Review: Death Stranding 2 (PS5) – A Masterpiece in Every Sense

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In the core essence of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, there’s a strong sense of assurance that permeates the game.

Five years ago, Kojima Productions unveiled its inaugural game post-split with Konami, which garnered somewhat divided reviews. Those yearning for the next Metal Gear Solid didn’t find their new Solid Snake in Death Stranding. However, over time, this innovative title has grown more admired, and today it is widely respected for the vision that Hideo Kojima and his team pursued. (As a fan, I can attest to this evolution!)

Kojima Productions was certain from the start that Death Stranding was exceptional, and now they’re confident that everyone else feels the same. This conviction has empowered them to create a sequel without any concessions – one that not only enhances the original but surpasses it in every imaginable aspect.

The main task continues to be transporting goods across a vast open landscape, completing deliveries and retrieving misplaced packages. However, the overland journeys are now longer, tougher, and punctuated by battles and brawls that make the initial game’s combat seem rudimentary. Driving these expeditions is an immersive, significant storyline where Sam Bridges endeavors to connect Mexico and Australia to the chiral network.

In contrast to its predecessor, Death Stranding 2 faces a greater challenge in creating mystery and tension, as the foundations of its post-apocalyptic world have already been established. Consequently, it focuses on deepening the characters, their backgrounds, and how they shape the future, rather than relying heavily on the past for narrative sequences, twists, and surprises. They are well-prepared to shoulder the responsibilities of a sequel.

Characters Sam (Norman Reedus), Fragile (Léa Seydoux), and adversary Higgs (Troy Baker) reappear, joined by an enlarged ensemble including Tarman (Marty Rhone), Dollman (Jonathon Roumie), Tomorrow (Elle Fanning), and Rainy (Shioli Kutsuna) on the DHV Magellan vessel. The story’s main events revolve around this team as they strive to reunite the populations of two nations with the outside world, encountering various obstacles along their journey.

One intriguing subplot of the narrative is the character of Neil (Luca Marinelli). The specific connection he has with the events of the sequel and his relationship with the primary characters remains a secret ahead of its release, and we plan to maintain that secrecy. Neil’s role in the storyline mirrors that of Mads Mikkelsen’s character Cliff Unger from the initial game, serving as an intermediary between chapters to create intrigue and suspense during seemingly disconnected scenes.

Connecting the two timelines showcases Death Stranding 2 at its most emotional and significant core. Neil’s experiences are filled with intense emotion and provide a chilling reinterpretation of the events from the first game. They not only lend significance to Sam’s journey but also add depth to the universe by introducing a new layer, making it both heartbreaking and enlightening.

This new installment expands upon an already familiar universe, leveraging the assumed background knowledge from previous sequels. As a result, the narrative unfolds smoothly and is relatively simple to comprehend. A Corpus menu is also available, offering explanations for any intricate aspects of the series that you might need refreshed on.

The storyline gradually unfolds in such a way that it maintains an intimate feel even as your in-game actions impact the global scenario. The goal is to unite the world, but essentially, the characters nearest to Sam are what truly captivates and keeps you hooked. Their performances make this game on PS5 the most intensely engaging out of any other title currently available.

In Mexico and Australia, you’ll find yourself navigating through numerous delivery journeys that serve as stepping stones from one narrative element to another. These trips entrust you with a mix of essential and humorous items. Regardless if you’re on foot or in a vehicle, much of your time is spent making deliveries to persuade the recipient to join the chiral network.

The gameplay structure closely mirrors the first installment; it seems that Death Stranding 2 could be Kojima Productions’ most faithful sequel yet. You’ll find yourself picking up delivery tasks from terminals, and then transporting the goods to their designated spots. If you weren’t a fan of the original game, Death Stranding 2 likely won’t convert you – this is a title that fully embraces its unique style.

The advancement lies in the landscapes you navigate, as they evolve and offer additional hurdles in a world where events are constantly changing. In this virtual world, “gate quakes” (or earthquakes) shatter mountain peaks, sending debris tumbling towards you. Floods suddenly burst river banks, making them treacherous with torrential waters. Forest fires can swiftly spread, blocking escape routes, and sandstorms significantly reduce visibility.

Unpredictable occurrences may transform an otherwise smooth journey into a catastrophe. This unpredictability adds authenticity to the open environment since the debris created could potentially harm and demolish buildings that you and fellow players have constructed.

In this game, the destructive power of certain elements acts as a metaphor for societal interdependence, a concept carried over and enhanced from its initial title. As you traverse the vast open environment, you’ll frequently come across bridges, ladders, ropes, vehicles, and other items left behind by past players, which they utilized to accomplish their missions. Now integrated into your game world and others, these items serve as assistance and inspire you to aid fellow players in more remote areas.

In larger contexts, players can pool their assets to rebuild highways for smoother journeys to and from targets. Additionally, there’s a novel monorail system that allows Sam to move himself and substantial goods over vast territories. This is significantly faster than ground travel, and you can even utilize the tracks as an impromptu zip line to traverse the world.

In your new role, you’ll find an abundance of resources to facilitate deliveries, along with a community that is well-versed in the game’s expectations. During our 60-hour playthrough before launch, we frequently encountered helpful tools strategically positioned to ease our journey.

The journey isn’t always easy-going; some segments towards the end can feel tiresome and irritating. These stretches occur in a harsh, mountainous terrain where frequent navigation of the peaks becomes challenging and slows down progress. Additionally, an inconsistent fast travel system that occasionally locks off at inconvenient times makes certain missions seem longer as you wait for significant story developments to unfold.

Although these issues are relatively infrequent, the significantly enhanced combat system allows you to release any tension that does accumulate.

Or simply: The combat system’s upgrade makes it easy to let go of occasional annoyances.

Instead of the first game’s approach that discouraged shootouts, Death Stranding 2 enhances both the thrill and engagement level in combat, making it comparable to its cargo delivery missions. The standard ammunition now consists of rubber bullets, meaning there’s no need to worry about triggering a voidout when defeating human adversaries. Interestingly, these same rubber bullets are effective against BTs (Beached Whales) and a new type of entity known as Watchers as well.

No matter the challenge, the sequel offers a versatile approach – it can be noisy or silent. While its arsenal becomes comparable to a Call of Duty game, strategies promoting stealth remain equally effective.

In the lead-up to its launch, comparisons have been drawn to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which seems fitting in many aspects. Like in that game,

In a significant transformation, Stealth has undergone the most notable makeover: suppressed firearms now allow for taking down enemies from both short and long distances, while electrifying melee weapons such as power gloves can shock them up close. Long grass camouflages your movements, and you can generate diversions using a range of explosives.

In contrast to before, being apprehended and resisting doesn’t automatically lead to a “game over” in this new version. Death Stranding 2 effectively transitions into a thrilling third-person shooter when required, offering enjoyable gunplay with various weapon options.

In my gaming experience, intense battles are usually saved for the main quests, but if you’ve got the itch, feel free to stir up a whole nest of enemies! That’s where you’ll meet some fresh foes, like those elusive ghost mechs.

thanks to the enhancements made by Kojima Productions to their overall combat system, it now offers a seamless gaming experience without any noticeable drops in quality. Rather than being intimidated by enemy encampments, you’ll find them as exciting opportunities to create chaos and discover additional loot.

The second part doesn’t always include additional combat situations; its primary emphasis remains on deliveries. Yet, when you find yourself in a BT zone or come across a base, you feel significantly more prepared to handle whatever follows. Your eyes gleam with readiness instead of shrinking back and steering clear to evade confrontation.

In Death Stranding 2, both the gameplay mechanics and the storyline are equally captivating. The seamless transitions between delivering packages, combat sequences, exploring to expand the chiral network for additional lore and narrative advancements create an extraordinary gaming experience.

Similarly impressive are its visuals, which establish a fresh standard on PS5. At moments, the landscapes of Mexico and Australia seem to have been taken straight from a genuine David Attenborough nature documentary. It truly stands out and responds to the calls from some PlayStation enthusiasts for a game that showcases the potential of a genuine next-gen adventure.

This game stands out superiorly across all aspects. The characters seem incredibly realistic, the interiors and exteriors are visually stunning, and the direction of cutscenes remains distinct. It’s the most visually impressive game on PlayStation 5 to date – there’s simply nothing else that comes close.

In the settings, you’ll find two modes: Quality and Performance. The Quality mode sets the frame rate to 30 frames per second while the Performance mode doubles it to 60fps. For our PS5 Pro gameplay session, we opted for Quality Mode without experiencing any noticeable drops in frame rate during the entire playthrough. Even when testing Performance Mode, there were no issues with the frame rate.

In simple terms, Kojima Productions’ technical work is unparalleled within the gaming industry, and because Hideo Kojima is well-known like a celebrity, he can bring in talented musicians and voice actors to make Death Stranding 2 surpass ordinary video game standards.

It excels at timing the introduction of fresh tunes perfectly, playing songs that seem like rewards as you near the completion of an order. These tracks are just as satisfying as the likes and prizes obtained from the cargo receiver’s destination.

In this rephrased version, let’s break it down:

1. Exceptional voice acting enhances the scenes, mirroring the stunning visuals.
2. The novice actors excel in their roles, but Elle Fanning as Tomorrow and Luca Marinelli portraying Neil truly shine.
3. The character arcs of these two performers are crucial to the storyline, and their acting significantly contributes to making the unusual aspects of Death Stranding 2 seem authentic.

Exceptional voice acting amplifies the impact of the scenes, complementing the impressive visuals. The newcomers deliver remarkable performances in bringing their characters to life, but Elle Fanning as Tomorrow and Luca Marinelli as Neil particularly stand out. The transformations experienced by these characters play a pivotal role in the plot, and their acting substantially contributes to making the more peculiar elements of Death Stranding 2 seem genuine.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but express my longing for more immersive experiences with the PS5 DualSense controller. Although it boasts innovative features like adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, these aspects often seem underutilized in games. The sensation provided by the pad rarely extends beyond standard vibration effects, leaving me yearning for a greater sense of interaction. Moreover, I find that each trigger feels indistinguishable when firing weapons, which could greatly enhance gameplay if each one had a unique feel or resistance.

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2025-06-23 15:07