Death Stranding 2 Review: What It Fixes — and What It Doesn’t

Death Stranding 2 Review: On The Beach is still weird, still wordy, and still wildly Kojima. But it’s also smarter, smoother, and finally something that plays like a game, not a cryptic art exhibit. If you’ve ever wanted to like Kojima games but bounced off the pacing, this might be your in. If you’re a returning fan? You’re in for a far less painful pilgrimage.

Death Stranding 2 Actually Respects Your Time (Mostly)

Let’s start with the biggest shift, the grind is gone. Mostly.

In the first game, Sam was a glorified post-apocalyptic UberEats guy with a spinal injury. In Death Stranding 2, the traversal still matters, but now it feels good. Movement has weight without being clunky, cargo balancing is less tedious, and tools like upgraded exo-suits, deployable paths, and smart vehicles make it feel like you’re planning routes, not praying for mercy.

You’ll still fall over. You’ll still curse at rocks. But you’ll do it with better gear and a good reason. It finally nails what the first game teased: a playable metaphor for emotional baggage that doesn’t bore you halfway to death. To see how cinematic ambition stacks up against technical limits, visit our hub: PC Single-Player Reviews 2025.

And yes, boss fights are a real thing now. Finally. And Talking about sequels: The sequel that haunted gamers for years, find out what Valve must fix here.

The Story Is Still Bizarre! But It Hits Harder This Time

This is still a Hideo Kojima game, so yeah, you’re going to get cutscenes longer than most Netflix episodes. But the difference here is emotional clarity. The story in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach leans into its characters and relationships more than its metaphors.

Léa Seydoux and Norman Reedus bring genuine weight to their scenes. Fragile feels like a fully realized human being this time, not just a mysterious metaphor delivery system. And yes, there’s still a baby in a bottle. But the death stranding 2 review takeaway here? The weirdness has a soul now.

If you’re looking for lore dumps, you’ll get them, but they’re easier to follow, even if you’re not holding a philosophy degree.

Related: Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.3, Sometimes, games do get second chances. Both games turn repetition into meaning, our Hades II Review shows how Supergiant made failure feel like progress.

Gameplay That Doesn’t Feel Like a Walking Simulator (Anymore)

Let’s be real: the first Death Stranding had gameplay about as exciting as watching a guy climb stairs with 80kg of Amazon Prime boxes.

This time, that core loop gets… well, loops. Combat is smarter, terrain more engaging, and mission design more varied. You’ll go from traversal puzzles to stealth to freaky supernatural encounters in a way that feels organic, not like a series of mini-games stapled together. And Talking about loops, Death Stranding 2 is already carving out its place in PC Gaming’s Timeless Loop, with systems built for long-term replay.

Throw in the online asynchronous systems, where other players’ structures appear in your world, and you’ve got a game that feels connected in a way few single-player titles ever achieve.

Bonus: No more urination mechanics. We’re free.

Death Stranding 2 vs the Original — What’s Actually Different?

If you’re wondering whether this is just more of the same with prettier graphics, here’s the short answer: it’s not. This is a proper sequel with fundamental changes, not just a narrative continuation.

Traversal has been tuned down from “awkward drama” to “intentional challenge.” You’ll still trip over rocks, but your gear choices now matter more, and terrain can often be mitigated by smart planning, or the shared online tools left by other players.

Combat isn’t just occasional anymore. It’s layered. You now have multiple weapon types, better enemy variety, and boss fights that feel like set pieces rather than weird interruptions.

Then there’s onboarding, Death Stranding 2 actually tries to teach you how to play. The first game dumped you in the wild and hoped you’d be patient. Here, early missions introduce mechanics slowly, allowing players new to the “Strand” genre to feel less… well, stranded.

Technically, the performance is smoother too. The game looks and runs better on PS5 and PC, with much faster load times and less UI clunk. If Death Stranding 1 was Kojima’s unfiltered vision, part 2 is the refined cut with subtitles, cliff notes, and a slightly better translator.

Tips for First-Time Porters (So You Don’t Rage Quit)

If you’re new to Death Stranding or rage quit halfway through the first one, here are some non-obvious tips to help you avoid snapping your controller in half:

• Use Auto-Equip Tools: Let the game optimize your loadout early on. Manual packing gets better once you unlock more gear.
• Upgrade Boots Often: It sounds dumb until you’re limping across a mountain. Fresh boots = survival.
• Trust Other Players: Seriously, those ladders and ziplines they built? Lifesavers. Give likes and pay it forward.
• Scan Before You Move: Constantly ping the environment for terrain intel. If it’s red, it’s probably pain.
• Don’t Hoard Junk: Early game teaches you to carry everything. Mid-game punishes you for it.

Also, don’t underestimate safehouses and fast travel. They can make long trips less miserable, and in Kojima’s world, “less miserable” is practically luxury.

Bonus Read: Fix High CPU Usage While Gaming, because if your PC starts wheezing halfway through a cutscene, it might not be intentional drama and to maintain your PC for uninterupted Gaming. Check out how we maintain Our Pc’s Here

What Kojima Still Refuses to Fix (And Maybe Never Will)

The cutscenes? Still indulgent. The dialogue? Still weirdly paced. The symbolism? Still so on-the-nose that your controller might vibrate in protest.

But here’s the thing, this is intentional. Kojima doesn’t care if you “get” everything. He’s making vibes. He’s building an emotional sandbox where you feel lost and then earn clarity. That’s brave, or arrogant, or both, but it’s still unique.

You won’t escape the fourth-wall winks or the monologues about “connection.” You will, however, have a smoother time playing through them.

Bonus: Death Stranding 2 builds on Kojima’s vision and earns its place in PC Single-Player Reviews 2025, with fixes and flaws both on display.

Should You Play Death Stranding 2? Here’s Who It’s For

If any of these apply, you’ll probably love it:

• You liked the first game (or wanted to but gave up).
• You enjoy cinematic gaming like Red Dead Online.
• You’re cool with slow pacing as long as it pays off emotionally.
• You like to overanalyze endings.

Avoid it if:

• You hate cutscenes.
• You have a short attention span.
• You think Kojima is just trolling the gaming world.

Pro tip: Play with good headphones. And maybe don’t marathon this after a breakup. You’ve been warned. Also When a game demands patience and systems literacy, our Dota 2 Learning Curve shows how players climb steep mechanics.

Final Verdict: Weirdly Beautiful and Surprisingly Playable

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is a better game, a deeper story, and a more playable experience than the original, but it’s still unapologetically Kojima. That means you’ll either love it… or ask why nobody talks like a human being in these games.

But if you meet it halfway? It might leave a mark. Just maybe check your thermals while you’re at it.

Watch the Official Trailer:

Bonus:

Also read: HWiNFO Guide: Bottlenecks, Temps & Sanity, because after five hours on Kojima’s beach, you’ll start questioning your PC’s stability and your own.

Want more? Dive deeper with the official Kojima Productions site or check out the Death Stranding 2 page on PlayStation for trailers, dev updates, and preorder info.