PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews

Death Stranding 2 is a massive achievement for Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions. It elevates nearly everything that made the original such a unique experience. It streamlines the majority of its systems to make them more palatable. It's drop-dead gorgeous and introduces enough new mechanics to feel fresh while never alienating what makes the franchise so special. Death Stranding 2 is undoubtedly one of the best games of the year, and well worth the agonizing six-year wait. This is a game that will be in my rotation for hundreds of more hours. From start to finish, it blew me away. Keep on keeping on.

Death Stranding 2 is a phenomenal offering. It's among Kojima's very best work not just for its narrative, but for the near-limitless variability in its gameplay opportunities.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach fixes all the issues of the original and takes the experience to a whole new level. The game is flawless in everything it sets out to do and stands as one of the best video game experiences in recent years. If you enjoyed the first game, there’s a high chance you’ll fall in love with this one, as it is undoubtedly one of the greatest games of the entire generation.

Death Stranding 2 doesn't have to be perfect, but it is exceptional as a game and a sequel. It's hard for me to point out any real flaws. I played like a haunted person, looking forward to the next scenes. This is a complete experience - much bigger, better, more dynamic, much more interestingly conceived and varied compared to the previous installment.

More dynamic and intense, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach dodges the judgments of tediousness that the first game received. The gameplay plays on the safe side with high doses of Metal Gear for more action and fun. As for the narrative, the plot is sublime with its criticism of large corporations, social networks and AIs, but it is also extremely emotional when talking about family, friendship, love and depression.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is one of the greatest games of all time, blending freedom in its gameplay with a story and soundtrack that will be remembered for decades.

Death Stranding 2 is one of those works that makes us question what the role of a videogame really is. How this industry evolved to the level it’s at today. Hollywood-level cast, cinematic plot, deep and meaningful messages, unreal visuals and amazing gameplay… It’s the ultimate Hideo Kojima Game, and that’s saying something.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach does everything it can to eclipse the original in practically every way, improving on the systems surrounding the already solid core of the original. The result is a livelier world to explore, an engaging story to experience and an overall much better paced adventure through Australia that I struggled to put down. It's well worth your time and more respectful of it too.

Death Stranding is an outstanding work of art. A treatise on the nature of humanity from perhaps gaming's greatest auteur. This is not Sam Bridges's story, but the familiar tale of every person who has ever lived, and an experience that I will never forget.

In what will prove to be one of the defining games of the PS5 generation, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a profound achievement of design, gameplay, narrative, and visuals. As all four meet in the middle, Kojima Productions has crafted a cinematic spectacle that flawlessly transitions between action and traversal, all wrapped up in the most absorbing of narratives. An immense upgrade on the first game, Death Stranding 2 is an unequivocal masterpiece.