenges that bring more variety to the central gameplay loop and presenting interesting obstacles to overcome.

There’s also a day and night cycle, which further adds to the organic dynamism that Death Stranding 2’s open world boasts in spades. It feels like a much more fleshed out and engrossing experience on both a mechanics level and a design level. Lighting shifts and environmental changes all work in tandem to keep traversal from feeling monotonous, subtly influencing how players plan routes and approach objectives. It’s a smart evolution that adds depth without overwhelming, making the world feel truly alive and reactive.

The toolset of weapons, items, and vehicles on offer that you use to make your way around the open world has also expanded, with vehicles also being even more of a focus this time than they were in the first game. The point is to offer options once again, allowing players to choose their preferred way based on unique mechanics and design. With all of these improvements and expansions coming together, traversal and exploration in Death Stranding 2 definitely feel even more varied and mechanically engaging than they did in the first game. Also returning is, of course, the Social Strand System, the asynchronous multiplayer system that allows players to collaborate with each other to make it easier to move around the world. Death Stranding 2’s Social Strand mechanics elevates the gameplay in similar ways, which is a huge notch in the game’s favour.

"Death Stranding 2: On the Beach takes the unique foundation of its first game and builds on it confidently and smartly."

There’s no shortage of those as is, of course, as you may have caught on to by now, and the technical, artistic, and visual aspects of the experience rank high on that list as well. Death Stranding 2 is an absolutely gorgeous game, with stunning art design and impressive tech coming together to deliver a litany of gorgeous sights to take in, immaculately modeled and animated characters and faces, breathtaking environments, and more. Performance wise, the game runs like an absolute dream, and like the first game, also touts an excellent soundtrack that features a healthy mix of excellent tracks and licensed music (both original and otherwise).

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach takes the unique foundation of its first game and builds on it confidently and smartly, coming across as a more diverse, engaging, and mechanically interesting gameplay experience.

Narratively, the game has a lot of interesting things to say, even if it can be a bit too heavy-handed and clunky at times- which, to be frank, is almost to be expected with Hideo Kojima games. I expect that Death Stranding 2 is still going to be a divisive experience, even if it isn’t quite as divisive as the first game was, because at its core, this is still definitely more Death Stranding- but it’s not just more, it’s also better, more confident, and better designed.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.