4.5/5 ★ – jared_c's review of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.

4.5/5 Death Stranding 2 takes almost everything from the first game and makes it better. The graphics look incredible, there are new toys to use for deliveries, new types of enemies, new mechanics I don't want to spoil here that don't get introduced until almost halfway through the game! Two big things that were downgraded in my opinion this time around was the story, and the diversity of the environment. The story was a continuation of the first, but with the training wheels taken off. It's wild how someone can come up with this massive, vast story with an incredible vision but at the same time name a character who is trapped in a doll "dollman". It's as if he puts all his creativity into the world building, but runs out by the time it comes to naming the characters. As in typical Kojima fashion as well, you get drip fed the story throughout the game until the very end where you get almost full length movie cutscenes that explain (kind of?) everything. The game is still great, and the moment to moment gameplay is addicting as hell. I would put on a movie, podcast, or sporting event and just go around building roads, ziplines, other forms of transportation for hours. I'd almost argue a third of my playtime was doing just that. The game does let you go back into the world and do more deliveries and other side quests after finishing the main story, which you'll definitely want to do as there is so much content to this game. I think I only maxed out relationships with 3 or 4 bases throughout my play time, despite the higher a relationship the better gear you will get. Unfortunately though some of that can make the end game too easy. There's a heavier focus on combat this time around, and much less focus on the BTs. They are not nearly as intimidating as they were in the first game. You also very quickly get so many options for dispatching the various enemies (sniper rifle OP) that the only 2 or 3 times I did was either from getting caught in the terrain via a glitch, or something dumb that I did. This is not a difficult game by any means, but still a very enjoyable one.