Death Stranding was a story about being alone in a fractured world where making friends and rebuilding gave us hope. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is about journeying with the connections we made to overcome everything, whether that’s from a threat from an ever-present danger or a hole that lives within us caused by overbearing grief. Hideo Kojima has written something deeply personal that is relatable and moving. It manages to be both cinematic and subtle, painful and powerful, where every second is spent being amazed that something like this exists.
From his love of cinema and music, Kojima’s passion is present throughout Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. He knows exactly how to make video games expand beyond what we know and expect. The way the technical aspects blend with the visual power of its setting, and how the gameplay offers immense freedom like never before is remarkable. When things begin to feel familiar, something new is thrown at you that throws open the boundaries to leave you feeling awestruck at what you’re watching unfold. It builds on the first game in so many ways that you’re always left satisfied.
After Sam manages to reconnect America, he travels to Mexico and lives out his days with Lou, no longer a baby. Making the best of the world, Sam is trying to give Lou a life as normal as possible. Eventually, Sam must do it all over again. Reconnecting things is never easy, but while the mission is the same, the journey most definitely isn’t. How do we carry on when we’ve lost everything? How do we find the light in a world filled with darkness? We do it with the friends we hold dear, no matter how broken we may feel.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach allows you to take on each mission with complete freedom. When delivering something from A-to-B, there’re are so many different ways to get to where you’re going. The terrain can be tough, whether due to the timefall that brings with it BTs, the mountainous environment that feels almost impossible to cross, or the armies of brigands and ghost mechs blocking your route. The sheer amount of tools at your disposal grows with every new connection you make, giving you plenty of options for how to deal with whatever is thrown at you.
Building ladders and bridges across tough terrain. Constructing highways, ziplines, and monorails to travel long distances. Timefall shelters, generators, and teleporters give you protection, power, and fast travel. Covering great distances is a challenge, but making sure you assess each situation before heading out, and making use of the structures and tools to do so is paramount. You can prepare as much as possible, but if you get caught in a sandstorm or an earthquake, all that preparation becomes a spontaneous struggle for survival.
Kojima Productions has managed to make each delivery feel completely different to the last. Whether that’s due to natural disasters or difficult terrain, safety is never guaranteed no matter how much planning you do. One of the more frustrating features of the original was how difficult it was to make deliveries on foot. Thankfully, the opportunities to deliver via your pick-up off-roader makes much of the journey easier. It’s important to keep the battery charged, but with other players constructing generators everywhere, it makes things so much easier.
That online presence of other player’s constructions keeps within that core theme of connection. By expanding the chiral network, both you and other players can construct a whole number of things to help one another across the lands. It’s a great feature that continues to grow in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. One of the other ways the sequel expands on the original is through its combat. While you can avoid it altogether if you play smartly, getting into a fight can be an intense war where success is never a given. It’s lucky you have so many weapons and options, though.
There are so many different guns to use. The tranq sniper, shotgun, assault rifle, and rocket launcher. The BT grenades, tar cannons, rocket box, and machine gun. Weapons can be mounted to your off-roader like the chiral cannon, giving you support when on the move as well. Each type of enemy can be fought with specific weaponry. Throwing your blood boomerang at a BTs tether or firing your shotgun in the chest of a ghost mech are equally satisfying. Managing to escape a voidout at the last second by shooting a rocket into the mouth of a tar-covered behemoth is so exhilarating.
Nothing ever feels formulaic. Traversing or taking out enemies never feels the same as the last time you do it. You’re never left without options, and these options are always plentiful. I can’t stress just how blessed you are with ways to go about each and every challenge. Even when you’re just about to make a delivery, there’s always the change something throws you off course. Fabricating equipment as much as possible will always leave you with plenty of ways to succeed, and those random encounters are when you are tested the most.
Regardless of the type of mission, its staggering how good the world looks. I’ve never seen visuals like it before. Making use of everything the PlayStation 5 is capable of, you’re left absorbing every detail at every stage of your journey. The dynamic weather and how it affects Sam’s clothing or the off-roader’s exterior. Watching how the timefall hits the ground or covers the screen. Seeing the blistering sun cover the desert or the snow blind you at a mountain’s peak. The locations are beautiful, but there are more moments that leave you breathless.
Some of the best moments come when fighting Neil. The first time you encounter him, you’ll be blown away by the use of light. The last time you encounter him, you’ll be impressed by the Inception-like inspiration of the battle. These ‘boss’ fights are impressive, much like all the other big encounters you have. Higgs is supplying the continent with weapons in the hopes of mass war breaking out among the factions, and when you get a chance to stop him, you better believe these are some of the coolest moments of the game. Troy Baker is the GOAT for a reason.
His acting in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is some of his best work. I never thought I could hate a villain more, but Troy finds a way with his sinister and unnerving manner. The rest of the cast are equally incredible as well. Elle Fanning as Tomorrow is one of the stand outs of the entire game, especially with one particular cutscene midway where you get to witness what she brings to the team. Dollman, your constant companion is warm, kind, and supportive, and I loved our time together. Tarman is an exceptional captain who’s fighting his own battle on route to stop Higgs.
Léa Seydoux is another standout. She is Sam’s anchor in all of this, helping to rebuild the land just as much as she’s trying to rebuild Sam. Norman Reedus puts on one hell of a performance in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and it can’t be outstated just how much he does to make you care deeply for the character. However, perhaps the best character in the entire game is Neil Vana, played wonderfully by Luca Marinelli. He has such an important part to play, and finding out who he is and what he’s done leaves you feeling things you didn’t think you could.
For anyone that follows Hideo Kojima on social media, you’ll know just how much he loves music. Personally, a great soundtrack can heighten a films appeal more than any other aspect, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has some of the best music I’ve ever heard in a video game. Ludwig Forrsell has composed a soundtrack that carries all of the biggest moments into euphoric crescendos of both heartbreak and excitement. Woodkid’s input cannot be overstated. He has such a hauntingly beautiful voice, and his impact on the game is massive.
While some missions can be a bit of a chore, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a masterpiece. From playing the game to getting lost in its story, Hideo Kojima has written a narrative that keeps you guessing throughout. It has its incredible highs as much as its devastating lows, but with each step you’re left in awe. Travelling is forever fascinating, and combat has been ramped up so much more than the previous entry. With exceptional acting and a magnificent soundtrack, this is one of the best games of the decade, if not of all time.
