Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: a confident follow-up that improves on the first

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach improves on its predecessor in several tangible ways: combat offers more choice, vehicles are easier to use, and the opening gets you to new equipment and structures sooner. But “better in every way” would overstate the case. Delivery and traversal still define the game, while its slower story, long cutscenes and deliberately odd tonal shifts will not work for everyone.

Is Death Stranding 2 better than the first game?

For players who enjoyed planning routes, carrying cargo across difficult terrain and building their way through a lonely world, the sequel is a more flexible and briskly paced follow-up. The PlayStation Blog’s hands-on report describes a faster start and earlier access to equipment and structures; Hideo Kojima has also said the sequel gives players more choice, especially in combat. Those changes make the first hours less restrictive without abandoning the original’s central delivery-game identity.

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The sequel’s gains are specific rather than universal. TechRadar’s PS5 review praised the quiet appeal of traversing the Australian landscape and the stronger action, but also cited frequent audio glitches, a slower story and limited appeal for people who disliked the first game. More options do not turn On the Beach into a conventional action game, nor do they remove the series’ taste for extended cinematic storytelling.

What changes in the sequel?

Combat lets you choose your approach

Kojima’s stated design goal was to offer more freedom in how players handle threats. You can take a weapon-forward approach or avoid weapons altogether. That flexibility broadens the ways to deal with danger; it does not make combat the whole game. Route planning, cargo care and exploration remain central to the experience.

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Vehicles and infrastructure arrive more readily

Cars and motorcycles are more accessible than in the first game, while monorails add another way to build shared infrastructure. For players who liked connecting routes and helping other players through a shared network, monorails expand that project. The PlayStation Blog’s hands-on report also says new equipment and structures appear earlier, making the early progression feel less slow to open up.

The opening moves faster, but the story still takes its time

The story begins 11 months after the first game. Sam is living quietly with Lou when Fragile draws him into events in Mexico and then Australia, where he tries to reconnect a fractured society. The premise continues the series’ focus on human connection, but a quicker gameplay ramp should not be mistaken for a consistently fast narrative: TechRadar describes the story as slower, and PC Gamer notes that the cutscenes are lengthy.

Is it still mostly walking and deliveries?

Yes: traversal, delivery and exploration remain the game’s foundation, even with more capable action and easier-to-access vehicles. The appeal is still in assessing terrain, planning a route and getting cargo safely where it needs to go. Vehicles and optional equipment give you additional ways to manage that work; they do not replace it.

That mix is intentional. PC Gamer’s PC review describes careful cargo movement and route planning alongside vehicles and plentiful optional gear. The tone can swing from earnest themes to outrageous comedy, while long cutscenes interrupt the practical rhythm of a delivery. If you want a focused action game with brief story scenes, this is still a risky fit. If the first game’s unusual alternation between solitude, logistics, action and absurdity appealed to you, the sequel retains that character while offering more tools.

Do you need to play the first Death Stranding?

You can use the sequel’s title-menu Death Stranding Recap for a refresher, and its in-game Corpus provides a place to look up terminology. Those features help newcomers get oriented, but they are not evidence that the recap recreates the first game’s full character context or emotional impact. Starting with the original remains the better choice if you want to experience that background firsthand; the built-in references are useful if you would rather begin with the sequel.

Is Death Stranding 2 available on PC?

Yes. Kojima Productions lists the game for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC, and announced the PC release for March 19, 2026, in collaboration with Nixxes Software. That date has passed. The announcement specifies mouse and keyboard support as well as DualSense features for PC; check the current PC store listing for availability and feature details before buying.

PS5 editions and US store snapshot

The US PlayStation Store lists a PS5 Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition. On October 8, 2026, its listing showed the Standard Edition at $69.99 and Digital Deluxe at $79.99, with a customer rating of 4.86 out of 5 from 53,818 ratings. Prices and ratings are a dated US snapshot, not a guarantee of current prices or a critic score. Check the store for the latest listing in your region.

Verdict: who should play it?

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the stronger choice for returning fans who wanted more freedom in combat, less friction getting around and an earlier route into the game’s equipment and infrastructure systems. It preserves what distinguishes the series rather than sanding it down: deliveries and traversal share space with action, long cinematic stretches and startling comedy.

That makes the sequel a confident follow-up, but not an across-the-board improvement for every player. The same deliberate rhythms and unusual tone that define its appeal may be the reasons a skeptic remains unconvinced. The official game overview is on Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding 2 page; the development team’s explanation of the sequel’s design is in the PlayStation Blog interview with Hideo Kojima.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Overpass 2 [GRA PS5]

30 vehicles official manufacturer, in 3 categories, UTV, ATV, Rock Bouncer; Official manufacturers, equipment and sponsors

$29.48

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