Death Stranding 2 Review: A "Profoundly Weird" and Beautiful Sequel

'Death Stranding 2' Delivers a Bigger, Weirder, More Beautiful World

The review embargo has lifted for one of the most anticipated games of the year, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and the initial verdict is in. Hideo Kojima's sequel is a confident and stunning follow-up that fully embraces the unique identity of the original.

In its 4-out-of-5-star review, the Post calls the game an "audacious, beautiful, and profoundly weird sequel," praising its commitment to the core themes and gameplay that made the first game a standout. The review notes that the sequel is unlikely to win over players who were put off by the original's methodical "strand gameplay," but for returning fans, it's a brilliant evolution.

The story once again follows Sam Porter Bridges as he ventures to a new continent, filled with a much wider variety of dynamic and dangerous environments. A key new feature is the "DHV Magellan," a large, mobile headquarters that can transform to navigate the massive bodies of water that now separate the landmasses. The world is more hostile, with new robotic enemies and dynamic weather events like "Chiral storms" that can dramatically alter the landscape.

Visually, the game is described as a "visual masterpiece" on the PlayStation 5, pushing the Decima engine to new heights to create breathtakingly realistic vistas.

The consensus is that Death Stranding 2 is not an apology for the first game, but a celebration of it. It's a bigger, deeper, and more complex experience that builds upon its predecessor's foundation to deliver another one-of-a-kind journey of connection in a fractured world.