Death Stranding 2: On The Beach review: Storytelling at its finest

Time of India

15-07-2025

I didn't play the first Death Stranding, but
Death Stranding 2
: On the Beach still managed to draw me in completely. The studio has done a great job with the prologue it gave me more than enough context to understand the world, characters, and stakes, without ever feeling lost.
Set eleven months after the original game, the story follows
Sam Porter Bridges
, now living a quiet life in the southern UCA with his adopted daughter, Lou. That peace doesn't last long, as Fragile arrives with news of her new company, Drawbridge, which has been contracted by the UCA to expand the chiral network into Mexico.
What starts as a straightforward mission soon expands globally. Sam's task to activate old BRIDGES terminals in Mexico leads to the discovery of 'plate gates' transcontinental portals that now link countries, including a direct connection between Mexico and Australia.
The world remains unstable, with the extinction event still ongoing. BTs have evolved, natural disasters like 'gate quakes' are becoming more frequent, and human threats from bandits to terrorists haven't disappeared either.
One of the most compelling twists for me came with the revelation around APAS 4000 a sentient delivery system formed from 4,000 human souls fused with AI. Its mission to 'save' humanity by turning all people into souls was both eerie and philosophically dense, the kind of high-concept sci-fi that works really well in Kojima's universe.
Then there's Higgs back from the dead with a robotic body and a new goal: triggering the 'Last Stranding,' humanity's final extinction. His plan hinges on a mysterious young woman named Tomorrow, whom Sam rescues from the realm of the dead.
As Sam, Fragile, and the crew of the DHV Magellan set out to connect Australia to the network and stop Higgs and APAS, the story really takes off. I particularly enjoyed how the game handles its revelations from Fragile's condition to emotional moments tied to Sam's past with Lucy and Neil. Despite not knowing the full backstory, those scenes still landed with weight and emotion.
By the time Sam defeats Higgs and averts the Last Stranding, the sense of sacrifice and scale feels earned. Even for someone new to the world of Death Stranding, I found the narrative engaging, layered, and surprisingly accessible and the twists kept me hooked throughout.
Game Play Review
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is my first experience with the series and honestly, I get the fandom now. Despite not having played the original, the game did a solid job easing me into its mechanics and world. What started off as curiosity quickly turned into genuine appreciation for its bold approach to gameplay, storytelling, and atmosphere. In fact, after finishing this, I'm now planning to go back and play the first one.
The core of Death Stranding 2 still revolves around traversal and connection but it's far more layered and refined than I expected. As Sam Porter Bridges, you trek across beautifully rendered, often hostile landscapes spanning regions like Mexico and Australia. The visual detail powered by the Decima engine is breathtaking, but it's also functional; terrain, weather, and hazards like Timefall (rain that accelerates aging) constantly shape how you move and plan, making nature itself a formidable part of the experience.
What surprised me most was how much the game has evolved in terms of combat and player agency. From what I've read, the first game had fairly basic combat. Here, you're given the flexibility to approach encounters your wa, whether through stealth, full-blown action, or avoiding conflict entirely. A new skill tree supports these choices, and the expanded arsenal, smarter enemy design, and quality-of-life features like a holster slot make combat feel smoother and more strategic.
Traversal has also been thoughtfully upgraded. New vehicles like the Tri-Cruiser and a buildable monorail system make long-distance travel more efficient, especially when transporting heavy cargo. And the social strand system, where players can leave behind structures that show up in others' games really stood out to me. It's one of the most creative multiplayer systems I've seen, subtly reinforcing the game's central theme of connection without ever breaking immersion.
Even the smaller improvements like faster cargo management and optional exposition show that the developers have listened to player feedback. The pacing remains deliberate, and the delivery-focused gameplay loop won't be for everyone, but I found myself leaning into its meditative rhythm and surprisingly emotional moments.
Death Stranding 2 isn't just a sequel for me; it was an entry point into a world I now want to explore more of. The story, mechanics, and sense of scale all clicked in a way I didn't expect. And if this is what Kojima's vision looks like, I'm genuinely excited to see where it all began.
Verdict
This game is indeed a love letter for players who are enthusiastic about open world games. If you are not interested in the world of the game, I highly suggest checking it out for this aspect itself. We are certain even if you enter the game from this perspective you will stay back for the story as well.