Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — The sequel delivers

The Hindu

a day ago

The gaming industry seems stuck in an unending loop of repeating the formula of past successes, with few studios willing to try something new, for fear of upsetting shareholders. Which is why Death Stranding's open world was so different, strange and appealing — a walking simulator where one had to deliver packages across a pandemic-stricken landscape.
The idea was unique and topical, coming out at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, where humanity depended on delivery agents for daily essentials. Now, a few years later, Death Stranding 2 is here, and it dares once more to be different in every way, while retaining and building upon its signature of survival horror.
After saving the world from annihilation, Sam Porter Bridges and his adopted daughter Lou have vanished, dropping off the grid following the events of the first game. Sam had reconnected a fractured United States, bridging isolated cities through a metaphysical network powered by the Beach, a liminal space between life and death, now used to fuel humanity's chiral tech.
However, the sequel dares to ask, was that ever a good idea? Now, Sam and his companions are back in action. This time, they are crossing the vast and dangerous terrain of Australia, tasked once more with stitching together a world that may not want to be connected.
Given how complex the worldbuilding and story is, it is highly recommended to start Death Stranding from the first game, specifically the Director's Cut version. No matter how well the marketing tries to recap the game, jumping directly On the Beach will not make any sense, leaving you confused instead of being able to enjoy this excellent game.
Death Stranding 2 introduces new characters and ideas while expanding on the strange, symbolic world of the first game. At times, it feels like it is carefully walking in the footsteps of its predecessor, grounding you in the familiar, even as the story grows bolder and weirder.
Yet there is a beautiful restraint at play. Beneath the cosmic bizarreness, the narrative remains rooted in what matters most: connection. It is a story about building bridges — across distances, death and broken relationships. At its heart is a powerful, tender exploration of parental love, one that dares to believe in healing a fractured world.
It is hard to hype up a game that is about walking across the map, delivering packages to people stuck in vast and small shelters. There are no words to describe the nail-biting experience of balancing a tower of magnetic packages on your back, while hiking down a treacherous trail. If that was not enough, you have invisible ghosts known as BTs and rain that instantly ages you with every drop, eroding at your packages.
Add to that high tech bandits and weird earthquakes, and making your delivery feels like a major accomplishment. You will be going well into the night with just another delivery, the gameplay loop is that good.
Hideo Kojima, the game's director, has woven into the sequel a few tidbits for Metal Gear fans out there, from the Raiden-like mysterious Red Samurai to an equally mysterious character that looks like Solid Snake, with his signature bandanna. Whether a tongue-in-cheek barb to his former employers or a homage to his past work, they are a welcome addition.
In addition to wading through its tar-filled story to deliver packages, Death Stranding 2 brings back the building elements. Where the first game required you to use materials to build roads to connect other players as well, (which is where the multiplayer aspect comes in).
You build an elevated tramway to help you traverse long distances and rough terrain of Australia. There is definitely a Max Max vibe going on, so much so George Miller has a large part as a character and in part as a role model. Kojima wears his inspirations on his sleeve, you can even spot a bit of RRR in the storytelling themes and a cameo mission featuring S.S Rajamouli and his son SS Karthikeya.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Publisher: Sony Developer: Kojima Productions Price: ₹4999 - Playstation 5
Horizon's Decima engine has been refined to produce photo-real landscapes that are quite treacherous this time round, with great weather effects that directly impact the player — from dust storms and lightning strikes, to earthquakes that displace rubble. On a clear day, the lighting is exceptional, and there were times I thought it was a well taken video I was playing through.
Sound design is exceptional in Death Stranding 2, especially the adaptive music system, which changes the harmonics of the soundtrack based on what you do. In the opening scene itself, as you descend from a viewpoint towards your hideout, the track 'Minus Sixty One' from Woodkid gets more rousing as you get into the flow. But any misstep, and the tune falters, seeming to literally get back on track, as you find the right path.
This is a first in gaming and given the soundtrack selection is excellent, kudos to the level of detail the artistes went through to create the extra material.
The best part of the original Death Stranding is experiencing this weird walking simulator for the first time. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach understands that it will never be as good, but what it does do, is a fantastic job of upping the spectacle, survival horror and the challenge in its delivery systems.
It stands out as an excellent game, with unique mechanics and excellent storytelling. Just make sure to jump into Death Stranding: Director's Cut before you tackle On The Beach, for a complete experience.