Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: An action-heavy trek, weighed down by familiar baggage

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4 hours ago

It can be hard to describe what exactly
Death Stranding
is a
game.
Is it a glorified delivery simulator? In some ways, it is the main gameplay loop. Is it a game about connecting with and helping other? Yes, sure that is a main feature. Is it a survival horror game where a baby attached to your chest helps you sense invisible spirits? Yeah, that is an important mechanic.
Truthfully, it was these elements and more that made it such a strange and compelling experience.
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While the sequel threads a lot of the same ground, its increased focus on combat makes it a worthwhile journey through the
desolate
wastelands of Mexico and Australia.
Given how the original game ended though—reconnecting the contiguous United States to the chiral network—where could things go?
That is exactly what acclaimed Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid) and Kojima Productions had to figure out. The solution was simple, have legendary porter (delivery man) Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) reconnect Mexico and then Australia to the network.
You might be thinking how exactly could you get to Australia from Mexico? That is a great question. In turns out connecting Mexico to the chiral network created a "Plate Gate" which allows people to travel between the two continents.
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It is certainly a convenient solution, but Kojima is known for employing outlandish sci-fi elements in his stories
The 'Plate Gate' between Mexico and Australia.
Reconnecting
The story starts with Porter's ally Fragile (Léa Seydou) trying to find Sam and his son Lou who are believed to be hiding out somewhere in Mexico.
She tracks them down and convinces Sam to come out of hiding and continue the work he did with Bridges, but with Mexico.
Off the bat, Death Stranding 2 does a much better job than the original of getting players up to speed with delivering cargo and giving you the tools to make it easier.
Off the bat, Death Stranding 2 does a much better job than the original of getting players up to speed with delivering cargo and giving you the tools to make it easier.
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Mexico acts as a tutorial area where you do your first deliveries, unlock better gear and tools and begin to reconnect places to the network.
You also learn about the strand system, where players build roads, bridges and monorails that everyone can use and leads to a sense of comradery.
Early on you unlock a tri-cruiser (a motorbike with three wheels) which not only speeds up deliveries but allows you to carry more cargo.
You also have a ship called the DHV Magellan on hand that not only acts a hub for your crew, but to fast travel to areas you have connected.
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Fundamentally, there is nothing different from the first game. The gameplay loop is the same
—
as you do deliveries both big and small and reconnect outposts to the network
—
you get access to better gear and equipment, rinse and repeat.
The rewards may be worthwhile, but too many side orders are dull, routine deliveries. Sometimes you might have to infiltrate a base and collect cargo, but these the exception to the rule.
Thankfully, the world you travel is stunningly created and makes use of the Decima engine (created by Sony's Guerrilla Games).
Sam Porter Bridges in Australia.
Land of Oz
You trek through searing deserts, snow-capped peaks and lush tropical vistas. It is in an impressive recreation of the dramatic and diverse Australian
landscape.
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You will even come across animal's native to the land such as Kangaroos and Emus that you can rescue and drop off at an animal shelter.
Playing on a PS5 Pro I had a near flawless experience. It runs at smooth 4k 120fps or 60fps depending on if your TV has VRR.
Sandstorms. gate-quakes and
torrential
rain add another dimension to both transporting cargo and combat.
Sandstorms. gate-quakes and
torrential
rain add another dimension to both transporting cargo and combat.
There is a real magic to travelling across such vast terrain with a song that perfectly fits the mood playing in the background.
It is also still oddly satisfying organising cargo in just the right way so you balance the weight between you backpack and carriers......it is essentially FedEx Tetris.
So, while many of this will feel familiar to players, the biggest change players will encounter is the emphasis on combat.
Stealth and evasion were the name of the game in DS1 but going in guns blazing is a viable option here. You can fabricate any number of weapons from machine guns, assault rifles, handguns, grenade launchers or even a quadruple rocket launcher.
You will encounter bases with various enemy types throughout the game. You can slink around silently taking them out one by one, but if you do get spotted, going loud is always a fall back.
Each weapon is punchy and responsive, with just the right amount of kick—especially with the DualSense implementation. There is also a plethora of grenades for each approach, whether it is a smoke grenade, blood grenades for Beached Things (BTs) or holographic grenades to distract enemies.
Ghost mechs
The DNA from Metal Gear Solid is very evident here as you can use a watchtower to scope out bases and then determine what is the best way to tackle the situation.
You will also come across BTs once again (spirits stuck in the mortal world) that will disrupt your progress. While it is still ill-advised to take a group of them on, you can quell things with blood grenades or the new blood boomerang to thin the herd.
There are also brand-new enemies to deal with called ghost mechs. They are the private army for the game's main antagonist Higgs (Troy Baker).
They are incredibly distinctive in their all-red armour and come in various shapes and sizes. There is the blade ghost mech that has dual blades, the coffin that has giant mounted machine guns or the rider, which are motorcycle-shaped mechs.
Every encounter is more intense with ghost mechs as they can withstand more damage than humans and can dish it out twofold.
Every encounter is more intense with as they can withstand more damage than humans and can dish it out twofold. Some of the best moments in the game are when you face these deadly enemies head on.
Speaking of Higgs, how exactly does the story fair? Well after an initially promising start, poor pacing and some baffling decisions near the end, stop it from being an overall compelling experience.
Higgs steals every scene he is in, as Troy Baker leans into the absurdity with fourth-wall breaking quips and an electric guitar which blasts out electricity.
On Sam's side of things, he is joined by Fragile and a host of fresh faces.
Higgs in Death Stranding 2.
Character study
There is the captain of the DHV Magellan, Tarman (George Miller), Rainy (Shioli Kutsuna), Tomorrow (Ellie Fanning), and the aptly named Dollman (Jonathan Roumie).
The latter is the most disappointing character, as instead of Dollman (whose soul is trapped in a doll) adding insightful commentary, he comes out with incredible titbits like "Sam, I think you lost some cargo," when it is blatantly obvious you have.
While Tomorrow is a mysterious figure for much of the game, Rainy is the emotional core of it. Her bubbly demeanour brightens up what is an incredibly bleak world.
She can conjure 'Corefall' –which unlike Timefall which ages everything it touches—restores everything it touches.
Rain, Tomorrow and Fragile form a kinship throughout and there are some genuinely heartwarming moments. One such moment is when Tomorrow runs away from the ship after overhearing the crew discuss if should she stay, only to be accepted back into the fold.
While the original game was about human connection, the sequel is about acceptance.
While the original game was about human connection, the sequel is about acceptance.
As a society we often ostracise those who are perceived as being "different". Even in a world as hopeless as Death Stranding, there is room for being valued for who you truly are.
As the game comes to a close, both the action and the narrative ramps up considerably. You will undertake more dangerous deliveries that challenge your resolve and enormous set pieces and boss fights that test your arsenal.
When it comes down to it, Kojima is too clever for his own good and the final few chapters are a chaotic mess that go from one bizarre idea to another.
There is enough twists and turns to give you whiplash and ultimately you will be bewildered by the end of it. Some will brush it off as classic "Kojima weirdness" but that is just an excuse for disjointed storytelling.
For many fans they will be pleased to hear Death Stranding 2 is essentially more of the same, but besides improvements to combat it is a rather safe follow-up more than a revolutionary one.
Our score: 8/10