Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: a bigger, more ambitious sequel
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach plunges players into a world more divided than ever. Mercifully, the new video game from Hideo Kojima allows us to live out the ultimate fantasy of fixing a broken planet in a sequel that’s bigger, more ambitious, and utterly ridiculous in all the right ways. Sam Porter Bridges is back, and we’re thrilled to be along for the journey.
The first thing you’ll notice when firing up Death Stranding 2 is just how gorgeous it looks. As soon as the game rolled its opening credits, I thought I was watching live-action footage. It is an unbelievably great-looking game.
Honestly, you have to see it in action for yourself, as unfortunately for me, words cannot do it justice. The character models and facial animations of Sam, Fragile, and their friends are staggering. You can see and feel every emotion just from their expressions alone. This is an impressive combination of motion capture technology and some fantastic performances throughout.
A stunning aesthetic is bolstered by a curated soundtrack that helps you feel the emotion of every moment, whether it's fear, heartbreak, or wonder. I could talk about how gorgeous Death Stranding 2 looks and sounds all day, but how does it play?
Advert
Death Stranding 2 plays almost exactly the same as the original game, and I’m happy with that. It infuriates me when I play the latest entry in a series I love, only to find that the controls have been flipped, resulting in a new learning curve I never wanted. So, if you’re familiar with the first game, you’ll have no problem picking up this game and getting on with it.
The core premise is simple: you’ll take a package from point A to point B, in the hopes you can convince the recipient to connect to the Chiral Network, which is kind of like Death Stranding’s version of the internet. With the Chrial Network, it’s not only intended to connect people, but also to help those in need, no matter where they are in the world.
Speaking of the world, Death Stranding 2 takes us out of the USA and to the sunny climates of Mexico and Australia. I won’t give too much away, but with the introduction of Australia, especially, it forces you to adapt to its weather conditions. Sandstorms, for instance, are not only visually impressive, but will likely have you completely lose your bearings.
What’s more, when Sam is trekking across the sandy dunes, you’ll need to have a full container of water to ensure that he doesn't get dehydrated, which will drastically deplete his stamina bar. If that happens, he’ll be crashing out constantly, and your mission will become more difficult than it needs to be, moreso if you have enemies chasing after you.
The weather can also have a direct impact on terrain, not only with slippery surfaces caused by rain and snow, but when there is torrential rain, canyons and rivers will overflow. So, if you placed a ladder to cross a small stream, you may return later in the game to see something that resembles the River Thames. Suffice it to say, your ladder will be long gone in such predicaments.
We’ve also got new weapons and gadgets to help complete those important delivery missions, as well as fighting humans with ill intent, and BTs. There are various shotgun and machine gun types, which vary in power, accuracy, and bullets they can hold. Like in the first game, you’ll have to contemplate whether or not to kill humans with real bullets instead of incapacitating them with rubber. Sure, killing humans at that moment will make it easier, but that area will be repopulated with BTs later on. Some BTs are far more aggressive, powerful and sensitive to sound in this sequel. So deliveries will be made more difficult, the more lives you take.
New weapons include a grenade launcher, which can carry ammo to kill or gas to knock out. There’s also a Tar Cannon, which will mostly annoy human enemies, but more importantly, it will extinguish fires, allowing you to access areas that were otherwise obstructed and even tackle deadly bushfires. Death Stranding 2 not only offers a fine balance when it comes to human life, but depending on what weapon or gadget you use, missions will be made easier or more difficult.
Death Stranding 2 also allows you to level up skills with its APAS Enhancements. Points will be earned via deliveries; the more successful and challenging the delivery, the more points you’ll earn. These points can then be spent on improving your Odradek Terrain Scanner, bullet strength, sneaking ability and more.
If possible, I always try to channel my inner Solid Snake and attempt to use stealth to complete a mission, especially when it involves enemy humans. However, that normally goes horribly wrong the moment I venture into an enemy base, and then all-out war begins (with rubber bullets).
Some of the moments that encourage stealth can feel frustrating at times, especially when an eagle-eyed enemy spots you from long distances. Later in the game, you can acquire tools that make stealth a bit easier, such as clothing that blends somewhat into the environment and boots that make less noise. You can also use grenades that will release a decoy BT, but if human enemies get too close, they will soon realise it's not the real thing.
I can’t help but feel that stealth missions would be massively improved by some kind of prone ability. I’m not sure why Kojima decided not to have this basic feature in the sequel. Perhaps he felt it would too closely resemble Metal Gear Solid, I can only guess. It feels unnatural not to have that ability; hopefully, this is something we might see in a sequel.
Being able to build structures in the world, such as roads, bridges, shelters, post boxes and so forth, plays an important role once more. All structures can be shared with other players online, and the structures they’ve built in their world will crossover into yours.
Those players can also show appreciation by giving a structure of yours a Like, not too dissimilar to how a friend interacts with a social media post. It’s a nice feeling knowing that you’ve helped another player progress in Death Stranding 2. You may not be able to see these players wander your world, but you know they exist, almost like a parallel dimension.
When it comes to deliveries, the biggest advantage is being able to build a monorail. These are more complicated structures that take a lot more resources to build, but the payoff is well worth it. Luckily, if you don't quite have enough resources to build a monorail at that moment, if you come back to that area later on, there’s a good chance another player may have donated additional resources in your absence to finish the job. Once built, the monorails can not only be used to transport large cargo, but you and BB can use them as a ride.
I’d be remiss if I didn't mention the MVP of Death Stranding 2, and no, I’m not talking about BB, this time. I’m talking about the endlessly charming Dollman, who you may have already been won over by in a previous trailer.
When he’s not parting his wisdom or passively, aggressively telling you to have a shower, you can fling him into the air, where he’ll hover and scout an area. He’s not as efficient as a watchtower that can tag enemies, but in that moment, he’s certainly helpful. You can even throw him at human enemies, causing a temporary, and humorous moment of confusion for those whom he greets.
When Death Stranding arrived in 2019, it was a very polarising game, especially with those put off by its sedate pace, labelling it as a “walking simulator”. Death Stranding is a love-it-or-hate-it kinda game, and its sequel falls into that category once more. So if the original game wasn't your cup of tea, there’s every chance history will repeat itself.
Death Stranding is one of my favourite games of all time, and I’m equally as obsessed with its sequel. It’s not only one of the best-looking games I’ve ever seen with an endearing cast of characters and soundtrack, but once you look past much of its filler, its story is a message of beauty.
Humanity cuts itself off from the world, too fearful to make a connection, but when they take a risk to let others in, there’s an unexpected comforting warmth. Something that, in one way or another, is a notion we can all resonate with.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach deserves to be in the Game of the Year conversation. It’s hands down one of my favourite games in recent years, and I can’t wait to see what Sam and friends deliver next.
Pros: Gorgeous visuals, incredible performances, sublime soundtrack, beautifully told story
Cons: Stealth sections desperately need a prone function
For fans of: Death Stranding, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
9/10: Exceptional
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is out on 26 July 2025 for PlayStation 5. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
Topics: Death Stranding, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Reviews, Sony, Kojima Productions