Do you need to play Death Stranding 1 before picking up Death Stranding 2?

Death Stranding 2 On the Beach is the new sequel to Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, released in 2019. This action-adventure game will feature Sam Porter (played by Norman Reedus) as he embarks on a new journey to connect Australia with the Chiral Network. The trailers and reviews shown so far hint at more action than the game's prequel, along with many new enemy types to face and NPCs to interact with.

Since this game is a sequel, many players might wonder whether they must play Death Stranding 1 first. We believe that while it’s unnecessary to play the previous game, you should still do so to immerse yourself in the story, which continues in Death Stranding 2.

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We recommend playing Death Stranding 1 before Death Stranding 2

This game will have many returning characters (Image via Kojima Productions)

Yes, you should play Death Stranding 1 before Death Stranding 2. The primary reason is the sequel's entire premise, which is a continuation of the story started in the first game. Set 11 months after the events of Death Stranding 1, Sam must now travel to Australia to connect its post-apocalyptic survivors with the world’s Chiral Network for instant data transmission and save them from extinction.

The trailers for the sequel show many returning characters from Death Stranding 1, like Sam’s ally Fragile (Lea Seydoux) and the antagonist Higgs (Troy Baker). Even the baby BB28/Lou plays a major role in this game. Knowing more about the backstory of these characters by playing the first game will help you better understand their personalities, motivations, and roles in the sequel.

However, the developers have confirmed that it’s unnecessary to play the 2019 game before picking up Death Stranding 2. You can expect the latter to be a self-contained experience that new players can dive into and still understand what’s happening and what to do. The game might also feature a story recap video at the start.

That said, we still recommend playing the first game so you can immerse yourself in Kojima’s world and have a great experience.

For more news and guides, check out these articles:

• DS2 review: The stick, the rope, and the sequel that embodies it all
• DS1 review: An unprecedented leap into the future of video games
• DS2 pre-order guide: Editions and bonuses
• DS2: All available platforms