Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Few games have taken me on such an emotional journey as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. I have been impressed, laughed, cringed, bored, shed tears, been disappointed, and clapped my hands in childlike joy. It is alternately heartfelt and silly, fast-paced and introspective, curious and cool. In other words: Kojima-synchronic as hell. And that's probably exactly what all of us who have followed the man, the myth, the legend Hideo Kojima for decades could wish for - even if there are several things that could have been done better.

The first Death Stranding received one of the most mixed receptions in recent AAA history. The Metascore is a respectable 82%, but behind that average lies a surprisingly high number of lukewarm reviews as well as a string of 10s, and the game, along with the Resident Evil 2 remake, won many GOTY awards among the world's gaming sites. Some of us on Gamereactor gave it a 9 and called it Kojima's best game. I wasn't quite as enthusiastic about it myself, but for me there was no doubt that Kojima had something special going on with his unique universe.

Now, almost six years later, I would be surprised if the reception isn't more unanimously positive. Partly because we know what we're getting into, but also because Death Stranding 2: On the Beach refines the formula in a number of areas, creating a more harmonious and engaging experience - even though I would have liked to see Kojima and his team take even more drastic measures in several areas, but more on that later.

Let's start with those famous expectations. I like to talk about the language of games. Not in a literary sense, but in terms of design. I would venture to say that everyone reading this has an inherent understanding of how to approach a given game on a basic level. Where can I climb? What can I interact with? That sort of thing. Most games build heavily on the shoulders of others we have played, so we quickly find our feet in them. Death Stranding felt radically different by giving a leading role to the simple act of taking an object from A to B without breaking it. It was a delivery simulator in a dystopian future, and it was strange. L2+R2 to keep your balance? Optimal weight distribution? It was an expensive lesson that came with a certain amount of frustration.

Now we've learnt it - just like we learned to always keep our shield up in Dark Souls. Now we speak Death Stranding fluently. And so those of us who stuck around last time can reap the rewards and enjoy Hideo Kojima's deeply strange universe from the beginning.

And what a start it is. It's been 11 months since the first Death Stranding. Sam - whose worn boots we once again pull over our feet - now lives on the border with Mexico with Lou. Completely under the radar, of course, because there are many who want to get their hands on the little girl. It's an isolated but reasonably peaceful life - or as close to peaceful as you can get in a post-apocalyptic world haunted by murderous ghosts, rain that ages faster than M. Night Shyamalan's beach, and the risk of huge explosions if anyone nearby kicks the bucket.

However, the temporary calm is interrupted by Fragile, who arrives with an offer involving transport to Mexico and the possibility of a life free from having to look over your shoulder. A free life together. It's a powerful opening, and overall, Kojima and co. flex their muscles for the first 5-7 hours. When Sam crosses the border into Mexico over a collapsed bridge littered with wrecked cars, it happens during a dense sandstorm that disorients the player and beautifully showcases the unpredictable weather that played a major role in the announcement trailer. And when, a few hours later, it's time to travel from Mexico to Australia via a mysterious structure, the sci-fi lover in me could hardly sit still with sheer excitement at how beautifully it's all staged. Beauty and weirdness in striking union.

When the dust from the sandstorm has settled, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach slows down a bit - both narratively and mechanically - and finds a well-functioning, albeit more familiar and safe, footing. This brings us to the refinement I described at the beginning. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is still closely related to its predecessor. In fact, at times it feels like the definitive version Kojima wished he could have made from the start, or perhaps rather a mirror image, revisiting themes and sequences from the first game.

Take, for example, the missions with Neil, which are similar to those with Cliff from the first game, but surpass them by far in terms of pure visual spectacle. Narratively and thematically, I'm not sure if I prefer them to Mads Mikkelsen's brilliant performance, but they make a big emotional impression and leave a lasting mark on the story as a whole. And then there's Luca Marinelli, who is a real find in the role of the tortured man with a possible connection to Sam.

Most of the time, however, you won't be spending your time in epic duels against the mysterious soldier, whose bandana is reminiscent of a certain other Kojima character, or defeating giant mechs and BTs - although fortunately that does take up a fair amount of time. No, like its predecessor, it is the delivery of packages in all kinds of weather and terrain that takes centre stage in terms of time spent. And it is precisely the weather and terrain that have been the focus of much attention. The latter is a hit with its ridiculously high level of detail and great variety. Australia and Mexico are home to deserts, forests, distinctive rock formations, swamps, and snow-capped mountains. The variety is high, but the transitions between biomes always feel organic. It's something of a masterpiece.

This time, your journey through the beautiful and dangerous surroundings is more affected by the changeable weather. Sand and snow storms, avalanches, earthquakes, rising water levels, and more help to make the missions more dynamic. Losing your bearings in a sandstorm in the middle of a scorching desert or frantically trying to avoid an avalanche high up in the mountains is exciting, but most of the time the weather phenomena are too subtle to change your approach to a given mission, so they end up being more of a nice idea than the big change that is set up when a mountainside collapses in the first few minutes of the game.

The weather isn't the only thing that teases Sam. Encounters with the creepy BTs also look different. There is a new type that more actively searches for Sam, and you can now also encounter random events where you have to defeat a giant blowfish-like BT or avoid a panther-like variant in a suddenly appearing urban landscape covered in tar. The latter in particular gave me a wild experience when a quiet hike turned into a downright horror scenario, showing how good Kojima is at this kind of thing.

BTs and bad weather are, of course, not the only threats. Higgs, who has gradually gone completely Joker, wreaks havoc and may or may not have a hand in the sudden arms build-up of local gangs, which throws a spanner in the works for Sam's mission. This calls for a counterattack, which in practice means a greater focus on infiltrating enemy bases. Here, Kojima is clearly in his element, and at times I felt transported back to the happy days of Phantom Pain. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach gives you a huge selection of weapons and gadgets, which makes it just as entertaining to be the ghost who chooses the right route and distracts enemies with holographic grenades as it is to be the tank that mows everything down with automatic weapons.

When Death Stranding 2: On the Beach's pacing is at its best, it has a rhythm like few others. Calm, scenic walks are followed by intense infiltrations of enemy factions before well-directed cutscenes take the story in new directions and open up adrenaline-pumping set pieces and boss battles, after which you set off again at a leisurely pace, while the excellent but slightly monotonous selection of songs acts as the soundtrack to your journey. It's ebb and flow, yin and yang, Hall & Oates. But like all balancing acts, it's not easy. There are parts of the game where the walks take up too much space, and suddenly they are no longer peaceful oases, but trivial trudges.

This is especially true of the marathon-like backtracking missions, which dampened my spirits every time they appeared. Admittedly, the travel time on these can often be shortened with the help of vehicles or the hot springs, which act as a mildly inventive source of fast travel, but that doesn't stop them from feeling like a way to artificially extend the game.

Don't get me wrong. I really respect Kojima Productions' dedication to the delivery aspect of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, but sometimes the game gets a little too enamoured with its own belief in how exciting it can be to wander through graphically impressive terrain while emotional singer-songwriter music flows from the speakers.

Overall, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sometimes struggles with restraint - which, paradoxically, is also one of the reasons I love it. The game constantly tells you about all the things going on in the background. How your abilities are passively improving; how your Porter Grade is increasing; how Lou is doing. Just to mention a few examples. I don't mind system-heavy games, but the problem is that you don't really get the feeling of getting stronger, and the passive nature of the improvements means that they quickly fade into the background and are forgotten.

The social aspect, on the other hand, makes a bigger impression - although I still don't know if I actually prefer it to a more solitary experience. It can be fun to participate in the construction of a motorway or be the one who connects two landmasses with a bridge for the joy and benefit of the next Sam. But the many signs with flashing lights and loud noises sometimes give the otherwise aesthetically gloomy world a slightly unfortunate casino-like feel. It's a bit over the top, but fortunately, you are free to play offline.

After the excellent introduction and the joy of the improved rhythm brought about by the stronger mission and world design, I began to feel a bit of mental fatigue halfway through the game. The story lacks momentum, and the exciting missions become a little further apart. Suddenly, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach felt like a slightly too safe sequel, even though it never gets boring. After all, we're talking about a game where a talking doll can act as a scout, and bells ring every time it starts to snow. And then there are the cutscenes, which constantly hover between kitsch and cool. Too much or utterly wonderful.

But all things considered, my enthusiasm waned a little. However, it didn't last long, because of course Kojima has an ace up his sleeve. In the last 10 hours or so, he and the rest of the team deliver a string of great moments. We get wild advances against ghost mechs in an inferno of flames set to Ludwig Forsell's eminent music, epic boss battles, and an ending so moving that it brought tears to my eyes. And that has only happened to me a few times in gaming. In particular, the way Kojima ties up the narrative is surprisingly elegant for the otherwise exposition-happy game creator. It's definitely more Snake Eater than Sons of Liberty.

Since I finished Death Stranding 2: On the Beach a few days ago, I've been trying to get my thoughts about the game in order. Because there is a lot to address. I have only briefly touched on the more systemic side of the game, just as I have held back on information about the plot. The former because I find it relatively uninteresting, the latter because I don't want to reveal too much.

On the one hand, there are several things I miss about the game. The weather could play a bigger role, the pacing sometimes loses its footing, I would like the world to be more exciting from an architectural point of view, and I wish my mission givers weren't so boring to listen to. On the other hand, it feels great to play, has more character and personality in its little finger than Ubisoft's entire game library from the last 10 years can muster, and it manages to tell a decidedly excellent story that will stay with me for a long time.

It's not perfect, but if more AAA games dared to let loose like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, the industry would be a much more exciting place. It deserves a sparkling 9 out of 10.