Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review in progress - it definitely connected

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the follow up to the latest IP from Hideo Kojima that split fans.

In 2019, Death Stranding was praised by some for its brilliant story, dystopian setting and unique genre with others viewing it less favourably, dismissing it a walking or delivery simulator.

It's no secret that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has more focus on action - but does it do what all good sequels do and fully build on the foundations of its predecessor to be bigger and better?

To note, this is a review in progress and will not be scored. indy100 has not fully completed the main campaign but has played through a sizeable chunk of it.

Sam and Lou are back in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach / Kojima Productions / PlayStation Studios

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach story (spoiler free)

There is the option to watch a recap of Death Stranding which is told through a slideshow. It's very clever as it doesn't give too much away yet hits all the major story beats.

Those who haven't played the first game will get a good understanding of the basics of the story whereas those that have will see pictures of certain characters and be reminded instantly of what they went through on their journey.

The plot of Death Stranding 2 begins 11 months after the events of the first and once again focuses on Sam, played by Norman Reedus. A number of main characters return with notable new ones too, including some of Kojima's strangest to date.

Deliveries across the UCA (United Cities of America, the dystopian version of the US following the Death Stranding) are now automated but there's a new company which is aiming to deliver to areas that are not connected, such as Mexico and Australia, that requires porters to help.

The UCA is looking to extend the chiral network outside of America. While there is an overarching plot, as before, the true greatness of Death Stranding is in the stories told about the people within it and this is the case again here. After all, humans connecting in this world is an incredibly rare thing and Death Stranding 2 once again manages to capture that beauty when they form and develop.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is absolutely stunning visually / Kojima Productions / PlayStation Studios

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach presentation

Death Stranding is still one of the best looking games to this day and Death Stranding 2 looks even better.

It fully utilises every ounce of the PS5 to its full potential and it simply looks stunning, even on a base PS5 which indy100 has played the game on.

There are quality and performance modes with the lighting and graphics in this game class leading in both. Death Stranding 2 is arguably the best looking game made yet.

One thing that immediately jumps out is the reflections of light hitting the water. Water graphics and physics are notoriously difficult to nail down but Death Stranding 2 has done a superb job with it.

There are day and night cycles this time and Sam has a light that players have to think about too, especially if they want to get through certain sections stealthily or without being seen.

Natural disasters take place throughout and these are incredibly spectacular along with more extreme weather conditions. For example, raging sandstorms make sand cling to Sam and he doesn't fully get rid of it until he showers at a facility. He now gets sunburned too.

A new addition in Death Stranding 2 is the integration of a Corpus (which acts as the in-game glossary) to cutscenes. Prompts come up when players hear something they might not recognise for the first time, such as BTs, and the cutscenes can be paused at any time so players can refer to what's being mentioned in a specific scene.

This is a great quality of life improvement given the terminology and complexity here. The Corpus features story events experienced so far, a databank, tips and controls - it acts like the Cufflinks in the first game.

There's a more dynamic map and it's much easier to pinpoint plotting an exact route - although indy100 hasn't kept to one planned route yet in the slightest despite best efforts.

There's a new photo mode where players can take photos in-game. There is already a selection from different characters that can be displayed in private rooms.

The game's soundtrack is easily one of the best we've come across in gaming. From the opening cutscene throughout, the soundtrack and sounds of the world itself are simply stellar.

The DualSense is a standout in Death Stranding and it's even better this time around with every footstep and drop of rain felt. Players know if they're walking on smooth or rough terrain just through feedback from the controller.

The attention to detail in every area so far is truly stunning.

Larger BTs in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach are bigger and much more terrifying than the first game / Kojima Productions / PlayStation Studios

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach gameplay

The overall gameplay of Death Stranding 2 is still fairly slow and granular outside of the combat sections but it's refined very well. In short, players deliver cargo from point A to point B while navigating a brutal open world and taking on different enemy types to connect the world.

Delivering cargo further connects the world and NPCs give Sam likes. The more likes received, the higher rating and better rewards from certain connected areas, such as better weapons or equipment that can really make a difference.

Getting to different facilities brings new sections of the world online so vital resources essential for survival can be shared.

Sections of the first Death Stranding are incredibly slow where a number of deliveries are being made across new territory with not much in the way of story or character development at times. indy100 understands this isn't for everyone but it really helped to build a sense of the desperate and bleak situation.

Going into the second, making the game that slow again would arguably be a misstep. And thankfully, from our time so far, while it is still quite slow in some areas, the game does move forward comparatively more quickly while still focusing on deep, granular gameplay and inventory management.

That's in large part due to an increased focus on action.

Combat was scarcely a factor at all in the opening sections of the first game but in Death Stranding 2, it's introduced from the get go, along with weapons. It's been compared by some to Kojima's Metal Gear Solid games in parts and that's quite accurate.

Players will encounter a lot more enemies this time around and have to decide whether to tackle them head on, take them out stealthily or avoid them altogether. There are pros and cons for each approach. The game features the biggest, best and most challenging enemies seen in the series to date.

Players can also use a compass from long range to detect enemies which are picked up automatically. Crouching and hiding in tall grass can hide Sam but if he's carrying too much cargo, it will peek out the top and he'll be spotted.

This is where a new feature in Death Stranding 2 comes in; the cargo management tab where players can completely detach the backpack or certain carried items to make Sam less visible and more nimble.

BTs are back and as before, provide the most tense and heart pounding moments of the game.

Their appearances in the world work in a similar way to before. Gazers roam the world, if Sam is caught by one, a tar pool emerges and hunters try to capture Sam. If Sam cannot escape, a bigger BT called a catcher tries to kill Sam and if Sam dies, it triggers a voidout.

They can be taken down using equipment that uses synthetic copies of Sam's blood and more ways to take them down can be unlocked by completing more deliveries and gaining access to better equipment and materials.

However BT bosses are much bigger and challenging to take down. These are large scale bosses that require a lot of preparation, planning and patience to beat but are incredibly rewarding.

There are new enemy types such as chiral creatures that attack Sam around pools of chiral crystals too.

If Sam dies at any point, a voidout is triggered, meaning he comes back to life but at a huge cost. It create a huge crater that completely obliterates everything around it.

Combat plays a much bigger role in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach than the original / Kojima Productions / PlayStation Studios

Away from combat, similarly to the first game, different components are gradually introduced, such as finding cryptobiotes that are used to replenish Sam's health, a water carrier that tops up his stamina when drunk and chiral crystals that act as a resource that can be used to make equipment or structures across the world map, such as bridges, postboxes where items can be stored or shared and watchtowers to see what's around the player.

Roads can also be built and new in Death Stranding 2 are monorails. These usually take a large amount of resources to create and are a lot more easier when connected to the social strand system.

These can be upgraded with materials found in the world, offering better perks and resistance to timefall. As a result of the Death Stranding, rain, now called timefall, ages everything it touches quickly.

Players have to keep an eye on the terrain as they navigate from point A to point B and this is where the terrain scanner comes in. It shows how rough certain parts of the world are and if they can be crossed or will trip up Sam.

The inventory management focus is still at the heart of this game and players are given much more different types of equipment at the start this time around. Players will have to juggle cargo, weapons and vital equipment such as blood bags that replenish health.

Everything has a weight value and Sam can only carry so much. Heavier loads can slow Sam down and make him more prone to tripping and damaging cargo so there really is a fine balance between carrying what you need and not overdoing it. Each piece of cargo is one of four sizes and this affects the amount of cargo Sam can carry too; even if pieces of cargo are not that heavy but take up a lot of room, Sam will only be able to carry so many items.

Cargo can be destroyed and deliveries failed if too much damage is taken to them. The better state of the cargo, the more likes received.

There are lost cargo and materials out in the world which can be used to earn likes but will weigh Sam down. This makes players have to prioritise picking up certain items on deliveries too or leaving them altogether.

Timefall damages cargo and it can start to damage the container and then the contents within it. Container repair spray can be used to repair anything timefall damages.

Timefall shelters can also be built that replenish the status of any damaged cargo container.

Auto-managing cargo is still a pretty foolproof option for players wanting to optimise how they carry things. It helps to carry more items within the weight limit.

There's a weapons and tools menu which lets players quickly cycle through what they're carrying in and equip it. Signs are back too.

Sam also has a stamina gauge. This depletes if Sam runs, walks on rough terrain or through water. His overall stamina gradually drains during this time too which can only be fully replenished at facilities where he can rest. Sam can also rest in the field but this is slower and doesn't regenerate his full stamina level.

It's incredibly important to rest frequently and take regular breaks where possible or else Sam may run out of energy when he needs it most.

Vehicles help players navigate around the world more quickly but they have a limited battery charge. It's important not to load a vehicle with too much cargo and then find out half way through a run the battery won't get players to their destination.

But there are different vehicle types, like large trucks and motorcycles, which can get Sam where he needs to go and away from danger. Traversing over rough terrain never makes this a straightforward option though.

Vehicles are introduced a lot earlier on in Death Stranding 2 than the first game.

Actually making the deliveries and upping Sam's rank is much more streamlined this time. Bulk deliveries across main and side quests can be done at once instead of looking at the condition of each individual piece of cargo now.

On the note of different quests, a new side quest option in Death Stranding 2 are aid requests where players can retrieve different things for different facilities. Standard orders are introduced much later on than the first game.

The porter grade is back but is tweaked, focusing on porter (deliveries), combat, stealth, servicemanship and bridge link. The higher Sam's rank, the more benefits such as being able to carry more in weight he gets.

Private rooms return and act in the same way but are different in their features. The weapons section is in a different room, once again highlighting the increased focus on combat, and customisable options have been upgraded too.

At these facilities, Sam can also chiral print equipment, basically 3D printing anything he needs. There is a chiral crystal and material cost for this though.

The strand system returns. Once areas are connected on the chiral network, if players are playing online, they can make use of shared items such as structures that other players have already built in their game.

There are shared lockers where players can donate equipment they don't need or can't carry for others to pick up if they're struggling and need a little help.

After getting established in the world, players will actively want to try and help others to make the game easier for them given what they're going through. This really stood out in the first game and is refined incredibly well in Death Stranding 2.

Players can get a lot of likes from others for doing this too.

The strand system has been developed further this time where messages can be seen from people all over the world, players can look back on the likes they've given and received and look at shared photos in the game too.

Players can check out their gameplay stats as well. This shows the progress of individual components, such as traversal, carrying capacity and specific combat skills, and how far players are off upgrading these attributes.

Players now have choices in how they want to answer to what certain characters say and if they want to find out more or move on.

This all sounds like a lot and Death Stranding 2 is by no means a simple game - but all of these elements are introduced very gradually over the first sections of the game and if the player forgets anything, the comprehensive Corpus is there to help.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is shaping up to be one of the games of the generation / Kojima Productions / PlayStation Studios

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach impressions

So far, from indy100's time with it, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is shaping up to be one of the best games of this generation. indy100 loved the first game and the sequel is shaping up to be bigger and better in every way.

The story Death Stranding 2 tells is superb, it's arguably the best looking game on the market right now and the improved pacing over its predecessor all point towards the game standing among the very best.

indy100 can't wait to get stuck back in, complete the campaign and see what else Kojima has in store for us.

Elsewhere from indy100, we played Borderlands 4 and this is everything you need to know, plus details of a new Monster Hunter Wilds title update have been accidentally 'leaked' by Sony.

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