Shane
His cargo holding backpack has been hung up for good as the courier Sam Porter (Norman Reedus) as he lives a reclusive existence with baby Lou.
But this peaceful existence isn’t to last. His courier services are required once more.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the United Cities of America are connected via a Chiral network and the prior governing body known as BRIDGES has been decommissioned in favour of AI.
Although unrecognisable gameplay is within two countries, Mexico and Australia.
Eleven months after the first game, Sam is visited by an old ally Fragile. Thinking he was well hidden, for the protection of Lou, Fragile tracks him down and requests he aides her to expand the Chiral network.
He agrees, but only for the safety and wellbeing of Lou.
This new AI, called APAS uses automated vehicles, and this is where Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has some real differences to the first.
No longer can it be labelled a walking simulator, Sam has access to vehicles for faster travel, and trust me, you need fast travel. Your environments are sparse and wide. While you can opt to walk it, and doing so you may meet a few NPCs, friend, foe or in need, as well as a few pick ups, you’re far better to get a ride.
Vehicles offer some customisation too. Being electric their batteries will die out. Need to go longer, faster? Upgrade with a better battery, if you have it. Need some firepower? Add a gun turret.
Sam must face with some very challenging environmental issues too.
At any moment, both procedurally and sporadically weather changes can go wild, with deadly sandstorms that can immerse from seemingly nowhere, earthquakes can disrupt your path ahead. This is an unforgiving and difficult world for a mild mannered delivery guy.
If you played the first Death Stranding you will notice, soon in to play, a much more amped up level of combat. Here you can choose differing ways to take down a foe via stealth, direct, or simply run a different, at times, more difficult path.
Asides from quick thinking in combat choices you also need employ real world logistics and strategy. Consider the path ahead. The terrain, is Sam’s backpack going to slow him down, can he navigate across perilious rocky outcrops without losing balance and falling to his death.
From delivering supplies to encampments and outworld survivors, to rebuilding infrastructures and more, this is one cinematic masterpiece that graphically out does any other current gen title on any platform.
You can lose yourselves for hours, days even, just exploring the higely vast open world.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sees Hideo Kojima once again writing and directing the game. Bringing in present day, real world events, as epic as it is, it could also be seen as a warning to humankind.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a game you need to play and likely the only game I’ll give a full 5 / 5 score this year.
Released: June 2025
Rating: M
Platform reviewed: PlayStation 5
Genre: Action
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Sony