Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding 2: A bold exploration of grief and redemption awaits

Death Stranding was an unusual proposition when it first launched. A post-apocalyptic courier sim was a hard sell in 2019, and its divisive structure — long cinematics punctuated by laborious treks — meant it didn’t land for everyone. But there was an undeniable charm to it, a unique magic that helped it stand apart from the sea of third-person shooters and live-service games of its time, cementing its legacy as a flawed classic.

Six years later, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach continues Sam Porter Bridges’s story, this time across a new continent. Like most sequels, it expands on the original’s ideas, but it’s also bolder, more refined and proudly wears its sincere heart on its sleeve. It’s not just one of legendary developer Hideo Kojima’s best games; it’s a love letter to life, connection, and meaning from a developer who has grown into one of the great elder statesmen of the games industry.

That sentimentality is woven into every pixel, whether through sly glances at the camera or offhand lines loaded with deeper meaning. It’s also a faster-paced experience, ditching the slow burn of the original’s prologue. If you never played the original, the gist of it is that our weary protagonist has shut himself off from the world after the loss of a loved one, and he eventually embarks on a journey across the Australian continent to heal.

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Naturally, things get more complicated — this is a Kojima game, after all — and Sam’s journey is fraught with peril and ghosts from the past.

On that front, Death Stranding 2 is a major leap forward, building on the 2021 Death Stranding Director’s Cut and layering in even more gameplay depth. At its core, this is still a hiking simulator mixed with puzzle elements, where plotting your path from Point A to B while carrying precious cargo takes planning, patience, and a good pair of boots.

That extends to combat and stealth as well, as these two facets of the game have been significantly improved. While they felt like an afterthought in the original game, the action-packed side of Death Stranding 2 plays like a spiritual successor to Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series, resulting in snappier throwdowns with brigands from the land Down Under, or tense moments when you’re holding your breath and sneaking into position so that you can take out BTs with a well-aimed blood-grenade.

Yet the game’s finest moments are often its quietest: scenes of Sam alone with the world, pushing forward one determined step at a time.

These stretches of solitude, set to a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Ludvig Forssell and Woodkid, reinforce the game’s themes with subtle power. If the first Death Stranding was about connection, this sequel deepens that message while exploring grief, isolation, and healing.

These themes are thoroughly explored through an emotional storyline anchored by stellar performances from Kojima’s cast of celebrity buddies. Norman Reedus is once again the world-weary Sam, and while he’s as laconic as ever, the returning Fragile — played by the amazing Lea Seydoux — is a ray of sunshine and a perfect counterpart to him. The cast has also expanded, with even more characters brought to life through a combination of famous faces and voice actors helping to propel the story along by rattling off some of the most absurd yet delightful lines you’ve ever heard.

Special mention has to go to Troy Baker as the villainous Higgs. As Sam’s nemesis, he’s a scene-stealing force of nature looking to bring about the downfall of humanity once and for all. Rocking a new Crow-inspired look — and a battle-axe guitar — Baker steals the show with a gleefully over-the-top performance and gripping moments of nuanced pain.

Visually, Death Stranding 2 is staggering.

There are moments so surreal and breathtaking that you’ll instinctively pause just to absorb them. It’s a triumph of design and artistic ambition: brilliantly weird, deeply earnest, and utterly unforgettable. This is a game that urges you to go outside and touch some grass, then dares you to dream about what might lie beyond it. DM

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was released on 26 June as a PlayStation 5 exclusive.

This story first appeared on PFangirl.