Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a therapeutic, genre-expanding experience that builds on its predecessor’s bold foundation. I’ll admit: the original Death Stranding didn’t fully resonate with me on a gameplay level, but I still admired its daring step into uncharted territory, paired with a distinctly Kojima-esque narrative full of out-of-the-box ideas.
There’s a reason the original game earned the infamous label of a “walking simulator.” I’d be lying if I said parts of it didn’t feel that way. Trekking across harsh terrain with a mountain of cargo often felt more like a chore than a challenge. The invisible BTs made the game overly tense, creating more pressure than fun.
