Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review

In 2019, Hideo Kojima and his team at Kojima Productions introduced Death Stranding, a bold departure from the Metal Gear franchise that cemented his reputation. A “walking simulator” set in a fractured world on the edge of extinction, the game defied convention and proved one of his most polarizing titles, yet an unexpected triumph. Now, nearly six years later, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach aims to recapture that spark, with the burden of predictability weighing heavily on its shoulders.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach picks up where the original left off. Sam Porter Bridges and Baby Lou have settled into a quiet life off the grid, but peace is short-lived as a new crisis brings them back into the thick of things, this time tasked with expanding the Chiral Network to Australia. As they navigate this unexplored terrain, they’re pursued by rogue factions, spectral BTs, and a mechanized force led by none other than their enigmatic former foe: Higgs.

Will Sam uncover the truths hidden in the land down under? Can Kojima Productions strike gold twice? Ready your cargo, Porter, because it’s time to hit the road again in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.

On A Walkabout

Death Stranding 2 delivers a breathtaking visual experience from the beginning and is one of this console generation’s most impressive artistic feats. The opening cinematic alone blurs the line between a video game and a nature documentary, showcasing the sheer graphical fidelity of the Decima Engine. Players traverse sweeping vistas, towering mountain ranges, lush forests, flowing rivers, and much more, establishing a powerful visual tone that defines the journey ahead.

Taking place 11 months after the first game, Death Stranding 2 introduces a new narrative arc for Sam Porter Bridges, with its overall feel remaining largely faithful to the original. Death Stranding to Death Stranding 2 feels more evolutionary than revolutionary, making improvements to the formula rather than providing a fully revamped experience.

For players who wish to revisit key story elements or clarify in-game terminology, Death Stranding 2 introduces Corpus, a feature reminiscent of Final Fantasy XVI’s Active Time Lore. This dedicated menu serves as an easily accessible knowledge hub, offering detailed explanations of events and terms to help both newcomers and returning players stay aligned with the unfolding narrative. That said, it goes without saying that playing the first game is an absolute necessity.

At times, this familiarity borders on predictability. It raises the question: Is this just the first game yet again? The initial hours crawl at a snail’s pace and require rebuilding infrastructure to reestablish an efficient supply chain between scattered settlements. Without immediate access to the Chiral Network, players take on a familiar role, trekking across the unforgiving terrain of a new continent while bringing everything online.

Fortunately, there’s a very welcome shift in approach. Even in the early hours, Death Stranding 2 adjusts its pacing and terrain design to be more player-conscious. While natural obstacles such as cliffs, rivers, and mountains still obstruct your path, they feel less like impassable barriers and more like environmental puzzles designed to challenge and not frustrate. There are even some natural occurrences, like earthquakes and dynamic weather, that will test your ability to adapt and improvise.

Many of the tools and vehicles from the original Death Stranding make a welcome return, and reacquainting yourself with them is as natural as riding a bike. Deploying ladders and climbing anchors to navigate terrain quickly becomes second nature, while constructing structures via PCCs remains straightforward. Early access to Skeletons and Vehicles like the motorcycle is especially valuable thanks to their inexpensive cost, boosting early-game mobility and pushes the overall pace forward.

While building structures remains a core feature, Death Stranding 2 wisely shifts its focus away from the more tedious aspects of the process, reducing the need to build too many highways and utilities for measly “likes” from other porters. Instead, new structures like mines and monorails enhance material gathering and cross-settlement deliveries, streamlining the game’s core loop.

Most regions are entirely navigable with the strategic use of the route simulator and proper map planning. Connecting with the right Preppers unlocks essential equipment and vehicle upgrades, empowering and encouraging players to overcome environmental challenges even without the support of infrastructure from other players because these side trips are much more rewarding.

Speaking of Preppers, you’ll encounter many during your mission to integrate Australia into the Chiral Network. While key figures are central to the main story, many others, much like their counterparts in the UCA, remain wary of immediate connection. In these cases, the familiar task of completing side orders or retrieving lost packages for delivery to their doorstep becomes crucial for earning their trust.

While entirely optional, these side missions in Death Stranding 2 are well worth your time. As mentioned, many Preppers reward your efforts with unique schematics that prove invaluable throughout your journey. Early in the game, for instance, you’ll have the chance to connect The Lone Commander to the Chiral Network. Taking this detour grants you the blueprint for a tranquilizer sniper rifle, which is an essential asset for a primary mission centered on base infiltration and extermination.

Besides its obvious utility, taking sub-orders can also open you up to some interesting side quests that break up the monotony of long deliveries. One standout side quest involves The Ghost Hunter, who tasks you with unraveling the legend of the “headless rider.” Accepting this bizarre mission leads to an unexpected and utterly Kojima-esque bike race that adds a surreal and entertaining twist.

The world of Death Stranding 2 is never short on surprises. The game encourages you to break from the main path and lose yourself in its vast, melancholic beauty, accompanied once again by the haunting tracks of Low Roar, Woodkid, and a new ensemble of artists who complete another masterful soundtrack. Exploring in silence and then breaking the stillness with a track never gets old, and the feeling is as good as you can remember.

By Episode Three, players will gain access to the DHV Magellan, a mobile headquarters that offers a range of amenities, including a private room, showers, and facilities typically found in settlements. It also functions as a centralized hub where porters can use VR missions to test weapons, customize loadouts, and manage cosmetic options, all familiar systems returning from the first game.

Later in the campaign, one of the Magellan’s most valuable features becomes available: fast travel. Once players connect settlements via their Q-Pid, they can instantly traverse between them without relying on vehicles, highways, or monorails. While this system dramatically reduces travel time across Australia, it does not bypass mandatory story quests, preserving the game’s narrative pacing but enhancing overall convenience.

Thunder Down Under

One of the most notable improvements in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach lies in its revamped approach to combat, drawing clear inspiration from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. As highlighted earlier, players will encounter “extermination quests” that require neutralizing Brigand outposts. These missions are varied, ranging from intense direct assaults to a more tactical approach that emphasize stealth, such as stealing high-value packages or sabotaging enemy equipment.

While the stealth route strongly resembles classic Metal Gear DNA, Death Stranding 2 never forces your hand. Whether you sneak past enemies or charge in guns blazing, both playstyles are viable and rewarded, and players can even switch between styles on the fly. If you take the aggressive approach and sustain minimal damage, your Porter Grade increases, offering recognition based on combat prowess. Combat is much more engaging this time, and instead of avoiding encounters, there’s a feeling of looking forward to them this time.

Skill progression is tied directly to how you engage with the world. Carrying excessive loads gradually boosts your maximum carry weight, and holding your breath while evading detection enhances lung capacity that directly contributes to higher stealth ratings. These are optional, giving you the freedom to shape your ideal porter build based on your preferred approach.

Deliveries in Death Stranding 2 are opportunities to improve your Porter Grade, which is categorized into attributes such as Combat, Stealth, and Servicemanship. Performing well in each category gradually unlocks APAS enhancements, a progression system that lets you allocate memory pool points to unlock passive skills. These passives can complement weaker areas or further amplify your strengths, like enhancing the odradek scanner to detect incoming projectiles or camouflaged enemies, enabling auto-targeting in combat, improving battery life, or even charging your equipment during rainfall.

Combat has also been elevated by introducing a new enemy type: ghost mechs. While human enemies and BTs follow familiar patterns from the original game, often making encounters predictable, ghost mechs shake up the formula with dynamic, high-stakes engagements for action-oriented players.

Hailing from the Beach, these foes are BTs encased in mechanical exoskeletons and attack with full force. Thankfully, you can respond in kind because ghost mechs can be destroyed without consequence, allowing you to unleash your full arsenal without worry. They vary in form, from humanoid units to quadruped dogs and towering machines.

Human and BT AI also gain notable improvements in Death Stranding 2. While humans still pursue porters using electric batons, much like in the original game, more advanced factions now engage with live ammunition, raising the stakes considerably. Players can confront them using non-lethal methods, and while lethal force remains an option, its consequences are left to the player’s discretion.

In addition to traditional blood-based weaponry, Death Stranding 2 introduces MP rounds, enabling players to damage BTs without sacrificing blood grenades. The newly added blood boomerang offers a unique alternative for those preferring newer tactics. Perhaps most exciting is the EX Capture Grenade, which allows you to crystallize and store large BTs that turn former threats into potential allies you can later summon in combat.

The BT enemy types also expand with new variants designed to challenge even seasoned porters. Watcher BTs act as spectral sentries, scanning areas for signs of life and making stealth approaches trickier. Several new giant BTs also appear, each capable of triggering devastating voidouts, and Boss battles remain visual spectacles in Death Stranding 2, with larger than life battles providing intense encounters.

I’ll Be Waiting At The Beach

Initially, I was skeptical about the necessity of a sequel to Death Stranding, given that the original had seemingly resolved its central conflicts. Yet Death Stranding 2: On The Beach justifies its existence by revealing that the world still has stories left to tell. While the first game explored the quest for reconnection after the collaps of society, the sequel embraces the notion that life persists and must find new meaning even in the bleakest circumstances.

This theme resonates through the trials faced by Sam and his companions. Each character bears the scars of personal tragedy, yet together they work toward shaping a more hopeful future. Although several familiar faces return, the sequel enriches its narrative with a cast of new characters, each adding fresh layers to the emotional and thematic landscape.

Norman Reedus continues to impress as the stoic yet deeply human Sam Porter Bridges. His quiet resilience is felt in every step of his journey, and while his demeanor is reserved, he’s far from passive. He stands against injustice and displays moments of vulnerability among trusted allies. Opposing him is the returning Higgs, portrayed with unrelenting theatricality by Troy Baker, whose unhinged performance injects chaos in every scene.

Fragile, once again portrayed by the ever-impressive Lea Seydoux, returns with a notably lighter presence in Death Stranding 2. Her performance embraces a more spirited tone compared to her solemn demeanor in the original, and is a refreshing shift that reflects her character’s evolution across the series.

Newcomers Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna deliver standout performances as Tomorrow and Rainy, respectively. Each embodies contrasting philosophies that enrich the game’s central themes, and their presence adds emotional nuance and a fresh dynamic to the crew.

Meanwhile, returning characters like Heartman and Deadman continue to inject their signature eccentric charm, joined this time by the peculiar new addition, Dollman. Together, the trio offers a dose of offbeat humor that helps break the bleakness that defines much of Death Stranding 2’s atmosphere.

Though Lindsay Wagner and Mads Mikkelsen’s absence is felt, their traces remain woven throughout the narrative. Luca Marinelli’s portrayal of Neil Vana fills that void, serving as the medium for surreal flashbacks and dreamlike sequences triggered when Sam syncs with his odradek.

Speaking of Neil, there is a particular sequence in Death Stranding 2 where players are faced against him, resulting in one of the most stunning set pieces and encounters in video games. This is truly an unforgettable sequence that is a clear example of Kojima’s brilliance.

True to Kojima’s signature style, Death Stranding 2 builds up into an emotional and creative spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. Kojima walks a tightrope between overindulgent absurdity and a profound understanding of the human condition, culminating in a bombastic finale reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in impact.

While Death Stranding 2 introduces several gameplay improvements across almost all facets, its early pacing leaves something to be desired. Despite improvements that streamline performance and reduce unnecessary grind, many of the first game’s slower elements still bleed into the sequel. What once captivated us through the novelty and mystery of the world feels more muted this time, leaving the early hours with fewer narrative hooks to drive momentum.

Despite the many refinements introduced in Death Stranding 2, it feels that their impact is diminished by their earlier implementation in the Director’s Cut of the first game. While the graphics remain impressive, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers have already been experienced. For returning players, much of that initial novelty has understandably worn off, but its implementation is still outstanding.

Fidelity Mode delivers a relatively stable 30fps experience, but Death Stranding 2 truly shines in Performance Mode, which maintains a near-consistent 60fps even on a base PS5. The visual trade-offs and some minor pop-in are minimal and largely unnoticeable, offering players a smoother, more responsive experience that significantly enhances gameplay.

Verdict: Buy It!

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach builds meaningfully upon the foundation laid by its predecessor, delivering a more dynamic and visually arresting sequel anchored by an emotional narrative that doesn’t let go until the finish. It invites returning porters and newcomers alike to rediscover its strange, beautiful world with a renewed sense of wonder, reminding us that Kojima magic is very much alive.

From refined mechanics to a standout ensemble cast, the game takes players on another unforgettable and gripping journey. While some may expect bolder innovations, we’re given a confident, well-crafted sequel that sharpens its strengths and embraces a more action-packed experience, one that took feedback to heart and answered each one. If you didn’t like the first game, this may do little to change your mind, but returning players will be enamored by the improvements made.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is absolutely essential and a must-play title that could easily get Game of the Year nods yet again. Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions have delivered a unique and gripping experience, guiding us through the wilderness and reminding us that every step, no matter how uncertain, brings us closer to connection.

*Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.