Death Stranding 2: On the Beach: a world that has not healed

Sequels are not always predictable, especially when it comes to games. Where movies tend to lose focus and repeat themselves, games often delve deeper. They don't just continue the story, but revisit it from a new angle and develop the mechanics that were introduced earlier. Hideo Kojima's games have always balanced between movies and games themselves. But if the first part of Death Stranding was a cinematic meditation on connection, then the second is an attempt to look at that connection from the inside. It seems to return you to a familiar route, but changes the ground under your feet. This is a game that silently waits for you to decide to return. And if you do, it will meet you differently.

Game world: time that flows differently

Death Stranding 2 takes place in a reality where the world has changed after a catastrophic event known as the "Death Stranding". The physical boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead has collapsed. As a result, dangerous creatures - BT (Beached Things) - ghosts of the dead have appeared in the environment, hunting the living and leaving behind areas of complete devastation.

One of the most dangerous phenomena is the chiral rain (Timefall). It speeds up time for everything it touches: plants instantly wither, metal rusts, skin ages. People must avoid these deadly drops. That is why most movement in this world takes place in conditions of constant risk - the weather changes suddenly, and weather conditions can destroy the entire delivery or cause the appearance of BT.

The world is populated by isolated communities. People hardly go outside - only couriers travel between regions. They are the only bridge between the centers of civilization. That is why the main character, Sam, plays such an important role: he does not just deliver goods, but connects people in a literal and symbolic sense.

This world works according to different laws – time is not linear, death is not final, and contact with the outside world carries a threat. And the entire game is built around the player not just acting in these conditions, but understanding what they mean. This is not a background – it is the basis of everything you do.

Gameplay: Familiar foundation, but new depths

Despite the familiar formula of a delivery simulator in a hostile environment, Death Stranding 2 gradually opens up new layers. The game begins by forcing the player to learn to walk again. As we remember from the first part, there is a rather complicated movement system there and this is the basis of the gameplay. Therefore, you will immediately have to remember how to move through difficult terrain and not fall during descents or ascents. But here, as with a bicycle, if you have had experience, then "muscle memory" will help you quickly restore your skills. And then players are waiting for new layers of this complex gameplay system, which add new depth to the elements familiar from the first part.

The player still delivers cargo – but now there are more tasks, as well as opportunities to overcome rough terrain. And the reward even for side missions is tangible and really useful. This is due to a significantly expanded range of buildings, equipment, transport and weapons. Deliveries have become more diverse. Cargo has properties – some cannot withstand heat, others are explosive or too fragile. New types of targets have appeared, including living creatures that must be transported carefully. Yes, in Death Stranding 2, fauna has appeared, which was mentioned in the first game. This aspect complements the world, and also adds new activities to save animals and deliver them to a special shelter.

In addition to peaceful animals, new BTs (Beach Things) have also appeared - otherworldly hostile creatures. Now there are more of them, they have different levels of danger and require different tactics for both avoidance and counteraction. In addition to BTs, which usually appear only in the rain, you can also meet small so-called "chiral creatures" in the world, which move in groups and, due to their large numbers, can pose a danger to the player and the cargo.

The most noticeable difference between Death Stranding 2 and its predecessor is access to technology. While in the first game most of the transport was unlocked gradually, here players almost immediately get a motorcycle, a truck and the ability to build monorail lines. This does not mean that movement has become easier. Transport still requires attention to energy levels, surface conditions and smart use of structures.

In difficult landscapes, transportation quickly becomes a limitation, not an advantage. After all, without a truck, it will no longer be possible to deliver everything you have collected along the way, but it cannot drive uphill because of the rocks. You have to constantly solve logistical problems, which become more complicated as the plot progresses. At first, you can simply build a route to bypass the obstacles. But the further you go, the more difficult the natural (and not only) obstacles become, so detours become less and less advisable.

This is where auxiliary facilities come into play. Their variety and capabilities have expanded significantly since the first part. For example, monorails or additional remote bases open up new ways of logistics - the player decides how to organize the route and where to set up support points.

The DHV Magellan ship will help with movement in some places. This is an innovation - a base of operations and a small hub for Sam and his team. To avoid spoilers, there will be no details. But it plays a significant role in the plot and gameplay.

Construction, just like in the first Death Stranding, is not only an auxiliary mechanism for delivering and moving to the desired point. It is also the basis for asynchronous and truly unique multiplayer. Interaction between players in Death Stranding 2 has become even more important and provides even more opportunities during the passage.

As before, after connecting a new region to the chiral network, other players' structures appear on its territory. Some of the monumental creations can and even should be built together, dumping resources. A new monorail or already familiar roads simply require a bunch of different resources. It is clear that if all players who have access to this structure throw at least some of it, then things will go faster.

And it's true, even if you add a very small share and show others that there is interest and activity here, after a while you can notice that a new section of road has appeared on the map in that place. It will simplify the player's life and help others. It all depends on the activity of the player himself: how much he interacts with the network, maintains buildings, fulfills common goals. This creates a feeling that you are not just online - you are among others.

The physics of movement remained a key element. Balancing cargo, losing balance on a slope, changing weather - all this forces you to consider every decision. The world has become more aggressive: storms, avalanches, flooding have appeared. Some routes can change during the mission, and this adds tension - even familiar areas no longer guarantee stability. Additionally, mobility and planning are affected by the previously mentioned transport. Somewhere after the middle of the game, a truck becomes almost mandatory, because often packages become too heavy, or you need to carry resources with you to restore a distant road.

The combat system has also undergone changes. In the first part, it was secondary - conflicts often looked awkward. In Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, new types of weapons appeared, special devices for distracting enemies, the ability to act covertly. Stealth has become a more important part of the game - routes for bypassing enemies, temporary camouflage, tactical opportunities have appeared. Direct combat is still undesirable, but if it cannot be avoided - the player has a choice of how to act.

This is facilitated by a huge selection of weapons. The player has access to rifles, shotguns, machine guns, grenade launchers of various designs and quality levels. Unique weapons and tools for different fighting styles are added to the pile. Weapons are constantly being improved, and new models are also being opened. Often all this is given as a reward for optional deliveries and other orders. Other gadgets and equipment are also unlocked. So, having completed only the storyline part of the game, you can miss a lot of interesting things.

Death Stranding 2 has a new progression and character leveling system. It is two-sided: passive leveling when performing certain actions, such as running, climbing, or holding your breath. The more you do, the better these characteristics become. Just like many role-playing games in the Elder Scrolls series do. Another aspect of progression is the familiar leveling tree, in which you can improve various parameters of equipment and the effectiveness of its use. These two systems do not change the gameplay much, but they add depth to it, as well as weight to the player's habits and actions.

For new players, the mechanics may seem slow, especially in the first few hours of the game. But Death Stranding 2 provides more tools for adaptation. For those who have already played the first part, the updates will be felt immediately - the pace has become more dynamic, the gameplay decisions are more diverse, and the logistics are more interesting.

However, it is recommended not only to familiarize yourself with the recap of the events of the first part in the main menu, but to actually play it. Because not only does the gameplay largely follow the original, but the plot and world-building foundation are also very important here. And simple videos or slides will not help much. Although the game tries to "pour" context into the dialogues between missions, in addition, at the beginning of Death Stranding 2 repeats the basics in gameplay training and mentions important plot moments.

Plot: A world that has not healed

In Death Stranding 2, the plot moves more confidently than in the first part. The story has become more focused, with clearly defined tasks, specific events and understandable conflicts. Less mythology in the presentation of the narrative, more focus on events here and now. But the deep symbolism of this world has not disappeared. Sam again finds himself in a familiar role, but this time the task is different - to connect the southern regions, in particular Mexico, to the network. At the same time, points of new political tension are revealed, and the world no longer looks united, even after all the previous efforts. Sam is no longer just a courier, but a participant in a complex process that borders on diplomacy.

The story is presented in a structured way. At the beginning, there is a brief retelling of the first part in the form of 17 slides, and subsequent events are explained through dialogues and new missions. Yes, there seem to be fewer cutscenes, and most of the plot is presented through dialogues. Sometimes it seems that there are even too many of these dialogues on the radio, when receiving or delivering orders. It is easy to get lost among them, what is important for the plot, and what is just chatter between the characters. On the other hand, the story of Sam's companions is revealed quite clumsily, which causes dissonance.

Despite this flaw, the story is engaging. It has enough substance to keep the player going, and enough dramatic moments to leave an impression. It's a cohesive story with a clear theme and an ending that leaves a sense of completion. It also provides a loophole for a threequel, although it's not necessary.

The cast plays an important role in the presentation of the plot - familiar, but supplemented. Key characters from the first part return to the game: Norman Reedus again plays Sam Bridges, Léa Seydoux - Fragile. The visual presence of other familiar characters, such as Die-Hardman or Mom, is also preserved, even if their participation in the events is now limited. They are joined by new characters, embodied by actors such as Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, George Miller, and some others who were not shown in the trailers. The new characters fit well into the structure of the story, without displacing the old ones, but adding new emotional points of support. Troy Baker returned to the role of the villain and revealed his character Higgs even deeper and more emotionally in contrast to the calm and taciturn hero of Norman Reedus.

Details in everything: picture, sound, music

Death Stranding 2 has simply magnificent graphics. It looks detailed and clear even on a regular PlayStation 5, and on the Pro model it is perhaps the most beautiful game of the generation. Although the main background is a semi-desert post-apocalypse landscape, it is simply drawn down to the smallest detail. And the characters' faces look like a full-fledged CGI movie. And all this works stably at 60 frames per second in performance mode. Thanks to the right engine for this. Decima from Guerrilla Games showed itself well on PlayStation 4 in the first part of Death Stranding, and demonstrated what it is capable of in the right hands in Horizon Forbidden West.

Special praise deserves attention to detail. Shoes wear out, and if they are completely worn out, Sam will get wounds on his feet. If you ride along routes that are often traveled by players, a trodden path appears there. There is less oxygen in the mountains, so Sam can get altitude sickness. You can get burns from the sun, and frostbite from the cold if you stay outside for a long time. And there are many such details.

The implementation of many systems is top-notch, plus all this is enhanced by Hideo Kojima's own vision. That is, the usual automatic health recovery, which appeared back in the era of the first Halo, is modified here to make it less forgiving. Health in Death Stranding 2 can be restored in two ways. The first is to eat a cryptobiote, this is a quick recovery. The second is auto-recovery, but at the expense of consumables - blood packs. It's like a regular system, but with a compromise solution between the old approach and a more modern one.

The sound works for the immersion effect. Footsteps on the damp ground, the metallic vibration of a carrier drone, the whistling of the wind in the canyon – everything sounds natural and helps you get used to this world. But it’s not just a background – the sound in the game informs and works in synergy with the music. You can guess from it that rain is coming, that BT is approaching, that someone else has walked this road. If you play with headphones – the world begins to breathe along with Sam.

The music, as in the first part, appears at the right moment. Not as background accompaniment, but as part of the journey. One track - during a lonely crossing through the valley. Another – when you descend the mountain after a difficult delivery. The compositions of Woodkid, Low Roar and Ludvig Forssell do not cover the silence, but accompany it. They do not strive for epicness, but only emphasize the internal state of the player.

Conclusion

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is not just a sequel. It builds on the foundation of the first part, preserving its unique identity, but makes everything larger, deeper and more technically sophisticated. This project deliberately avoids simple solutions – it does not chase spectacle or pace, although it sometimes gives unexpected plot twists and shocking moments. The game offers a thoughtful, sometimes meditative immersion in a world where every detail matters, and every action has consequences. Not ephemeral consequences for the plot, but consequences for the player himself, which he will experience during future deliveries.

It may seem demanding to newcomers, but instead offers gameplay that rewards attentiveness, patience, and empathy. And for fans of the first part, it will be a homecoming where many things have changed, become better, and more mature.

This is a game that tries to do something different again. And even if it doesn't work out equally well, it remains a unique phenomenon. For fans of the first part, Death Stranding 2 could be the game of 2025. For newcomers, it's a discovery and something new among the familiar experience of ordinary games.