Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

When I first played Death Stranding when it came to PC back in 2020, I really liked Kojima’s bold and unconventional approach to the gaming industry. But even though the story was great and engaging, the gameplay felt too experimental. Now, one year after the initial release of Death Stranding 2, PC players can finally embark with Sam on a new journey filled with even more struggles, more content, and that signature Kojima-esque insanity, improving upon the experimental nature of the first game.

From the moment the game begins, you're thrown into one of gaming's most expansive atmospheres. A massive, mountainous landscape with almost photorealistic graphics, a goosebump-inducing soundtrack, and a strong sense of freedom. The game lets you know that you are about to embark on a journey that is going to be very special and truly one of a kind from minute one. No game has made me feel this excited and blown away right as we get past the main menu.

The story is set shortly after the first game. Sam has connected all of the UCA, saved the world from extinction, and moved on from his past life, now living a simple, quiet life with his former companion, now daughter, Lou, in a shelter near the Mexican border. But as you might expect, not everything goes according to plan, and he is forced back into his old porter life, this time in Mexico and Australia.

While the game’s narrative retains the predecessor’s mysterious, deep tone, it feels more grounded and clearer, thanks to more action-packed cinematics and a less confusing plot. This is a huge improvement, as almost half of the world’s lore in the first game was delivered through holographic, often dull dialogue. Now, you have clearer goals and more engaging conversations. The sense of loneliness that defined the first game is largely gone as well. This time, you have a crew and masterfully written new characters to accompany you.

Kojima’s infamous, unfiltered, awkward yet fun style also remains, but it feels less out of place and more organic this time. These “what the hell is this?” Kojima moments don’t disrupt the overall serious tone of the narrative; instead, they add a unique signature from the master himself.

The only criticism I have is that the overall story structure feels a bit too similar to the first game. Nevertheless, it’s still one of the most engaging scripts I’ve ever experienced in a video game.

I’m just going to say it without any exaggeration: the graphics in Death Stranding 2 are the best I’ve seen so far. Nothing else comes close. The attention to detail, lighting, and facial features is unmatched in the industry. It feels like mind-blowing witchcraft.

We already knew Decima was a powerful, optimized engine, but seeing this level of almost-photorealistic visuals feels genuinely surreal. Thanks to the game’s new day and night cycle, you can fully experience the beautiful sunny environments, gorgeous sunsets, and the insane blue neon chiral lights at night in every scene. The art direction and design team also deserve praise for turning post-apocalyptic Australia into a vast, incredible playground for us to explore every inch of. The motion-capture performances from well-known actors further enhance immersion, making this the most visually stunning game out there.

Much like its predecessor, the soundtrack and sound effects are also incredibly well done. The BT horror area audio design, in particular, has improved so much that it single-handedly turns these sections into a full-on horror experience. It's flawless.

The most radical and pleasantly surprising change in terms of gameplay is the main story design. In the first game, much of the experience embraced the walking-simulator and cargo-delivery style, while action, stealth, and horror mechanics felt like they were sprinkled in just to keep players from getting bored. In Death Stranding 2, it’s the complete opposite. Almost every main order turns into an encounter-driven sequence, while the traditional “delivery style gameplay loop” is mostly optional.

I’m actually one of the few people who enjoyed the delivery struggles, careful planning, and overall porter-style gameplay, but even I prefer the action-packed approach this time. The main reason for that is the new variety of enemies, which was nearly non-existent in the first game.

Instead of the classic “human enemy,” “a BT,” and “a large boss BT,” we now have a whole arsenal of different enemy types. There are countless BT animals, new BT variants such as Watchers that can see you, and dozens of different mech enemies and bosses. It all feels incredibly rich. And each type of enemy requires its own specific approach, tactics, and weapons, so the original “pre-planning” magic is never lost. If anything, it’s amplified in a different way.

There are countless new weapons, fun and useful tools, transports, customization options, and a massive new talent system that are unmatched in the industry. The new day-and-night cycle adds another layer, with different wildlife and stealth possibilities, along with new natural hazards and much more. The gameplay feels truly alive and fun. The game also offers more dialogue options and lots of fun Kojima-esque mini-games. It feels impossible not to get hooked thanks to the incredible amount of improvements and unique content.

One more thing I need to highlight is the boss fights, because they are genuinely exceptional. After the bullet sponge, amateurish encounters of the first game, DS2 takes a sharp U-turn and delivers some of the best-designed boss fights I’ve seen in years. Each one feels closer to an MMO raid boss, with unique mechanics, strategies, and even puzzle-like elements you need to figure out. They all feature clearly readable attack patterns and hidden weaknesses, rewarding observation and adaptation over brute force.

Especially on the new “To the Wilder…” difficulty, you’re pushed to refine your muscle memory and come prepared. Instead of relying on bloated health pools, bosses hit incredibly hard, often taking you down in just two hits. But because every attack is avoidable with proper positioning, timing, and tactics, the challenge feels fair rather than frustrating, making each victory satisfying.

However, the PC version came with some new features that the original release never saw. The best part exclusive to the PC version is the new “To the Wilder…” difficulty option. Unlike other difficulty settings, once you choose it, you can’t change it. Honestly, it feels like the best way to experience the game.

The spike in difficulty mostly affects the more realistic, simulation-focused aspects. Combat and stealth are largely unchanged. This means you’ll lose your balance more easily, your stamina and battery drain much faster, and natural hazards affect you more severely. If you don’t like auto-piloting through even the walking simulator sections and prefer to stay engaged, I highly recommend giving it a try. You won’t regret it.

The online section of the game largely remains unchanged, with the only new addition being the Aid Request system. If you want something to be built or need specific materials, you can place a request sign anywhere on the map, and other players can help you. Other than that, seeing and using other players’ useful structures still feels awesome. Linking your zip lines with those of other players especially amplifies the sense of “connection” to a whole new level. It was an awesome feature, and it still is.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - Steam Deck Performance

When I first opened the graphics settings for Death Stranding 2, I saw a “Portable” preset and got really excited. But once I applied it and jumped into the game, I was met with a massive disappointment. Even with upscaling set to Ultra Performance, the game struggles to reach 30 FPS outside of cinematics, mostly hovering around 13–22 FPS with heavy compromises. And that’s not even the worst part. I encountered a whopping 40-second freeze, along with a separate crash.

Similar to the first game, it heavily bottlenecks the CPU, and sadly, the Deck just can’t handle it.

Still, the presence of a Portable preset gives me some hope for the future. But even with a stable 30 FPS, I wouldn’t recommend playing this on the Deck. The Portable preset looks terrible, and this is a game that needs to be experienced in full immersion. I’m all for minor visual compromises, but when everything looks like it’s from the PS2 era, that’s simply unacceptable.

I usually hate Frame Generation and never recommend it since it usually creates more issues while fixing FPS. I must admit that turning on XeSS FG makes the game ''somewhat'' playable if you are just building structures, doing side orders, or farming materials. Combat feels awful thanks to the input delay, so stay away from enemy territories.

There are some unofficial workarounds to improve the frames and gameplay, like the Eclipse mod. I tried them all, but they became barely playable, and still not worth the effort and risk. They never perform the miracles we need for fully stable gameplay.

Conclusion:

Death Stranding 2 is everything I could have asked for in a sequel and more. Its incredible improvements, combined with insane visual quality and immersion, make it an outstanding experience from start to finish. Even if you were put off by the first game’s gameplay loop, the sequel’s more action-packed approach and more natural, engaging narrative make it feel fresh.

If the “delivery man” aspect of the first game put you off, and you really hated the idea of all the delivering and “walking simulator” elements, that core concept and gameplay loop are still very much here. However, there's a lot more action this time around, and the experience is far more accessible than before, but it still remains a very unique game that simply won’t be for everyone.

Steam Deck users should wait for a couple of patches to see if things improve. It can still be used for simple side orders while you’re away, like I do, but playing the main story with this level of visual flaws and performance issues is something I can’t recommend.

Our review is based on the PC version of this game.

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