Halfway through the development of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, creator Hideo Kojima reportedly made significant changes to the game after playtesting results were deemed “too good”.
According to one of the sequel’s composers, Yoann “Woodkid” Lemoine, Kojima felt that because players “liked it too much” it meant that “something [was] wrong”.
“If everyone likes [your work], it means it’s mainstream. It means it’s conventional. It means it’s already pre-digested for people to like it,” Kojima told Wood.
Wood said Kojima then “changed stuff in the script and the way some crucial stuff [happens] because he thought his work was not polarising and not triggering enough emotions.”
Ironically, Kojima’s decision to alter the trajectory of Death Stranding 2 for it being “too good” has nonetheless resulted in the game being met with critical acclaim. As of writing, the sequel currently holds a 90 average on Metacritic based on 108 reviews.
One of the first things critics were quick to analyse was on comparisons to 2019’s Death Stranding, and how its sequel builds upon its story, new gameplay features, and whether it improved what Kojima Productions previously built or if it missed the mark.
Comparisons to first game
Critics discussed their issues with getting into the first game, and whether the sequel dealt with the same sticking points.
The Verge’s Andrew Webster recalled how he struggled to fully connect with Death Stranding, describing his first playthrough as “mesmerising and dull”. He noted how the first game “demanded a lot from players”, and that it wasn’t until the end of the game that he “finally understood what Kojima and his team were going for”.
Having experienced the setting, story, and characters established in the first game, Webster said it gave him the opportunity to appreciate Death Stranding 2 from the start.
“With all that out of the way, playing the sequel was a more rewarding experience. The biggest change, though, is actually me – and the fact I have some idea of what’s going on. That’s not to say Death Stranding 2 is any less weird. In fact, it might even be stranger than the original. But with much of the narrative heavy lifting out of the way, I was ready for this, and able to lose myself in Death Stranding 2 more easily.”
In his nine out of ten review for Inverse, Trone Dowd emphasised how the sequel has finally established “Kojima Productions’ divisive vision of a game centered around long continental treks”.
“That doesn’t come down to sweeping changes of what came before it, but a sizable expansion on player options and unforgettable scenarios that feel more dynamic than they did the first time around,” wrote Dowd. “Death Stranding 2 is an incremental evolution that broadens its bizarre formula just enough to convert the skeptics without sacrificing what made the original so memorable.”
GameSpot’s Diego Nicolás Argüello noted in his seven out of ten review that Death Stranding 2 mostly follows the first game’s “slow and methodical pace”, but the style of gameplay doesn’t quite have the same impact as its predecessor.
“The core foundation remains unchanged – planning and executing each delivery requires strategy and improvisation, and they’re still satisfying to pull off,” wrote Argüello. “But this second iteration doesn’t feel as arresting as it is mired in familiar story beats, a disappointing lack of friction, and an obsession with doubling down on the weaker aspects of Death Stranding.”
Argüello argued that the sequel “basks in familiarity”, which can be to its detriment.
“Some key scenes and confrontations play out almost the same as they did in the first game, too,” he wrote. “There are some meta moments involving characters communicating by breaking the fourth wall and purposefully gamified conversations, all reminiscent of the past work from Kojima Productions, but they’re few and far between.”
Argüello was also critical of homages to previous Kojima games, such as the Metal Gear Solid series, which brings unnecessary baggage to the experience. “There are too many winks and nods, sometimes as direct as an actual quote, that place key scenes in distracting fan service territory, rather than allowing the world of Death Stranding to flourish on its own.”
In contrast, Inverse’s Dowd was pleased to see these callbacks as someone who has played these games: “It was rewarding to see echoes of his past work pop up here. His ability to surprise players with moments [that] could only be done in video games remains as effective as it was in the Metal Gear Solid series.”
Narrative
Critics agreed that Death Stranding 2’s story was a major highlight, though how that narrative is implemented has some shortcomings.
“Dialogue still betrays when Kojima is offloading exposition on the player,” wrote Dowd. “Characters will still repeat plot points and player instructions one after another, reminding you that this is a video game and a heavy-handed one at that. Uneven writing [also] plagues Death Stranding 2. One moment, I was rolling my eyes at Kojima practically telling me how to feel through stilted verbiage. The next, I was smiling ear to ear after a genuinely sweet interaction between three of my favourite crewmates.”
He continued: “I wish the game did a better job at letting subtext remain subtext. Or letting [its] ideas take center stage as often as its constant stream of new concepts and the jargon used to describe them.”
“It’s clear and earnest in its message and where it stands on these ideas and issues”
Trone Dowd
Still, Dowd is pleased that Kojima Productions has stood its ground on what Death Stranding 2 is about. “It’s clear and earnest in its message and where it stands on these ideas and issues. It’s refreshing and something I want more blockbuster video games about.”
In her eight out of ten review for Siliconera, Jenni Lada had similar opinions on the game’s narrative approach.
“I adored the story Kojima Productions told in Death Stranding,” Lada recalled. “I feel like we saw real development for heroes and antagonists alike. Even if people didn’t appear frequently, they felt well realised and like we got to know them. Yet most of the time, the narrative in Death Stranding 2 let me down. The initial hours seemed fantastic […] I felt like things fell apart in so many ways.”
She added: “The story seemed much more predictable than the original, too. This isn’t to say I didn’t have moments I loved. There are some supremely silly and awesome segments, and I’ll admit two plot twists did surprise me […] It’s a shame the story does end up hitting familiar and expected beats.”
For The Washington Post’s Gene Park, who gave the game a four star rating, Death Stranding 2’s narrative was “less fussy” than its predecessor with a “more propulsive plot”.
“Many, including myself, might have loved the first game but agree its writing needed some tightening. Here, Kojima and his team have done just that, matching his best work in the Metal Gear series.”
Park also praised the title’s pacing, describing it as “much faster and more satisfying” compared to the first game. “[Death Stranding] was a drip feed of unlocking tools, while [the sequel] gives you guns and vehicles within the first hour.”
New mechanics
Speaking of tools, Death Stranding 2 introduces new items for combat encounters, in addition to mechanics like dialogue choices and skill trees.
Park praised the expansive maps in the sequel, spanning the countries of Australia and Mexico which are “full of secrets, stories, and set pieces”.
“Toward[s] the end, Death Stranding 2 becomes one of the most ambitious, awe-inspiring open world games ever created,” wrote Park. “To Kojima, all the world’s a video game stage, bending toward the will of the narrative while existing as a fully playable space. Natural disasters can occur at any moment. Rain threatens to turn valleys into rivers and lakes. And when enemy forces assemble, the continent will tremble in their wake.”
However, GameSpot’s Argüello felt that these mechanics “struggled to add new novelty to an already-distinct foundation set by its predecessor”.
“For dialogue options, there are ways in which the game subverts your picks during conversations, which are fun to see, but don’t expect them to have ramifications in the story,” he wrote. “The stats and skills are tied together – depending on your actions during deliveries, you gain points toward upgrades related to, say, stealth or map navigation.”
Gameplay
Looking at Death Stranding 2’s gameplay overall, Inverse’s Dowd commended the step up in action compared to the first game. “[Death Stranding] had moments where confrontation was a possibility, the sequel features more missions that send you directly into enemy territory. Here is where the game’s stealth and combat shine – both aspects are incredibly fun.”
The Verge’s Webster found that missions in Death Stranding 2 “are generally more interesting” than what was offered prior.
“Sometimes you have to worry about keeping the cargo above a certain temperature; other times you’re tasked with rescuing a hostage. One of my favourite quests involved finding a kangaroo in the middle of a raging bushfire and returning it to a sanctuary.”
He also commended the change in setting, with the majority of Death Stranding 2 taking place in Australia. “The Australian landscape is much harsher and more diverse, forcing you to also deal with strange creatures […] and epic-scale sandstorms.”
“For the most part, the variety is very welcome, and helps break up the monotony that occasionally plagued the original. But some of the missions are a little too much like a typical action game, which Death Stranding does not exactly excel at. Any time things devolve into combat, which is slow and clunky, the game loses a lot of its momentum and unique flavour.”
Siliconera’s Lada said that while Death Stranding 2 “can feel like a step forward in gameplay”, the difficulty of combat fell to the wayside.
“Fighting often lacks consequences and some characters’ development felt altered. I enjoyed myself when I followed Sam on his way through this gorgeous game, but the Death Stranding sequel can feel rather predictable.”
Dowd also had issues with the game’s difficulty. “Death Stranding 2 rarely challenged me when confronted by enemies. On the game’s normal difficulty, ammo is plentiful, and enemies are easy to outsmart. You’re given access to almost too many tools and options to eliminate these threats. Even boss fights, I often beat on my very first try.”
“For players looking to get the most out of the game’s surprisingly fun action, I recommend one of the harder difficulties, as you’ll otherwise burn through the game’s high-octane moments.”
Overarching themes
Dowd highlighted how the ending of the game “put a nice bow on some of Death Stranding 2’s most interesting ideas, drawing clear inspiration from our real world.”
“[The game] seems committed to making you ponder many things at once, inviting different takeaways”
Diego Nicolás Argüello
He explained: “If the first game was a prophetic reflection of the pandemic to come, Death Stranding 2 wrestles directly with the world that was left in its wake. It manages to remain as hopeful as the first game, but there’s some decent (albeit clumsy) commentary on how capitalist entities can selfishly corrupt good born out of a bad situation.”
Gamespot’s Argüello expressed a similar viewpoint, but felt that Death Stranding 2 was “less precise and clear about what it wants to say”.
“It seems committed to making you ponder many things at once, inviting different takeaways. Its story touches on topics like the increasing harms of climate change, how our everyday actions are being automated with each passing day, the damaging presence of guns, the clash between governments and privately owned entities, and the importance of helping others in any way we can.”
“If Death Stranding 2 is prescient of anything, it is that fixation on the past binds us to repeat history, no matter how much we try to pretend otherwise.”
Conclusion
As it stands, critics agreed that Death Stranding 2 is far more accessible than its predecessor.
The Verge’s Webster noted that the series is “tough to recommend for some” as new players wanting to play the sequel will have to traverse the dense narrative-building of the first game.
“It’s possible it won’t fully click until you play one long and confusing game, and then jump into its similarity demanding, if more accessible, sequel. But for me, that struggle was worth the effort, because, again, there just isn’t anything like Death Stranding. It’s haunting, beautiful, and forced me to focus all of my attention on it – something that’s becoming increasingly rare in modern games. It can just take some time to get past that barrier.”
“All the seemingly disordered character and plot elements slide together into a stunning conclusion to the Death Stranding saga”
Gene Park
For The Washington Post’s Park, the experience of playing Death Stranding 2 made him feel as though he was witnessing Kojima Productions “at the peak of their powers”.
“[The studio is] creating blockbuster popular art that challenges its audiences with enigmatic, often inscrutable storytelling,” he concluded.
“Trailers for the game teased a fragmented, absurd story, and there are plenty of such moments. But it all builds together to his most crowd-pleasing finale in 20 years as all the seemingly disordered character and plot elements slide together into a stunning conclusion to the Death Stranding saga.”
