When Death Stranding first appeared in 2019, it baffled, delighted, and frustrated gamers in equal measure, with Hideo Kojima crafting a post-apocalyptic delivery simulator that was as thought-provoking as it was polarizing. Fast forward to 2025, and Kojima Productions returns with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, delivering not only more literal packages, but also heavier emotional baggage, deeper existential ponderings, and a remarkably improved gameplay experience. Set primarily in the untamed, unforgiving landscapes of Australia, the game retains Kojima’s idiosyncratic storytelling and mind-bending lore, this time amplified by new faces, greater threats, and a storyline that could only spring from one of gaming’s most fascinatingly unconventional minds.
Once again taking on the mantle (and cargo) of Sam Porter Bridges, players venture into a meticulously rendered Australian landscape, grappling with supernatural phenomena, geopolitical conspiracies, and a variety of bizarre adversaries, including ghostly mechs and spectral soldiers. Familiar faces like Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Troy Baker return, joined by a spectacularly eclectic cast that includes Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, and Luca Marinelli, as well as cameo appearances from visionaries such as George Miller, Guillermo del Toro, and Nicolas Winding Refn. The star-studded roster underscores Kojima’s cinematic aspirations, making On the Beach feel like an epic, interactive movie directed by an auteur determined to blur the line between cinema and gaming.
Graphically jaw-dropping and technically impressive, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach harnesses every ounce of the PlayStation 5’s power, delivering visuals that border on photorealistic, coupled with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and some of gaming’s finest motion-capture performances. Kojima Productions has clearly embraced feedback from the original title, enhancing combat, traversal mechanics, and player agency, while simultaneously doubling down on the narrative complexity and philosophical introspection that made the first entry so memorable (and occasionally maddening).
But does this ambitious sequel successfully walk the tightrope between brilliance and pretentiousness? Is it another divisive exercise in Kojima’s narrative excess, or a genuine evolution that elevates the original’s fascinating but flawed foundation into something truly extraordinary? Load up your cargo, double-check your balance, and let’s journey together through the mysterious, melancholic, and endlessly captivating world of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
Setting and Story
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach swaps the bleak, mountainous landscapes of post-apocalyptic America for the equally haunting, and frequently terrifying, Australian continent, eleven months after the original game’s events. The shift in setting breathes new life into the series, offering an expansive new playground characterized by rugged terrains, desolate outbacks, and eerie, ghostly landmarks. Kojima Productions masterfully reimagines Australia as a place simultaneously familiar yet otherworldly, enhancing the narrative’s themes of isolation, reconnection, and humanity’s fragile grasp on survival.
The story centers once again on Sam Porter Bridges, who, having retired from the porter life, is reluctantly drawn back into service to connect Australia via the chiral network. Kojima, never one to keep things simple, layers the narrative with a dizzying array of plot twists, existential symbolism, and philosophical musings about life, death, and everything in-between. This sequel delves deeper into personal and emotional territories, exploring Sam’s relationships, grief, and redemption through characters both old and new, including the enigmatic Tomorrow (Elle Fanning) and the relentless specter Neil Vana (Luca Marinelli).
Much of the narrative richness derives from Kojima’s trademark ability to fuse profound thematic content with surreal and occasionally baffling storytelling. Here, players must navigate dense conspiracies involving ghostly mechanized enemies, rogue artificial intelligence, and even interdimensional portals known as “plate gates.” The interplay of familiar characters such as Fragile and Higgs with compelling newcomers adds emotional complexity and nuance to the game’s already intricate lore, creating moments of genuine emotional resonance amid the surreal chaos.
Ultimately, the narrative journey in On the Beach is quintessential Kojima, deeply layered, occasionally convoluted, but endlessly compelling. It’s a story unafraid to challenge players intellectually and emotionally, asking profound questions about humanity’s nature and our relationship with technology, isolation, and mortality. Kojima Productions delivers a narrative that’s bold, complex, and emotionally resonant, making it clear that in the world of Death Stranding, delivering packages is the easy part; it’s the human connections and existential dilemmas that weigh heaviest.
Gameplay and Mechanics
With Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Kojima Productions has clearly listened to player feedback, refining and expanding on the original’s unique gameplay formula in numerous meaningful ways. At its core, the familiar loop of traversing harsh terrains while balancing precarious cargo remains, but this sequel significantly enriches the experience through an array of thoughtful improvements, additional mechanics, and deeper player choice. Whether you’re scaling rocky cliffs, navigating raging sandstorms, or carefully sneaking past ghostly threats, each delivery feels satisfyingly tense and rewarding.
Traversal is now far more dynamic and enjoyable thanks to enhanced vehicle customization and new infrastructure-building mechanics. Players have the freedom to upgrade and personalize vehicles, adding features like extra batteries or defensive gun turrets, which dramatically ease exploration and combat. The ability to construct complex transport networks, including roads and a new monorail system, significantly improves pacing, rewarding meticulous planning and investment. After all, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing your carefully constructed monorail zip effortlessly over formerly nightmarish terrain.
Combat, previously a weaker element of the series, has seen considerable evolution. Sam is now equipped with a broader array of tools, gadgets, and customizable weapons, allowing for varied playstyles ranging from stealthy evasion to aggressive confrontation. The dynamic day-night cycle adds a tactical dimension, influencing enemy behaviors and making strategic timing crucial for safe traversal. Additionally, the introduction of ghostly mech encounters ramps up intensity and variety, requiring players to think on their feet or risk becoming a ghost themselves, thankfully, Sam remains stubbornly difficult to kill permanently.
The newly added Automated Porter Assistant System (APAS) skill tree further enriches the gameplay loop, allowing players to enhance combat abilities, stealth strategies, or delivery skills through organic progression. The game cleverly rewards players for repeated tasks, encouraging you to refine your chosen playstyle and master the nuances of delivery, stealth, and combat mechanics. Ultimately, these thoughtful refinements ensure Death Stranding 2: On the Beach offers a robust, engaging, and notably improved gameplay experience that expertly balances tension, creativity, and strategic depth.
Multiplayer and Replayability
Like its predecessor, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach incorporates the concept of asynchronous multiplayer, a unique mechanic that allows players worldwide to indirectly assist one another by leaving behind resources, equipment, and infrastructure. There’s an undeniable charm in discovering a bridge, shelter, or carefully placed ladder constructed by another player, often at the precise moment you desperately need it. This subtle cooperation fosters a genuine sense of community without ever requiring direct interaction, proving Kojima’s philosophy that connections don’t always require direct communication, just thoughtful construction.
The expanded infrastructure system greatly enhances this cooperative dynamic. Players can collectively build expansive road networks, bridges, and monorails across the vast Australian landscapes, creating a persistent shared environment that evolves based on community contributions. The simple joy of seeing your modest supply drop station become a bustling communal hub for weary porters from around the globe adds a deeply rewarding layer of replayability and interconnectedness. Who knew road construction and package delivery could foster global unity?
Replayability is further amplified by the wealth of player choices and expansive open-world design. The branching skill tree of the APAS system encourages repeated playthroughs to fully explore varied gameplay styles. Players can experiment with stealth-oriented approaches, aggressive combat strategies, or dedicated serviceship skills, discovering fresh gameplay experiences with each approach. Optional side quests and secrets scattered throughout the meticulously crafted environments offer significant incentives for exploration, ensuring that returning to the game never feels repetitive.
Additionally, periodic updates and community-driven events introduced by Kojima Productions promise ongoing replayability, keeping players returning long after the main narrative concludes. These carefully integrated online events and thematic challenges offer players fresh ways to engage with the world, collaborate with fellow porters, and continue refining their mastery of the game’s nuanced mechanics. Ultimately, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach cleverly leverages multiplayer concepts and replayability, reinforcing its central themes of connection, cooperation, and shared humanity in uniquely satisfying ways.
Graphics and Sound
Let’s get this straight: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach isn’t merely graphically impressive; it’s practically a visual symphony. Kojima Productions pushes the PlayStation 5 hardware to stunning heights, delivering environments that range from breathtakingly expansive deserts and lush coastal terrains to haunting, surrealistic landscapes shaped by otherworldly forces. Every vista, rock formation, and shadowy creature brims with meticulous detail, giving players plenty of reason to pause their delivery runs just to soak in the visual artistry or simply snap screenshots for their social media bragging rights.
Character models and animations are equally astonishing. Utilizing state-of-the-art motion capture, actors like Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Elle Fanning provide some of the most emotionally nuanced performances ever seen in gaming. Subtle facial expressions, lifelike gestures, and impeccable lip-syncing capture genuine human emotion and complexity, making every cutscene feel more like an expertly directed Hollywood production. Even the ghostly, mechanical enemies carry a terrifying, surreal beauty, hauntingly realized through intricate textures and disturbingly fluid animations.
Sound design further complements the game’s impeccable visuals, creating an audio landscape as immersive and emotive as its graphical counterpart. Environmental sounds, whispering winds, rustling foliage, distant storms, pull players deeper into the world’s quiet desperation, amplifying the sense of isolation and wonder. Combat sounds pack satisfying punch, with each weapon, explosion, and clash feeling intense and authentic. And let’s not forget those tense moments when a ghost mech’s unsettling mechanical whir approaches from the fog, always an audible cue to panic accordingly.
The soundtrack, featuring a haunting blend of ambient, orchestral, and contemporary music, further elevates the emotional resonance of the narrative. Kojima’s characteristic use of carefully curated licensed tracks punctuates key story moments beautifully, while the original score subtly enhances gameplay intensity, exploration, and emotional depth. Voice acting is consistently stellar across the board, supported by performances that convey deep emotion and authentic nuance. Altogether, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach delivers an audiovisual experience so polished and compelling, you’ll gladly risk being late with your deliveries just to enjoy every meticulously crafted moment.
Final Thoughts
In a landscape filled with sequels that often play it safe, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a breath of fresh, audaciously unconventional air. Kojima Productions has not only refined the unique formula established in the original game but also elevated it to new heights of narrative ambition, gameplay depth, and audiovisual mastery. Whether it’s the stunning Australian landscapes, nuanced performances from a star-studded cast, or the haunting beauty of its intricate storytelling, everything about this sequel feels intentionally designed to push the boundaries of gaming as a medium.
Gameplay improvements, particularly in traversal, combat, and infrastructure-building mechanics, effectively address the original game’s criticisms, making every action feel purposeful, rewarding, and deeply immersive. The asynchronous multiplayer components brilliantly enhance the game’s central themes of connection and cooperation, subtly turning solo adventures into collaborative achievements. Kojima Productions has successfully balanced innovation with accessibility, crafting an experience that’s simultaneously challenging, rewarding, and profoundly moving.
Graphically stunning and sonically captivating, On the Beach is nothing short of an artistic triumph. Kojima’s trademark cinematic flair reaches its apex here, delivering visuals and audio that rank among gaming’s finest achievements. Every frame feels lovingly crafted, every sound meticulously composed, resulting in a genuinely mesmerizing audiovisual experience. From subtle facial expressions to sweeping vistas, from haunting ambient sounds to emotionally charged music, the attention to detail is staggering.
Ultimately, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a remarkable, thought-provoking masterpiece, one that reaffirms Kojima’s status as one of gaming’s boldest visionaries. Whether you adored or merely tolerated the first entry, this sequel offers something genuinely special: a game that challenges, entertains, and resonates deeply on both emotional and intellectual levels. Prepare yourself for a journey that’s as profound as it is unforgettable, just make sure you pack enough stamina for the trip.
We prepared this review with a digital copy of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach for the PS5 version provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment PR.
