Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review: Saving the World, One Pristine Package at a Time

A harsh environment ravaged by catastrophe, full of disturbing creatures ready to drain the life from you in mere seconds. Here, the life of a humble courier is never far from trouble. No, I’m not talking about a typical night in London. It’s the world of Death Stranding, and once again it’s up to Sam Porter Bridges to deliver us, literally, from extinction.

Back in 2019, Kojima Productions debuted its first game, Death Stranding, following Kojima’s split from Konami. This fresh IP was as unique as it was divisive, featuring some bold (if a little bizarre) stylistic and narrative choices. This wasn’t a title that aimed to please everyone, but those that clicked with it experienced a game unlike anything else. Death Stranding could have easily been a standalone title, a narrative contained to a single game. But, having now played Death Stranding 2, I’m glad the story of Sam Porter Bridges was far from over. 

So, lace up your boots, and throw on your backpack — It’s delivering time. Only this round, we’re going to Oz.

Once, There Was an Explosion…

Death Stranding 2 picks up a short while after the events of the first game. Sam, and his not-so-little BB-28, Lou, have quietly slipped away from Bridges for a life of peace, after defying the order to decommission BB-28 following Sam's successful reconnection of the UCA. Soon, Fragile, now leading a new organisation called Drawbridge, finds them both and tasks Sam with making one more delivery to an old friend, Deadman, out in Mexico. Fragile remains behind to care for Lou in Sam’s absence. 

After completing the delivery, and with some vaccinations in-hand for Lou courtesy of Deadman, events transpire that force Sam to return to the shelter at once, only to find that his home has been invaded, and both Fragile and Lou have come to harm. 

It’s a powerful opening. In just the first few hours, the game’s haunting tone is set. It easily transitions players from the first game over to the second, through familiar faces and a direct continuation of the story. But, this time, we explore more of Sam’s emotional struggles than we did before, dealing with loss, grief, and the stress of what follows after the game’s opening events. Death Stranding 2 still maintains the original’s quirks and moments of levity, but never in a way that undermines the seriousness of its core. 

As a broader story, the game is a perfect example of Kojima’s direction. An unconventional narrative that leaves you guessing well into the 40-hour mark, and told with such compelling visuals that it’s hard to step away. Characters are generally more integrated into Sam's journey, so he never really feels like he's traveling alone for long, even when climbing the most isolated peaks or the expanse of the desert. Connection remains a key theme and, with much of the chiral network having been established in Sam's previous adventure, friends new and old are making swift use of it.

Not everything lands with the same effect, however. Some characters feel underutilised or even undermined by certain visual choices. But, in spite of this, it’s hard to knock Kojima’s willingness to offer up something unique. Higgs is a good example; his initial reintroduction to the story of Death Stranding is a compelling sequence. Visually, it’s stunning, and opens up a lot of mysteries around his character. How is it that he survived the first game? What are these strange red mechs that he keeps in tow? And why on earth does he look like that?

But, later on, we encounter Higgs again. This time he’s more willing to throw some hands, except an unknown stranger steps in to take on the fight instead. Higgs’ weapon of choice is an electric guitar, which he plays to fire off some electrical pulses or whatever. It’s incredibly cringe, and results in an acrobatic battle between a lead guitarist and a samurai in a dusty old warehouse. All the while Sam looks on, likely less concerned with Higgs’ plans for global extinction and more about his own second-hand embarrassment. Maybe I’m projecting. 

Higgs’ not-so-threatening fighting style erodes his mysterious and sinister character somewhat. Suddenly, you don’t see him as much of a threat anymore, and instead just some silly guy. That might be the point — but it’s played so straight it’s hard to tell. 

Other characters suffer from a bit of initial underdevelopment; Rainy and Tomorrow (Kojima’s naming conventions strike again) are two special DOOMS sufferers with unique powers that find themselves recruited into Fragile’s wonderful gang of weirdos. Rainy, as you might have guessed, has the power to summon rain (or Timefall) whenever she steps foot outside. Timefall, like the first game, rapidly ages anything it comes into contact with; deteriorating buildings, vehicles, and people in no time at all. Tomorrow has a similar ability, though hers is rooted in being able to produce tar that destroys what she touches.

Both characters have strong, fascinating powers, but outside of their respective chapters, they’re not up to much for most of the game. Rainy even has a habit of accosting Sam in the hallway of the DHV Magellan every now and then to pose a tricky cerebral question, under the guise of bettering Tomorrow’s education. Though it amounts to little in the short-term.

It’s not an issue that dampens the game’s story all that much. This is an ensemble cast of characters, after all, in a narrative based around Sam. But it does take a while before we begin to unravel some of the mysteries behind the crew. One of the earliest insights we get is through Tarman who, and it’ll surprise no-one to hear this, has an ability that allows him and the Magellan to navigate through the tar. He offers Sam glimpses into his past at times, tells him about his son, and how he ended up with a tar hand (or lack of), and a tar cat. It’s worth noting that Tarman shares his likeness with filmmaker George Miller, and the level of detail in his character in particular is striking.  

Other honourable mentions in the Death Stranding register include the return of Heartman, Deadman and, my new favourite, Dollman. If anyone knows how I can get my own Dollman, let me know. Similar to Tarman, Dollman’s backstory becomes available after making significant progress through the main story, with Sam then being given the option to learn more about how Dollman came to be. 

DOOMS Down Under

As a staunch Death Stranding apologist, I’ve heard all the criticisms. I’ve heard the cries that it’s ‘UPS: The Game,’ or that it’s 50-hours of fetch-quests. And, truthfully, Death Stranding 2 is more of all of that — and it’s incredibly fun. Yes, I'll be tasked with delivering a pizza across the ridges of a mountain, to a guy who samples the noises of tar monsters for a living, all so he can give me a new patch for my backpack. And you know what? I’ll enjoy every second of it.

Because the world is stunning. The environments are clean and varied. There might not be many nooks to explore, or collectibles to find or random encounters to, well, encounter. But traversal is its own challenge and reward; plotting the right route to minimise danger, anticipating hazards and choosing the right equipment to deal with them. 

Not to mention, Kojima obviously heard you all call Death Stranding a walking simulator and said, “Fine. This time, don’t walk. See if I care.” Because for 90% of my time in Death Stranding 2, I was comfortably strapped into the seat of a pick-up truck. Happily collecting cargo as I drove around, stopping to recharge at generators conveniently placed by other players. Driving across rivers, over sand dunes, and even over a bandit or two. It was surprisingly relaxing, and took away a lot of the stress I had with the original when trying to transport more cargo than I had any right to strap to the back of Norman Reedus. Sure, the original had vehicles, too. But I found I couldn’t use them with as much versatility as in Death Stranding 2.

Relying on vehicles seems more of a necessity this time around. Perhaps because Sam’s adventure takes him far beyond America. Though we start off in Mexico, Sam and the gang soon find themselves on the opposite side of the world in Australia, thanks to a mysterious structure known as a Plate Gate. These gates come with their own hazards, such as earthquakes that can strike and cause anyone and anything to come toppling over should the force be strong enough. But, I suppose it’s a small price to pay to be able to zip across to a land down under without a 20+ hour economy flight. 

That’s Not a Knife…

Not everyone that Sam meets on his journey is willing to join chiral hands in the name of peace and love. Aside from the otherworldly BTs, a number of human and mechanical enemies have established bases across the land. Heavily armoured and with a variety of weapons at their disposal, these enemies require Sam to be a little more inventive than in the previous game. Luckily, there’s a wide pool of weapons and equipment for Sam to use, allowing him to take down enemies however he sees fit. Some utilise MP bullets for lethal damage, others rely on electrical charges, and some can even be mounted onto the side of a Pickup Off-Roader for a more “scorched-earth” approach. 

Combat feels more significant in Death Stranding 2, encouraging players not to shy away from a firefight or two. With so many tools to use, surveying enemy camps and clearing them out feels enjoyable and less of a chore than it did previously. You’re rarely forced to tackle combat in a set way, with each encounter left largely to a player’s preference on how they approach it. 

Despite generally feeling more dynamic, combat still has a particular sticking point. Every time you kill an enemy, there’s a moment of slow motion. It’s a nice touch every now and then, giving weight to a successful combat encounter. But it happens every time you kill an enemy. You’ll be in the midst of a fight against a group, where each second counts towards eliminating the surrounding threat. But with each downed enemy triggering the slow-mo, it disrupts the flow as if the game is pulling you back from being too immersed in the fight. The slow-motion effect would feel less invasive if it was perhaps reserved for the final enemy in a batch, signifying the end of the whole encounter. 

Boss fights are particularly notable, however, offering unique fights and sporting impressively creepy enemy designs. Through the game’s online features, other players can appear as non-playable ‘ghosts,’ throwing Sam additional resources like weapons or healing items. These ‘ghosts’ can still be affected by boss mechanics, however, disrupting or hindering their aid. 

Most boss fights prove to be challenging without venturing into impossible territory, even without the help from fellow players. But some, namely giant BTs, can be especially tricky. Not only can these creatures solely be damaged by weapons effective against BTs, but they typically move fast and are hard to dodge. Coming away unscathed from one of these encounters is a challenge by itself, but it also risks altering the very landscape that Sam traverses. Much like the first game, coming into direct contact with these BTs will trigger a Voidout — a complete erasure of everything caught in its perimeter, leaving behind nothing but a crater. Sam won’t die, of course. He’s a ‘repatriate’ and respawns on the edge of the crater left behind. But anything caught in the area (cargo, wildlife, people) will be wiped from existence, and Sam will now need to get around this fresh canyon that’s been formed. 

Keep on Keepin’ On, Mate

Some of my favourite features of the first Death Stranding return in the second, through the use of the Chiral Network. This in-game communication network is how Sam connects settlements together, transmits data, and builds structures. That third feature is particularly important in how the game encourages players to work together. Death Stranding 2, like its predecessor, isn’t a multiplayer game, at least not in a way you’d expect, but players can directly influence each others’ games. If you build a Timefall Shelter in a BT-heavy area in your game, that Timefall Shelter might then appear in another player’s game in that exact location. Players can use it, give it a ‘Like’, repair it, and more. Equipment such as a ladder or a rope can be left in a facility or ‘postbox’ and marked to be used by other players, and they can do the same. You can directly contribute to the journeys of your fellow Porters.

There will be times where collaboration will be especially important, such as in the repair and restoration of larger structures. These could be bridges, roads, or even monorail tracks, all of which require a significant amount of materials to build. Laying the foundations for these large projects, or contributing to them is incredibly satisfying in Death Stranding 2. But, in the earlier portions of the game, I initially struggled to find anything to contribute to.

That’s because most of it had already been built by other players. There wasn’t much I could add myself, as anything worth placing in a certain area (a shelter, or a generator) had already been placed. Maybe this was a result of the review period. Loads of hungry journalists and creators seeking to make their mark on the world of Death Stranding 2 right out of the gate. But it left me feeling like a bit of a freeloader.

As a result, I kept placing bridges that would ultimately prove to be useless. I’d see a spot that no one had begun building on yet, by a large river or something, one that seemed like it was begging for a bridge. I’d build it, then find out that it leads to a dead end, or someone had built a bridge in a different location already that was being used excessively. Rendering my bridge effectively useless. 

Further through the game the amount of structures built by other players started to diminish, and I used a lot of my materials for building roads or repairing breaks in a monorail line. I’d contribute a significant amount of materials, seemingly all of them at times, only for the structure to be built with someone else’s name attached to it. Huh? Where’s my validation? You’re telling me I did all this work for no recognition? Capitalism strikes again. 

This is all a minor gripe, however. Sourcing and collecting materials and transporting them over to a structure remains just as satisfying to me as it did in the first game. Seeing a road form and knowing that it’ll make deliveries between locations that much easier going forward. Previously, I’d have to load up my pick-up truck with a hefty batch of micro-plastics, chemicals, and suspiciously combustible cargo, knowing that one nasty bump could send them spilling out, creating an ecological disaster big enough to change the genetic make-up of nearby organisms. But, thanks to this lovely road I’ve cobbled together with scrap metal and ceramics, I can safely transport all of my questionable cargo across the outback.

That’ll Do, Sam. That’ll Do. 

With the original Death Stranding being such a solid foundation, very little was needed in Death Stranding 2 to ensure that it met the same heights. However, what Kojima Productions have created here is a near-perfect example of what a sequel should be. Building and expanding on what worked in the original, enhancing what didn’t, and ensuring that there’s a story worth telling. At every step of the way, Death Stranding 2 met and then subverted my expectations. Even at its clunkiest, I found myself enjoying the journey, never quite sure where it would take me next. 

For the most part, Death Stranding 2 plays almost identically to the original, bar a few upgraded features. If you didn’t quite click with the first game’s mechanics, you’re unlikely to gel with this one, too. But its story is marginally more conventional, and likely to appeal to a wider reach of players. For its story and visuals alone, Death Stranding 2 is a standout title, providing you with a gaming experience unlike anything else available in the PlayStation 5 library. In spite of a few minor gripes around characters and combat, I can see myself returning to Death Stranding 2 again and again for its comforting gameplay and unique world. Now, seriously, how can I get my own Dollman?