Death Stranding 2 is the most beautiful game I've ever played — and it's everything I'd hope for in a sequel
Platforms: PlayStation 5Price: $69 / £69 / AU$125Release Date: June 26, 2025 (June 24 Early Access)Genre: Action-Adventure
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a our second taste of Hideo Kojima's independence, and marks his first original title on the PS5. It takes up after the rather polarizing Death Stranding, which would go on to sell over 20M copies since its 2019 release across a variety of platforms, including PS4, PC, and even iOS devices.
Its sequel keeps the same package-delivery gameplay structure of the original, but is underpinned by a story that's as breathtaking as it is action-packed. Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) is thrust back into the tides, put on a mission that sees him once more reconnecting a broken and isolated society using the chiral network.
With the UCS (United Cities of America) in his rear-view, it's now time Sam sets his sights elsewhere. For that, we'll need the help of a sophisticated submersible called the DHV Magellan and new "Plate Gates," essentially giant wormholes connecting two distant places — in this case, Mexico and Australia.
While this might be the second official title by Kojima Productions, this isn't Kojima's first rodeo. Elements of Metal Gear Solid ring throughout, with plenty of combat beats, stealth, and structure-building playing key parts in this exciting return-to-form. Here's why Death Stranding 2 is not only totally electrifying but already my favorite game of the year.
Death Stranding 2 kicks off 11 months in the wake of its predecessor. Sam Porter Bridges is a father now, tending to the little baby Lou, the BB (Bridge Baby) who got you safely through the first game. You're holed up in Mexico, living a life of solitude that's punctuated by Lou's cheerful, bubbly laughter.
All seems well in the world — Sam's world at least. But this happy-go-lucky, fatherly time doesn't last for long.
Upon being thrust back into the world-connecting mix by Fragile (Léa Seydoux), who tasks you with bringing some areas of interest online in Mexico, your whole world no sooner falls apart. Lou's untimely and unfortunate passing following a random attack on your shelter leaves you devastated and heartbroken. You're once more totally alone.
Some hope still remains, as Lou's supposed return as a BT (Beached Thing) in his old pod gives you slight solace. It's nowhere near the same, though, not as things used to be in those unforgettable 11 months of pure, unadulterated togetherness.
A month passes and your mind remains in shambles. Depression and sadness have taken its toll, but Fragile's return with a whole new directive sparks hope. A new quest, led on a tar-gliding ship called the DHV Magellan might just be the thing that gives you the strength to carry on.
It's here where we truly begin our journey, flowing neatly on through the Plate Gate into the sprawling open outback of Australia. And, it's here where even more exciting mysteries are just waiting to be uncovered.
Kojima's brand-name narrative riddles are still ever-present, but the real meat of the story doesn't take several hours of cutscenes to sift through and get going this time around. Questions abound on the nature of several story threads, all of which you're left to ponder while traversing the Australian outback aided by a slew of new tools and friends that make the journey far more rewarding.
The cast of astounding new characters includes the mysterious Tomorrow (Elli fanning) and Neil Vana (Luca Marinelli), to the bubbly Rainy (Shioli Kutsuna), and plenty more. Each have an interesting story to tell beyond the nature of the overriding narrative, making them feel as alive as ever.
Of course, the return of Higgs (Troy Baker) ensures this mission is fraught with systematic impediments, made manifest in his legion of ghost mechs — not to mention the hordes of BTs and enemy encampments that litter the environment. Nothing Sam can't handle.
Unlike its predecessor, Death Stranding 2 is all about the action. Combat, both stealth-based and in-their-face, is a pivotal part of your experience, and a slew of cool new toys makes this a total delight. These include an 80-round machine gun, bola stun gun, silenced machine pistol, and chiral cannon, to name just a few.
One of my favorites, a weapon that was sorely lacking from the original, is the sniper rifle. It shoots tranquilizer rounds from a distance, but at the cost of drawing tons of attention, making you an instant target the moment it's fired. You do have to go out of your way to get this weapon, and it's not effective against the more menacing foes you'll be facing in Death Stranding 2: BTs, or "Beached Things."
It's against these ghost-like creatures where Kojima's brand-name stealth comes into play. It dually blends the action-stealth you might know of Metal Gear Solid with the more terrifying aspects of Silent Hill, and works wonders, as getting caught by BTs can lead to a tough boss encounters, which can prove challenging in your first few hours.
Luckily, stealth isn't a major requirement, but be sure to pack a grenade pistol (or two) if you're charting BT territory.
But it's not just you making this trek through the grand outback. You'll find, thanks to the ever-growing chiral network that you're helping to put in place, a plethora of other players' tools and structures beginning to pockmark the map.
Ropes, ladders, bridges, even weapons can all be found in the wild — so long as that particular area is connected to the network. Likes are the bleeding heart of this world. Exchanging likes is a way of broadening your connection with other players, many of which you'll find in the new SSS (Social Strand Service).
Don't hesitate to make social contracts with those you know (and don't know) — they might just be your saving grace.
If you're lucky, other players will directly assist you with a new feature called aid requests. This lets you drop down a beacon of need — say, a weapon's cache on the doorstep of an enemy encampment. Or, better still, you can even drop a request for that very encampment to be wiped out.
There's this cathartic release you get every time you boot up Death Stranding 2 again and get a mass amount of likes from all the tools you've left behind and structures you've built.
There's really nothing quite like it and it serves to give those hours of rebuilding roads, railways, putting up zip-lines, and leaving behind vehicles immense amount of purpose.
Thus, whatever you do, don't play offline.
Of course, this is still fundamentally the same gameplay loop as Death Stranding, which some might call "walking sim-esque." You're still a glorified delivery service worker trudging through the bleakness with packages strapped to your back — and that might not be for everyone.
But, if there's one thing I can say, it's that Death Stranding 2 is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. I've used camera mode in this game more than I ever have in all my life.
The new day/night cycle coupled with the gorgeous backdrops make it prime fodder for unimaginable photography, the likes of which I'm nowhere near as capable at mastering as others.
And, while it might bear a similar gameplay loop as its predecessor, at least there are plenty of quality of life improvements. These include much simpler menu navigation where you don't have to hold "X" to exit with your luggage, weapons instantly switching to the desired ammo type depending on the enemy encounter, and cargo management being an absolute breeze with its own d-pad quick button.
Add to that major gameplay changes, like APAS enhancements that let you beef up Sam's abilities and mining facilities, some connected to full monorail systems, and many of the issues that plagued the original are long forgotten. Oh, and zip-lines can curve now!
Death Stranding 2 is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. It's genuinely hard to put to words the gravity and emotions that swell throughout this game. Not just in terms of its narrative, but also in how the themes are represented so eloquently in its gameplay loop.
It's also one of the very few experiences that actually brought tears to my eyes in its closing moments. Say what you will about the "walking sim" aspect of its general gameplay, put the story and its characters have purpose. They have feeling and mean something to you in the end. When those credits roll — you're left with unfettered sorrow and happiness all the same.
Even if the first game left you feeling dissatisfied, stick with this one. There's so much to love in its asynchronous strand multiplayer elements, fluid stealth-combat, and meditative adventure. At its heart is a message that's totally poignant and ripe for our times, something we should all take to heart even in our bleakest moments.
It's that we're never truly alone, and even in those small windows of seemingly helpless isolation, you should (and must) keep on keeping on.
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CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
18 Death Stranding 2 Tips To Know Before Starting
Death Stranding 2, the follow-up to Hideo Kojima's 2020 surreal post-apocalyptic survival game Death Stranding expands on the first game with some meaningful quality of life upgrades, as well as earlier access to some of its more useful tools. However, Death Stranding 2 is still a unique game with a lot of quirky elements gamers will have to wrap their heads around as they spend the next 50-plus hours walking across Australia, the setting for the sequel. After spending around 20 hours with the game, here are 18 tips you should remember before starting -- a lot of advice for a game with a ton of quirks. The recap video found on the main menu Sean Booker Watch the recap video From the main menu you can select to catch yourself up on what happened in the first game with the Recap video. Strangely enough, this video doesn't actually spoil much of the story beats from the first game. It paints a broad picture of the main quest Sam went on, and reminds you of some of the characters he worked with. In fact, almost everything in the video is revealed to the player in the first 5 hours of Death Stranding 1. So if you're playing this before finishing the first game and are worried about having it ruined for you, it's actually pretty safe to watch. Crouch has changed inputs One of the most important actions Sam will need to perform is crouching. There are plenty of moments of stealth in the game and the button command has changed. Instead of the circle button in DS1 you'll now need to hit R1 to crouch. Unboxing the Death Stranding 2 PS5 Controller Unboxing the Death Stranding 2 PS5 Controller Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:45 Loaded : 77.99% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:45 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Unboxing the Death Stranding 2 PS5 Controller Play more aggressively from the start One of my favorite aspects of DS2 is that its beginning portion is nowhere near as slow as the first game's. In fact, you get access to a gun and a vehicle within the first couple of missions. This means you can move much faster, carry more cargo, and you don't have to avoid/hide from enemies as much. Feel free to play more aggressively from the get-go this time around. Cut scene management This is a Kojima game, which means there are a lot of cut scenes and they will be long. It's important to know whether you can pause them instead of just fearing an accidental skip. Thankfully, hitting the menu button will pause the cinematics. Additionally, there's even a timeline that will pop up when paused to show you how much of the scene is still left to play, so you can gauge how long you'll be watching vs. playing. It's also worth noting that you can skip the Qpid connection cut scene every time it happens. You'll see it dozens of times and no useful information is conveyed. You'll probably take an hour or two off your total game time by not watching these on repeat. Auto-Arrange Cargo is found in the bottom right corner of the cargo management screen Sean Booker Auto-arrange cargo If there is one tip you remember from our list, make it this one. When you are in the cargo management screen, after you've loaded whatever inventory onto Sam you want, you can hold triangle to automatically arrange it. There's also a controller shortcut: hold up on the d-pad, then to the right, and then press triangle. This moves the load off of just one location -- such as his back -- and spreads appropriate cargo evenly around. For example, it'll move grenades into the grenade pouches, a weapon on the tool rack, and even some small boxes onto his shoulder harnesses. It makes Sam much easier to maneuver and will ease your trek greatly. Hide in tall grass One of the reasons you won't want your back stack so tall is that it makes you more visible. This is also true when crouching and hiding in tall grass. Even though Sam himself might be hidden from the vegetation, if your cargo is poking out then enemies will still be able to spot you. Keep this in mind when organizing your gear and loading things in tall orientations. The Corpus can be access in the pause menu. Sean Booker Read the Corpus for world lore Death Stranding loves to throw out the most ridiculous proper nouns, and it expects you to know and accept them. Luckily, the game has an internal glossary called the Corpus that will define these terms and give you additional context. It can also be brought up mid-conversation while someone is talking borderline nonsense to you about rain that makes everything age faster, for example. Your vehicle's battery is shown in the bottom left hand corner when driving Sean Booker Conserve vehicle batteries You'll be driving a lot in Death Stranding 2 and, considering you get them so early, probably more often than the first game. Vehicles let you carry more cargo and traverse the region much quicker. However, you need to keep an eye on how much battery your bike or car has. This is especially important when pressing L3 to use the faster, boosted speed. Boosting uses up more battery than regular so if your destination is quite far away, consider driving slower or make sure you'll have access to a generator at some point (which can be made using a PCC). It's also worth noting that driving through water will consume more power too so plan your routes accordingly. The APAS Enhancements screen Sean Booker Swap APAS enhancements One of the new features in DS2 is the APAS system which acts like a skill tree for Sam. You'll be able to unlock perks such as better balance, more accurate weapon aiming and so on. A great perk to this system is you can swap out your unlocked skills for free and you should do so. Each mission in DS2 will have different types of obstacles and threats. One might be more focused on combat while another sets you to traverse over a rocky mountain. Equip and unequip the skills that fit your play style and will suit you the best before heading out. Don't stress about materials Materials are used when fabricating new gear of objects in the environment. I've found that I didn't need to go out of my way and grind to find materials since a lot of missions rewarded me when plenty. Unless you're trying to pave super long roads or a ton of bridges and railways, you'll probably be fine progressing with the default amount the game rewards you. Storing materials It's also worth noting that when you pick up materials out in the world, they won't go to your total collection unless you deposit them. Get them off your back as soon as possible since they're usually quite heavy and pose no benefits from being on your person. You can see how many materials you have and what each item will cost to fabricator or recycle Sean Booker Recycle used equipment Several pieces of equipment have a one time use, such as blood bags. Once they've empty they'll just sit in your inventory and take up space and weigh you down with no benefit. Make sure to recycle these since you'll also get some crafting materials back. Sleep to restock ammo The best way to restock ammo for your weapons is by sleeping in your private quarters. This will automatically fill up your guns for free. It also charges all your gears' and vehicle batteries and restores stamina. Start fights at night Attacking an enemy camp is easier at night since it allows you to hide more easily in the dark. However, keep in mind the suit you're wearing. Each suit will have a different level of camouflage based on your environment. If you're in a sandy area, pick a more yellow-colored suit for example. Using other players' vehicles One of the best features in Death Stranding is interacting with objects built and placed by other players. This can range from ladders left beside a steep cliff to even vehicles stored in various locations. Instead of spending your own crafting materials, just use one someone else has donated online. The only downside is that you can't customize someone else's vehicle with weapons or accessories you've unlocked. If you want to do that you either need to build your own or find someone else who donated one with those upgrades. Constantly scan with the Odradek scanner The Odradek is arguably the best tool Sam will have when making deliveries. Its primary use is to scan the terrain, and it will pinpoint what packages, materials, items and structures are nearby. If it's too dark to see, it will give you a grid letting you know the terrain around you, and it will show how deep a stream of water is so you can avoid crossing areas where it's red, causing Sam to get carried away. Also, when entering hostile territory, it will show where the enemies are patrolling. Pick up items when driving Whether it's on the trike or the carrier, Sam can pick up packages, materials, items and chiral crystals (those golden hands coming up from the ground). You want to try to get as many of these for different reasons. When you're heading to a delivery location, you'll also find other packages meant for that same location. The more packages you deliver to one place, the more stars you get, which unlocks schematics, music and equipment. Materials and chiral crystals are also great to pick up as they can be used to upgrade structures such as metal and chiral crystals used to add another highway section when donated to a paver. When surrounded by BTs, just run Fights with BTs -- the invisible and deadly enemies returning from the first game -- is not easy, but these battles can be avoided. It's pretty obvious when you're about to deal with BTs, as the whole game will pause while the Odradek goes crazy. You'll soon see floating ghosts, referred to as Gazers, around you. Get too close and a tar pit will form around you with figures trying to pull you down. Fall down and you'll be forced into a fight with a giant BT that will take up your time and resources, and it could result in a giant explosion called a voidout, which ruins the packages you had with you, damages equipment and destroys your vehicle. The better alternative is to run as fast as you can or boost your vehicles. Keep away from the Gazers and, if you're in the tar, just keep trying to run. With these 18 tips you'll be well suited to take on the harsh environments of Death Stranding 2. Death Stranding 2 launches on PlayStation 5 on June 26.
Yahoo
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Star-packed, Covid-shaped 'Death Stranding 2' drops this week
Japanese video game legend Hideo Kojima releases "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach" this week, a star-studded PlayStation sequel inspired by the Covid pandemic. Kojima has said the follow-up to the meditative 2019 game, in which "Walking Dead" star Norman Reedus played post-apocalyptic deliveryman Sam Porter Bridges, is "about connection". "The social situation was that everyone was divided" when development began on "Death Stranding" in 2016, Kojima said as he presented the new instalment at Los Angeles' Summer Game Fest on June 8. "I said, let's get connected. Right after that, we had the pandemic, and my fiction became a little reality" as people communed over new digital channels, he added. "Death Stranding 2", which drops Thursday, reflects Kojima's hope that people will rediscover analogue ways of being together following the years of isolation, he said. The first "Death Stranding" was a hybrid between a hiking simulator and a classic action game. It was set in a gloomy, fantastical science-fiction universe where characters are aged by the rain and carry foetuses that warn them of dangerous ghostly creatures nearby. Reedus's character Bridges had the job of reconnecting the last outposts of civilisation in a devastated United States following a disaster. This time Bridges's adventures will bring him to Mexico and Australia, in a story that 61-year-old Kojima -- creator of the equally fantastical "Metal Gear" stealth action saga -- said was completely rewritten in light of Covid-19. "I already had the DS2 idea but I had to scratch that off because I experienced the pandemic. So I rewrote," he said. "It's a new connection... I put that in the game system and I want everyone to experience that," Kojima added. French actor Lea Seydoux -- a star of films like James Bond adventure "No Time to Die" or Quentin Tarantino's World War II romp "Inglourious Basterds" -- returns in 3D form alongside Reedus. But new big-name talent is also along for the ride, including American actor Elle Fanning and the likeness of "Mad Max" director George Miller. French singer Woodkid composed the score for the new episode. Kojima Productions, the eponymous studio the developer founded in 2015 after leaving Japanese giant Konami, said in March this year that the first "Death Stranding" had more than 20 million players. And the franchise is broadening out to other media, with a feature film in development with American studio A24 as well as an animated film. Kojima is already turning his bottomless energy to other projects, including a horror game, "OD", co-written with American director Jordan Peele ("Get Out", "Nope") and developed in partnership with Microsoft. He is also returning to the world of spy games in the vein of "Metal Gear" with a new espionage title, "PHYSINT". kf/tgb/lth
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Star-packed, Covid-shaped 'Death Stranding 2' drops this week
Japanese video game legend Hideo Kojima releases "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach" this week, a star-studded PlayStation sequel inspired by the Covid pandemic. Kojima has said the follow-up to the meditative 2019 game, in which "Walking Dead" star Norman Reedus played post-apocalyptic deliveryman Sam Porter Bridges, is "about connection". "The social situation was that everyone was divided" when development began on "Death Stranding" in 2016, Kojima said as he presented the new instalment at Los Angeles' Summer Game Fest on June 8. "I said, let's get connected. Right after that, we had the pandemic, and my fiction became a little reality" as people communed over new digital channels, he added. "Death Stranding 2", which drops Thursday, reflects Kojima's hope that people will rediscover analogue ways of being together following the years of isolation, he said. The first "Death Stranding" was a hybrid between a hiking simulator and a classic action game. It was set in a gloomy, fantastical science-fiction universe where characters are aged by the rain and carry foetuses that warn them of dangerous ghostly creatures nearby. Reedus's character Bridges had the job of reconnecting the last outposts of civilisation in a devastated United States following a disaster. This time Bridges's adventures will bring him to Mexico and Australia, in a story that 61-year-old Kojima -- creator of the equally fantastical "Metal Gear" stealth action saga -- said was completely rewritten in light of Covid-19. "I already had the DS2 idea but I had to scratch that off because I experienced the pandemic. So I rewrote," he said. "It's a new connection... I put that in the game system and I want everyone to experience that," Kojima added. French actor Lea Seydoux -- a star of films like James Bond adventure "No Time to Die" or Quentin Tarantino's World War II romp "Inglourious Basterds" -- returns in 3D form alongside Reedus. But new big-name talent is also along for the ride, including American actor Elle Fanning and the likeness of "Mad Max" director George Miller. French singer Woodkid composed the score for the new episode. Kojima Productions, the eponymous studio the developer founded in 2015 after leaving Japanese giant Konami, said in March this year that the first "Death Stranding" had more than 20 million players. And the franchise is broadening out to other media, with a feature film in development with American studio A24 as well as an animated film. Kojima is already turning his bottomless energy to other projects, including a horror game, "OD", co-written with American director Jordan Peele ("Get Out", "Nope") and developed in partnership with Microsoft. He is also returning to the world of spy games in the vein of "Metal Gear" with a new espionage title, "PHYSINT". kf/tgb/lth
