In Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, players are reacquainted with former courier Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) and his adopted child, Lou, now residing in relative tranquility near the Mexican border. This peace is disrupted by the arrival of Fragile (Léa Seydoux), who presents Sam with a critical new mission. Despite initial reluctance, Sam recognizes the gravity of the situation and embarks on an adventure that promises to reshape his life and the future of humanity.
A Singular and Grandiose Game
Hideo Kojima returns with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, a sequel that maintains his signature style and scale. The game expands upon its predecessor, Death Stranding, refining and deepening the core concepts to create a compelling experience.
One of the most notable aspects is its deviation from typical post-apocalyptic narratives found in film, television, and games. The immersive experience often feels akin to participating in an extended, realistically animated TV series.
A comprehensive review of the first game is available for those seeking a refresher on the preceding events, or for players considering jumping directly into the sequel. While possible, this approach will reveal significant plot points from the first game. It is not recommended to begin with the sequel without prior exposure to the summary or the original game, as critical context may be lost.
Strong Story and Varied Game Mechanics
The narrative stands out as a primary strength. However, unlike other story-driven titles such as Detroit: Become Human, Death Stranding 2 incorporates engaging and well-developed game mechanics that provide constant challenges and entertainment.
Players can choose between stealth tactics or direct confrontation, utilizing a diverse array of weapons, equipment, and vehicles.
Graphics and Atmosphere
The game boasts exceptionally impressive graphics, featuring realistic environments, effects, and lighting. The rain effects, with drops realistically impacting the “camera” view, enhance the immersive experience. The rain also affects gameplay, creating slippery conditions that increase the difficulty of traversal. At times, it evokes the feel of a walking simulator – but in a compelling way.
BTs and Horror Moments
The supernatural enemies, BTs (Beached Things), feature new, more aggressive variants, leading to sequences reminiscent of the horror genre. This segues into some less favorable aspects of the game.
The BTs can be frustrating and difficult to manage due to their free movement. Initial encounters often result in being overwhelmed. While proficiency improves with experience, the controls during these encounters can feel cumbersome and detract from the otherwise polished gameplay.
The Downside of Walking Mechanics
Another concern arises from the “walking simulator” elements, which can become repetitive. Overburdening Sam with equipment leads to impaired movement, requiring constant balance adjustments as he stumbles across the screen.
While the concept of weight affecting movement is interesting, the implementation can become tedious.
Mission Variation and Difficulty Level
Some missions feel overly repetitive, serving primarily as filler content to extend playtime. However, the game offers a unique feature: the ability to adjust the difficulty level at any point, and even the option to “pretend you won” – an uncommon mechanic.
When facing a particularly challenging BT encounter, players can opt to bypass the fight entirely. This option proved useful during an early boss fight, allowing progression despite repeated defeats even after lowering the difficulty.
The trade-off for this feature is the loss of experience points and a lower rating. Therefore, it is not recommended for every encounter, but it provides a valuable option when needed.
Technology and Graphics Modes
As a PlayStation exclusive, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is optimized for the console’s hardware.
The game offers two graphics modes:
Quality mode: 4K resolution with 30 FPS
Performance mode: 1440p resolution with 60 FPS
While a preference for higher FPS is common, the visual fidelity of the environments led to the selection of the quality mode, which proved to be a worthwhile trade-off.
In conclusion, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach earns a strong recommendation. Its unique world and technical achievements are impressive. Kojima has crafted a game that is both artistic and entertaining, presenting a world that is simultaneously beautiful and frightening.
Sony Interactive Entertainment provided a review code for this analysis. Provision of materials does not influence editorial objectivity.
