Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - Review
It’s been about 6 years since Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding game was released in 2016. Since then, we’ve actually lived through a worldwide pandemic with Covid-19 shutting down the world. Is the world more accepting now that people have lived through disconnection and having an understanding of what Kojima’s message and intent was with the first game?
In order to somewhat get a grasp on the answer, we’ll have to go back to the thoughts on people’s view on the first game. Most people were absolutely divided on either the, “this is an amazing game and the concept of it is incredible” to, “it’s just a walking simulator… what’s the point?” One thing that’s clear is most people’s perception of Death Stranding 2, which have been praising the game very highly. One thing that confused me personally, was the fact that I recalled the Death Stranding was criticized for being just “a walking simulator”. And to be honest, at the start of the first game, I was very confused about it, but also felt as though there was still something luring me into wanting to play the game. By about one third of the game, something just clicked. Almost as though a lightbulb was connected which made me truly appreciate the game. Regardless, most people I spoke to dislike the game and assume it’s a frustrating walking simulator. Fast forward to today, all I’m seeing are high praises for its sequel. Has everything changed in the game? Did they do a complete overhaul? Absolutely not.
In fact, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach takes place eleven months after the events of the first game. But let's get into that in a moment. Just to put it out there, and what was hinted earlier in this review is the fact that people experienced a worldwide disconnection due to Covid-19. Not being able to see anyone, cities being in lockdown, having visit limitations, shops closed. Due to real life events and understanding now, it seems most people understood the premise of the game and the message it was bringing. Connection… and in the instance of the game, Chiral Connection. It would seem that people’s POV had changed since, which is fantastic, but unfortunately had to experience it in real life.
Going back to the game itself, the narrative takes place eleven months after the first game. Sam (Norman Reedus) is taking care of a toddler Lou, and has been hiding in isolation. Just when life is settled and Sam is happy, Fragile shows up, who now runs her own logistics company known as Drawbridge, and asks for one last favour… to expand the Chiral network through Mexico. Without spoiling anymore of the story, through a series of events, Sam ends up staying with Fragile to help expand the network through Australia. That’s as far as I’ll explain the narrative here as there would be massive spoilers, and going in blind is definitely the way to go. That said, you can definitely expect to see (and work with) most of the characters you previously met in the first game.
One thing that’s clear, is that you don’t need to remember all the narrative or characters from the first game. In fact, you don’t necessarily have to have played the first game as this sequel has a Story Recap option, which explain to players all about the ever so scary and creepy BTs (Beached things), timefall - rain from the sky that rapidly ages everything it touched, goes through the various characters you met in the first game and gives a little reminder of their narrative. One thing you can certainly expect is Kojima’s style in characters, stories, and just all the random quirkiness he’s known for. It even got up to a point where you wonder if Kojima is just trolling his audience, but is also probably one of the only people that could get away with it in the gaming industry. And for those Kojima fans, there’s a really nice reference to a previous series that Kojima worked on.
One of the biggest call outs for me was the opening credits looking absolutely amazing. Not only does it feel like a cinematic film, but a visual work of art. The first moment you play as Sam, which takes players through the basic tutorial of walking through the terrain looks so stunning. The atmosphere, visuals and environment was just amazing. It’s everything that was in the first game that had been done to perfection. It’s definitely something that Kojima nailed in the first game and brought over. Walking on different textures and surfaces has a different rumble on the DualSense. This definitely made me want to explore all surfaces on the world they’ve created. Whether it's snow, water, dirt etc., the game makes you want to go through all of them, even if it’s tedious and difficult at times. In addition to making deliveries and unlocking new abilities, weapons, items, and opening up the narrative, there has been some additions to the game such as now having the ability to capture BTs and add them to your arsenal when fighting BTs boss fights.
This is all explained when unlocking an EX-capture grenade. There are updates with some weaponry, as you’d expect (electric rods), types of BTs you’ll come across, and the way you can fist fight enemies due to being able to block, dodge and counter if timed right. Sam has stats that you can also develop and strengthen. For example, the heavier load you carry develops Sam’s carrying capacity. Or holding your breath regularly enough to hide from BTs helps Sam hold his breath for longer periods. There’s a whole range of abilities that can be worked on, such as running and stealth, all the way to the different weapon types like machine gun, rifles, sniper rifles and pistols. These are all that can be worked on and strengthened. That said, I personally didn’t feel much of a difference with them, but it was nice to see what I tend to stick with most, which seemed to be rifles and machine guns.
It’s definitely great to see the improvements and additions to the first game. But unfortunately, there are a lot of components of the game which are extremely similar, such as the animations when Sam is resting at a base, the same visuals and animations when delivering packages to its first new location, and setting up the chiral network. And the game’s biggest annoyance in my opinion, the terrible and same tedious menu system with multiple steps and sub-menus. There hasn’t been an improvement since the first game and still comes across extremely overwhelming. And sure, there are some ways to quickly sort out your cargo management to optimise what Sam is carrying on his back etc, but… it’s still not enough to make a world of a difference.
Death Stranding 2 doesn’t change too much from the first game, as an overall. Or at least, not enough for you to be able to spot a day and night difference. In fact, a lot of it feels so familiar that you feel as though you’ve just continued on from the previous game, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And as mentioned, there's the story recap option that explains everything that’s happened. The story is just as whacky and as Kojima as it can be. In fact, so much that Hideo feels as though it decided to dial it up a little with the quirky characters you meet. It’s so out there that to the point that there’s a doll character in the game named… yup, you’ve guessed it, Dollman whose animation runs at a lower frame rate. All these whacky decisions seemed to be only something that Hideo can pull off, making players think, “Yup, I’ve just been Kojima’d”.
That said, the game’s feel from walking on surfaces to the use of the speaker on the DualSense through the game and in the very start of the game’s menu is insanely thought out. Fans of the previous game would absolutely enjoy this game as much, if not more than the first. I know I did. It was great to go back into the world. There’s just something therapeutic about wanting to make deliveries, or even if you wanted to build roads (or traveling equipment) for other players to be able to use when they log in. There’s just something about that connection and knowing someone else went the same path you did, struggled and decided to help others by placing ladders, bridges or items that would help other people. And that’s the point of this all… connection. Which is probably why most people are giving high praises for this game compared to the first, after going through a worldwide pandemic themselves, where they had to disconnect from their loved ones. Death Stranding 2 is a game you won’t want to miss, especially if loved the first game.
The Score
8.0
Review code provided by PlayStation
The Pros
Still the same amazing world and terrain to travel across
Loads of fun and a massive amount of exploration to be had
The use of the DualSense rumble and speakers feels satisfying
The Cons
Narrative and characters could come across a little too whacky and random
Same terrible menu system from previous game
Game might still feel like a ‘walking simulator’ for some people
