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As I had followed the hype and reveals since Death Stranding 2 was announced, I was acutely aware of the strenuous climb that lay ahead for the sequel upon launch. For better or worse, DS1 was a deeply polarising game, with it taking the experience through a global pandemic to relate deeply to the game world.
Even then, to many, it is nothing more than a walking simulator in picturesque settings. For those who see the game as more than that, DS1 was a strange, otherworldly experience that emphasised the need for connections and expounded the nuances of human emotions.
To make a sequel to that is not an easy affair. While one would expect improvements to the core gameplay mechanic and new additions to play around with, they would also not want Death Stranding 2 to shed the identity that DS1 imbued. Being a story-driven/intensive game, it is also paramount that DS2 manages to evoke and capture the sense of love, grief, and loss, without diluting the layered nature and the weirdness that made the first game special.
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So, having devoted roughly 40 hours to the game, where does Death Stranding 2 stand? There’s no doubt that it is a Hideo Kojima game through and through. What I mean by that is he didn’t turn down any of the faucets that attracted criticism in DS1. And, we can agree that Death Stranding 2, following in the footsteps of its predecessor, isn’t for everyone.
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So, where does Death Stranding 2 stand when the end credits roll and you have a lot of answers, and probably a lot of questions too?
Death Stranding 2 does what its predecessor did, on a better and grander scale
Don’t try to get into Death Stranding 2 thinking you will understand every strand of lore and story straight out of the bat, or that the gameplay still isn’t what many would consider a walking simulator.
The narrative is convoluted, the pacing may feel a tad off at times, and most of the game will have you ferry cargo from point A to point B while tackling natural elements and enemies. All that said, Death Stranding 2 does a great job of building on what DS1 offered while making sure it is able to create its own identity through and through.
The Story
Picking up from where Death Stranding 1 left off, DS2 begins with Sam and Lou living alone in a shelter, away from the prying eyes of UCA and under the radar. The ending of the first game meant both of them had to be in hiding for the foreseeable future. We get a surprise visit from a familiar face, Fragile, who tasks us to connect Mexico to the chiral network and reach another DS1 character’s laboratory to learn what he has found.
The first half gives players a quick tutorial on the basics that they need to know about the gameplay. You will have human enemies to contend with early on, learn about natural calamities like sandstorms and flooding, and deal with BTs, too. As Sam brings Mexico into the fold, Fragile is taking care of Lou in Sam’s Shelter.
You meet up with your old colleague, learn some troubling things (I will not be spoiling what it is as I believe these aspects of Death Stranding 2 need to be experienced first-hand and not through reviews), and then make your way back to Fragile and Lou. On the way, you are notified about an attack on Sam’s Shelter, which does result in the game’s second devastating loss, for now.
Connecting America (in the previous game) and Mexico in Death Stranding 2 gives rise to a stable Plate Gate. It connects Mexico to Australia, providing a means to make the journey from one continent to another, post-Death Stranding.
Who else to give the responsibility but Sam to connect all of Australia to the chiral network, in the hopes of bringing up more such Plate Gates that will provide an avenue to connect the world once again. Thus begins your journey exploring the Land Down Under, its tough environments, and doing what porters do best - delivering cargoes in pristine condition.
So what can I say about Death Stranding 2’s story while making sure I don’t spoil it for you? Well, Death Stranding 2 lived up to the imaginary expectation I had set in my head based on my experience of DS1 and from when I scoured through each tease and reveal.
It is a linear story that is told in a non-linear fashion. You cannot impact or change the outcome of the story. But this time around, you have dialog choices, at times, to learn more information about the world, items, etc. As you unravel the threads, you will learn more about Sam’s past, who Lou is, the whereabouts of the DS1 colleagues, and why Higgs is back in a new form.
The new cast of characters is fleshed out quite well, with Dollman and Tarman sure to be crowd favorites. Their backstories aren’t thrust onto you, but instead the strings are there for you to pull at for the reveal (a la Peter Englert from DS1). None of them feel like one-dimensional wooden pegs with quirky names upon which exposition and philosophical musings have been hung to prod the plot forward. Instead, they feel an organic part of the world we explore, providing meaningful conversations and helpful tips.
Death Stranding 2’s story remains as cinematic as its predecessor’s was. While there weren’t any hour-long cutscenes (that many found tiring), it is still a game that is cutscene-heavy. But these more often than not play off each other. One of my favorite moments of DS2 is a cutscene involving Sam, Higgs, and BB’s Theme, much later in the game. I won’t spoil it, but it is beautifully poignant how it all comes together.
The Gameplay
The basic gameplay loop of Death Stranding 2 is the same as the predecessor. You will be accessing delivery terminals of locations, picking up the cargo, and making your way to the next place to connect it to the chiral network. There are main orders that are related to the main story and also sub-orders and standard orders. The more you increase the connection levels with a location, the more materials you get from that place, unlock new weapons and items, and increase the bandwidth.
Unlike DS1, you can engage in fights with human enemies and BTs more freely in the sequel. You will be unlocking useful weaponry (like the Bola Gun or the Tranq Sniper Rifle) early on as you progress. Vehicle customizations also help in gathering cargo or tackling human enemies, BTs, and mechs. In this aspect, Death Stranding 2 doesn’t hamstring you to only relying on stealth and does allow an all guns-blazing approach quite early on itself. How you choose to go about it is your choice. With a wide arsenal of weapons and items that can be unlocked, your loadout and your playstyle depend on what you face and your whims.
The world of Australia in Death Stranding 2 also feels quite vivid and distinct as you make your way through different parts of it. From rocky outcrops to arid deserts and snowy mountains, there’s plenty to explore and tackle in DS2. With natural calamities like flooding periodically happening, you will have to carefully consider your route as you carry out a mission. Depending on what type of mission it is, the terrain that lies ahead, and what kind of enemies you will be facing, you will have to tailor your setup accordingly.
Sometimes you will have to spend hours connecting places just so that the next time you (or someone else) have an easier time navigating. For example, I spent roughly an hour putting up ziplines in the mountains, covering the treacherous snow, just so that the next time I have to make an order, I don’t have to repeat the same arduous process.
Compared to Death Stranding 1, DS2’s gameplay troubles are a lot more streamlined. In the 35 hours that it took me to complete the main story (without finishing all the side missions and on Casual difficulty), I found that the truck with the Sticky Cannon and Heavy Machine Gun customizations is quite good at tackling most troubles. Of course, it depends on the difficulty level you choose to play on, but the sequel doesn’t trouble you as much as its predecessor.
I will be cranking up the difficulty and playing the main story again somewhere down the line but I do wish that it was a tad more troublesome navigating the challenges of Death Stranding 2 on Casual or Normal difficulty. The ease comes more into play when you consider the asynchronous multiplayer aspect, where items left by others in their playthroughs show up and help you out.
For example, there are quite a few ways to fast travel in Death Stranding, like the DHV Magellan and the Transponder. They have their drawbacks, but with the DHV Magellan, you get to deliver the cargo but get a DHV Magellan rating instead of the usual one. Thankfully, several times during the game, the ship is unable to travel because of in-game lore troubles with the tar current.
If you are looking for a more difficult challenge than what Death Stranding 2 in general provides, I will urge you to do many of the missions/deliveries on foot. Figure out what you can carry, how far you can push yourself, how the terrain will play out as you traverse it, and just admire the picturesque world of the Land Down Under in DS2.
As I mentioned earlier, I spent more than an hour in the snowy mountains connecting ziplines on foot. Through all the troubles, it was one of my most fond memories when it comes to gameplay in Death Stranding 2. It’s great that DS2 doesn’t require players to jump through the same hoops as the first game, but it still could have been a tad more troublesome.
Death Stranding 2’s performance on the PS5 was without a hitch for the entirety of the main story for me. Only after completing it did I face an annoying audio glitch, but it was a one-off situation that I wasn’t able to replicate or encounter again. Other than that, I have no complaints about how the game plays out on the console. Just like the first entry, you will be able to feel the pebbles on the road or the flow of the water through your PS5 controller, adding further to the immersion.
The Music
Death Stranding 1’s experience was deeply intertwined with the soundtracks that Hideo Kojima employed. They came up at the perfect moments and at times would accompany you as you did the last stretch of some mission. Thankfully, Death Stranding 2 doesn’t falter in that aspect. The music is on point - coming up at the perfect moments and perfectly fitting the scene it plays in.
Although I won’t spoil how it comes to be, DS2 also beautifully uses BB’s Theme quite a few times, but do gear up to enjoy it being shredded on some guitar. And if you are waiting for To the Wilder by Woodkid, all I can tell you is that the wait is going to be long, but truly worth it, especially the version that has Elle Fanning in it.
The addition of the Music Player makes the experience further enjoyable, as it allows you to curate playlists from unlocked soundtracks and play them in areas connected to the chiral network. I am glad that Kojima Productions didn’t miss a beat with DS2’s soundtracks.
The Question - Should we have connected?
You must have seen this question in the promotion material for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Hideo Kojima is asking whether we should have connected, basically questioning whether we should have done what we did in the first game. The answer isn’t simple, and neither did I expect it to be.
But, even on the simplest of terms, you see that connections in themselves are neither good nor bad, meaning they are not limited to either good elements or bad. If you think about it, the road you repair can be used by enemies or other miscreants. The more you ease up the difficulties that plague the world and humanity at large post-Death Stranding, the more you end up questioning who those are that benefit from it.
I would contend that Death Stranding 2 doesn’t delve into philosophical musings as heavily as DS1 does. The concepts don’t feel as obtuse, but that’s not a complaint. When the first game appeared, it was novel and weird because we had had nothing like that before. With DS2, we are already aware and well-acquainted with the world of the Death Stranding.
And instead of going for shock and awe that may feel out of place with this world, DS2 weaves its tale on strands that continue from its predecessor, both at a micro- and macro-level. On one hand, we learn more about Lou and her past as BB-28, and on the other, about the goal of connecting more countries to the chiral network and the motivations of those who reside in them.
DS2 does enough to push you as a player to question the motivations that drive this project of connection and whether the end result is as positive as those in power would want it to be. Make no mistake, there's plenty to unpack here - especially once you complete the game and have taken some time to ponder over the connections.
The Ending
There’s not much I would reveal in this section. But I must admit that while I was able to predict/piece together one of the main reveals of the ending, the final few cutscenes did leave me with a bittersweet feeling.
Death Stranding 2 still remains a pondering tale of loss and grief. Death is literally everywhere and quite inevitable, but, at times, not the utter end. Yet, the ending also provides a glimpse, if only a fleeting glimpse, into what the future of the series might look like. Whether Hideo Kojima makes it, we don’t know.
In Conclusion
How do we measure the success of a sequel, on its own or in comparison to its predecessor in the series? I contend that it’s a bit of both, and that Death Stranding 2 shines either way. Make no mistake that you will not be able to appreciate DS2 truly or properly unless you have played Death Stranding 1’s main storyline. Even story recaps won’t do justice, and the sequel does have one for you to run before you start a new game.
Death Stranding 2 builds on the gameplay and the world-building of its predecessor and does a perfect job of taking it up a few notches without making it just the same. Yet, DS2 also stands out with an identity of its own - with the story it tells, the theme it explores, and how it sets up the future of the series (if Kojima Productions decides to pursue one). The minor hiccups mentioned above take nothing away from the experience awaiting players.
Death Stranding 2 is not a game made for everyone, or keeping the mainstream audience in mind. It is otherworldly and strange and, at times, defiantly so. It is both the stick and the rope (as Kojima would put it in DS1), but it excels at what it sets out to do. If you do pick up DS2, play it without any preconceived bias (for/against), and I am sure that it’s an experience that will at least get you thinking.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Reviewed on: PS5 (Code provided by SIE)
Platform(s): PS5
Developer(s): Kojima Productions
Publisher(s): SIE
Release date: June 26, 2025
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