With the recent release of the much-anticipatedDeath Stranding 2,reviews have already come pouring out singing Kojima’s praises, and not without good reason.Death Stranding 2expands and improves on its predecessor in every aspect, from graphical fidelity, gameplay mechanics, and storytelling, and I might even argueis Hideo Kojima’s magnum opus.
As someone who playedthe first gameand fell in love with it, it’s almost impossible to talk aboutDeath Stranding 2without comparing the two, as they share the same core gameplay and overarching narrative structure. With over 40 hours of main story content and much more,Death Stranding 2has an overwhelming amount of quality content to sink your teeth into.
Because we’ll be comparing both games fairly often, we’ll be referring to the firstDeath Strandingas DS1 andDeath Stranding 2as DS2.
Every Hideo Kojima Game, Ranked
Kojima is one of the gaming industry’s most trusted names. Here are all the games he’s mainly responsible for creating.
While I didn’t receive a review copy ofDS2, I was already planning on getting it since its announcement. Ever since I finished playing the previous game, I didn’t think that there could be a continuation to a story that was already neatly wrapped up. But when I saw the first announcement trailer, I was excited to see where the story could go, and wondered how Kojima Productions could outdo themselves yet again.
I played a lot ofDS1when it came out in 2019,and I was captivated by the intricate and cinematic narrative while walking through a stunning backdrop of gorgeous, moss-covered wastelands of America. Many have taken to callingDS1a"walking simulator,“but you can very quickly tell that they’ve never played the game if they say that unironically, because it is so much more than that.
DS2is not a game to be rushed.With at least 30 hours’ worth of main story content and even more side content, I spent the majority of my waking hours these past few days beating this game just to write this review. Even after completing the main story, I know for a fact that I’m going to spend double that amount to complete every highway, get five stars on every NPC, and collect everything I can find.
Once, There Was An Explosion
Almost a year after the events of the first game, Sam Bridges (Norman Reedus) has left the UCA to live in isolation with his former BB, Lou, who’s now been given a chance to grow up.
Fragile (Léa Seydoux), now the leader of the private company Drawbridge, brings him out of hiding and recruits him to journey to the world down under andreconnect the Australian continent,along with the support of the DHV Magellan and its crew.
Much likeDS1,DS2hasmultiple, seemingly separate plots that run simultaneously with each other.
In the A-plot, Sam journeys across Australia with Drawbridge, while in the B-plot, Higgs (Troy Baker) returns to exact his revenge on Sam and Fragile after the ending ofDS1, all the while Sam is haunted by Neil Vana (Luca Marinelli), a ghostly revenant whose ties with Sam, Lou, and Bridges remain shrouded in mystery, much likeDS1’sCliff Unger.
Those who are already familiar with Kojima’s style of writing, especiallyDS1, will already know thatthese seemingly disparate stories are interwoven into an overarching narrativethat culminates in crazy sequences that you’ll never see in any other game.
But Kojima’s style of writing might be confusing for those not familiar with his work. During cutscenes, characters often throw around new terms unfamiliar even to DS1 veterans, which can be distracting and frustratingly convoluted at times.
However,the game respects your intelligence and ability to do your research by making the lore bits and summaries readily availablevia the handy Corpus databank, which pops up in the corner whenever new terminology is mentioned.
And Sam isn’t alone on his journey this time, as astar-studded castof new and returning characters accompanies him on his journey through Australia. Each member of Drawbridge is uniquely endearing, and while Sam himself is more or less distant and aloof, his companions become the emotional heart of the story, supporting him and each other through tough times.
DS2is undeniably a story about dealing with loss and the power of connections and solidarity through difficult times.Considering howKojima’s writing often veers towards philosophical, ideological, and political musings,it’s not hard to guess which real-life eventsDS2alludes to.
Trekking Through The World Down Under
As a sequel,DS2shares the same core gameplay as its predecessor, though it is undoubtedly a direct improvement and evolution of the first game.
In retrospect,DS1felt more like an experiment–a prototype for Kojima and his team to test the waters on the game’s mechanics and how much weirdness they could get away with. Thanks to its critical success, they were undoubtedly emboldened to make the game more complex and weird in all the good ways, building upon what already worked and fixing what didn’t.
The Death Stranding games, in their very essence, are all abouttraveling across a continent and making deliveries to connect humanity torn asunder.Of course,DS2delivers on that promise and then some, staying true to the first game’s premise while adding more features and ways to enjoy the Australian wilderness.
Traveling through the vast lands of Mexico and Australia evokes the same sense of loneliness and isolationthat I once felt while walking through America in the first game.
During those times, it’s just me and the wilderness, and there’s something meditative about walking alone in a world riddled with death and decay, yet has such hauntingly beautiful landscapes.
While some basic tools and vehicles make a return,DS2adds more functionality to them; you can build new structures like transponders and jump ramps via your PCC, or attach weapons and new types of wheels to your vehicles to either defend against enemies or climb up steep and slippery hills.
But traveling isn’t as simple as it was in the first game. Other than Timefall,DS2introduces a dynamic weather system, including gate quakes, sandstorms, and floodsthat must be accounted for if you want to travel smoothly.
Temperature and low-oxygen areas can now also impact your stamina, which you must counter by having the right equipment.
DS2rewards you heavily for wisely planning and allocating your resources,and traveling across Australia eventually becomes less of a “walking simulator” and more of an “Amazon delivery driver simulator” once you’ve established a well-trodden path and a highway system through autopavers andthe monorail system.
Trading The Rope For A Stick
Traveling in Australia unarmed can be deadly, as the environment is not the only threat in the land down under.BTs,human enemies, and the new ghost mechs riddle the landscape, which you’re able to either face head-on in combat or sneak around them.
DS2improves upon the combat andstealththat its predecessor lacked, providing many more tools and weapons to deal with enemies instead of a handful of guns and blood grenades.
Not only do you get a massive arsenal to fight your enemies,butfacing enemies in combat feels much better compared to the first.Now, you can parry, dodge, and block enemy attacks, giving you more freedom of skill expression in combat.
The range of movement and combat options inDS2feels reminiscent ofMGS5, and the game even gives you a silenced tranq gun in the early game.
Progression feels amazing inDS2, and paced in a way that doesn’t make you feel overpowered too quickly. Thanks to APAS Enhancements andSam’s Stats,you’re given many options to passively improve your abilities and skills just by playing the game.
Much like memory chips inNieR: Automata,APAS Enhancements allow you to unlock new passives and abilities should you have enough memory. Sam Stat’s, on the other hand, increases passively the more you push your limits, boosting your stamina,carrying capacity,and weapon handling.
The more connections you make, the more weapons and tools you’re given, which in turn makes combat encounters both with BTs and human enemies way more exciting.
Any new weapon you collect throughout the game can also be tested out via a VR Training room in the armory,which not only gives you complete control of a firing range but also puzzles and combat simulations that test your fighting and sneaking skills.
you’re able to go from sneaking through enemy camps and BT territory in the early game to going in guns blazing and still having ammo to spare when the dust settles.
Death Stranding 2 places more emphasis on non-lethal methods, making every gun shoot bullets that knock out your enemies instead of killing them to avoid creating more BTs and voidouts. The game has a hard stance against killing, as killing enemies creates more hassle for you in the long run.
By the endgame,you can even trivialize giant BT encounters by fighting them with overwhelming firepower.Without going too far into spoilers, there are also some surprises later on in the game that, for a sum of Chiral Crystals, can make facing even the most terrifying BTs a walk in the park.
The improved movement and combat mechanics makefighting giant BTsand ghost mechs all the more exciting. If there’s one thing that Kojima’s good at, it’s making boss fights that are massive in scale.
Combat has always been one ofDS1’s weakest links for me, andDS2turns around and makes fighting an absolute blast, as the new weapons and skills give me a real fighting chance in the occasional skirmish.
“You Will Never Be Alone, I Will Always Be With You”
Kojima has always been very clear about his philosophical and ideological musings through his games, andDS2is no exception.Its geopolitical and social commentary on the world since the coronavirus pandemic is rather on the nosethrough the isolation, mistrust, and desire for solidarity. These themes are shown not just through the narrative but also through the gameplay.
Much like the first game,DS2is a “strand-type” game, which is an asynchronous multiplayer system that functions like a single-player game, but you share structures and items with others,allowing you to help each other indirectly.While the “strand-type” genre has been teased relentlessly by the gaming community, there’s a sense of genuine community in both Death Stranding games.
The game’s strand system fosters community and cooperation even when you’re the only person traveling through the world. This is complemented by the game’s in-universe social media, the Social Strand Service (SSS), which allows you to not only forge connections with NPCs but also other players, which lets you see and use more of their structures, making life much easier.
One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had while playing both Death Stranding games is pooling resources into autopavers to create elaborate highway systems with other players, which then makes much of the delivery process almost effortless. Rebuilding these roads would have been nigh impossible if it weren’t for the other players.
Journeying through Australia can be lonely, which is whyDS2has introduced Dollman, your newcompanion and sidekick,who can be best compared with Mimir fromGod of War(coincidentally, his voice actor, Alistair Duncan, is also in DS2 as the President of APAC). He’s a wonderful and reliable addition to the gameplay, as his occasional voicelines during gameplay help fill the silence, give you cues during tense situations, provide reconnaissance, and even distract the enemy.
Much like Mimir,Dollman is a welcome exposition machine whose value extends beyond gameplay, serving as a confidant and helping us understand the story and Sam’s emotions. In a game all about forging connections, having Dollman around makes traveling a lot less lonely, and it’s easy to grow fond of this stop-motion little man.
Not only is Dollman traveling with you on your journey across Australia, but so are the members of the DHV Magellan, which acts as a mobile base for you to rest and recuperate. Throughout the game, the DHV Magellan eventually feels like a home, allowing you to occasionally hear and see your fellow crew members in small animations that you otherwise would skip through.
Don’t Forget To Look Up
DS2 is graphically intense. Withextreme attention to detail on every surfaceyou walk on, to the gorgeous skyboxes and immense scale of the game world, the game performs surprisingly phenomenally even on a basic PS5.
Particle effects that would have otherwise melted even the strongest of graphics cards hold up considerably well, especially the first boss fight that you have against Neil Vana, where the screen is practically flooded with sparks and fireworks. My frame rate has remained consistently smooth, locked at a comfortable 60 FPS.
The load speeds are also unbelievably fast, bordering on instantaneous, and I say this with no exaggeration. The game loads from the main menu screen to gameplay as quickly as a heartbeat, and evenfast-travellingviathe DHV Magellan allows you to travel kilometers within the blink of an eye.
The lack of load screens also gives you as little downtime as possible, allowing you to seamlessly travel wherever and however you want.
One guarantee that you’ll get from any game with Kojima’s name attached to it is the attention to detail, and DS2 is no exception.
I’ve always been impressed with the level of love and care that Kojima and his team put into these games, which makes even the most fantastical scenes immersive thanks to the flawless cloth and fluid simulations during cutscenes, which transition seamlessly between pre-rendered and real-time gameplay.
To show off the beautiful renderings of breathtaking landscapes and photorealistic likenesses of the cast,DS2also boasts a robust photo mode that you’re able to spend hours playing with to find the perfect shot,and even have a fun photo shoot with your fellow DHV Magellan crewmates to create some memories via Polaroids.
While traveling through the wilderness, you can also fill the silence by using abuilt-in music playerto listen to some jams that you collect throughout your gameplay.
Not only are there amazing tracks by Woodkid, who composed many of its original tracks, but you may also listen to familiar artists like Low Roar and CHVRCHES. Other notable artists include Daichi Miura, Gen Hoshino, and, of course,Vtuber Usada Pekora herself.
Kept You Waiting, Huh?
Like most games Kojima makes,DS2isa delightfully self-indulgent passion projectwhere he adds cameos and references of whatever and whomever he happens to enjoy, and that, in my opinion, is a healthy attitude in creating anything.
It’s often joked that Kojima loves rubbing shoulders with celebrities, and both Death Stranding games are the perfect excuse for him to put his famous friends into his work as the many preppers who populate Australia.
He likes Junji Ito, so he’s going to add his art to a suit pattern (he was also featured in DS1). He’s also a fan ofVtuber Usada Pekora,so obviously, he’s going to put her in the game and have Norman Reedus repeat the lines “Peko” while wearing her hat. And let’s not forget adding Mamoru Oshii, the director of the classic anime film “Ghost in the Shell,” as a pizza chef whom you can fight in a Jackie Chan-inspired cutscene.
Playing throughDS2is a constant game of recognizing unexpected cameos like that one Leonardo DiCaprio meme,and if you embrace the absurdity and hold onto your suspension of disbelief,DS2is an absolute joy to play through.
I even recognized YouTuber-turned-filmmaker RackaRacka, which was a pleasant surprise since I used to watch a lot of their skits.
Still,DS2is unapologetically silly, campy, and absurd in the best possible ways,manifesting in what I affectionately call “Kojima-isms,” which require some suspension of disbelief to enjoy the wild nature of his work. It’s something that you’ll eitherlove or hate.
If you’re not already a fan of Kojima’s work, I do recommend keeping an open heart and mind for his signature corny writing andesoteric storytelling, because even if you still have no idea what just happened or why Higgs is fighting you with a guitar-tesla-gun-axe-hybrid,you still get to experience its beautiful landscapes and undeniably cinematic cutscenes and phenomenal acting.
“If I like something, I will add it in.”
As with most of his work,Kojima operates under the “rule of cool.”Kojima will throw logic or practicality out the window just to show off a cool concept.There are more fourth-wall breaks and references than I can count on my two hands,and they’re always a treat to find organically, whether in story cutscenes or random hidden details.
Throughout my playthrough, there are dozens of references to theMetal Gearfranchise, classic literature, films (Kojima loves his movies), and most of all, his ever-expanding collection ofscanned likenesses of celebrities everywhere.
For some, that might be immersion-breaking and even a turn-off, butthose silly moments are balanced by a genuinely heartfelt story of grief, loss, and a thesis statement on the importance of connecting in the face of existential crises.
Closing Remarks:
As the auteur, Hideo Kojima is at his most unbridled, and as such, DS2 might not be for everyone. With nothing stopping his and his team’s creative vision and their cumulative experiences of game-making, it is one of the best open-world games I have ever had the pleasure of playing, and one that I will be sure to revisit often for the next few years. While the esoteric plot and Kojima’s frequent self-indulgent references and inserts might be distracting and immersion-breaking for some people, the gameplay, visuals, and ambience are its strongest aspects. DS2 is most certainly a GOTY contender, and is truly a work of art that must be experienced if you’re looking for an atmospheric game about traveling through breathtaking views.
Hipster Kojima Rewrote Death Stranding 2 To Avoid Being Mainstream
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Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
WHERE TO PLAY
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the upcoming sequel from Hideo Kojima for Death Stranding. As mysterious and inscrutable as the first game was leading up to launch, details are sparse on this bizarre open-world exploration game.
