The Geeks Insight

Hideo Kojima strikes gold again

Pictured: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – 2025, Kojima Productions

Almost 6 years after the launch of the original, Hideo Kojima once again teams up with Norman Reedus to Deliver us a new bizarre and wild adventure into a world that delivers a level of immersion unrivalled in the current game-scape. Death Stranding 2: on the beach is an action-survival game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Playstation Studios. Starring Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, who freelances as a delivery-man, also known as a ‘Porter’, whom handles a variety of cargo across a post apocalyptic landscape.

At the start of this adventure, Sam and his son Lou are hiding away from the American nation they helped to rebuild, seeking the freedom to build a new life. Launching on June 26, 2025, much like it’s predecessor, the game has sparked significant conversation in the gaming world. Keep in mind, this is certainly a sequel, so playing the first title of this series is necessary for the full experience.

How has the world Perceived it? What makes it stand out?

Since launching at the end of June, Death Stranding 2 has sold approximately 1.4 million copies according to an analysis performed by The gaming Business. This statistic was brought to public attention at the beginning of July, updated numbers are still pending.

Critically however, the latest PS5 exclusive has launched to largely positive criticism. Outlets such as IGN offering a score of 9/10, Games Radar 4/5, and many more that follow in suite. There are a range of others which became more varied in this take. Several outlets such as Games Spot praising the interactivity of this world as opposed to its narrative, which they state is weaker than it’s predecessor.

Interestingly, director Hideo Kojima detailed that he made alterations to the final cut because he was concerned TOO MANY people would like it and feared this would cause his story to be forgotten. He states that he didn’t want to make a product that was basic, or “too easy to digest”, because that wouldn’t stand the test of time. As Kojima puts it, “Anything that lasts 10 or 20 years, it has to be new”. This is spoken about in generous detail on a red carpet interview provided by Game Informer.

I must admit, as someone who is currently in the middle of chapter 8 of 16, (17 if you look at the post story world), I note that it may not surpass the original in terms of story. Despite having a impactful inciting incident, there is a strange structure to the pacing which rarely feels consistent, hence the story does take some time to find its legs and really hook you in. Once I reached the 6-8 hour mark, or for me this was when I first encountered Rainy (Shioli Kutsuna), I felt more connected to this Sam (Norman Reedus) in ways that paralleled the first game.

Though if there is anything missing in the substance of the story, it certainly makes up for and strives towards a new level of greatness with its gameplay. Having a solid foundation already established allowed Kojima to iron out any discrepancies for the sequel, and in turn becomes a smoother, consistent experience. (You can even ride a hover board!). This is all brought to life in gorgeous fidelity that allows the PS5 to live up to it’s full potential.

Pictured: Niel Vana (Luca Marinelli) in Death Stranding 2 – On the beach

The Spirit of Metal Gear:

Hideo Kojima is most notably know by many as the creator of the Metal gear solid franchise. A stealth/action series starring Solid Snake. Despite parting ways with his original publishing team of ‘KONAMI’, Kojima has found creative ways to adapt his understanding of combat gameplay into a new world. In the previous Death Stranding, the combat was certainly simpler, and was handled in very controlled, scaled down scenarios for the most part. The stealth being even more so. Not to say it was bad, it was very enjoyable and served it’s purpose. But that is exactly why it is so impressive that the sequel has leapt into a realm of notable superiority.

**Minor Spoilers Below**

Similar to the first game, there is a moment in one of the early chapters where a gateway opens up and Sam (Norman Reedus) is taken to an alternate reality that is representative of a war zone. The first game has the supernatural soldiers let by Clifford Unger (Mads Mikkelsen), the second has them led by Niel Vana (Luca Marinelli). Niel Vana has a connection to Sam which is revealed over the course of the game, originally thought to be a doppelganger of solid snake, an immediate buzz sparked online following his reveal in a trailer prior to launch. As per Games Radar It has since been revealed by Marinelli himself that he was told by Kojima that “You just have a bandana on your head”, As he too though he was playing the famed Metal Gear icon. Though it is evident this serves as homage to Metal gear in a way that meets the eccentric standard fans have come to expect from Kojima. (Pictured Above).

Beyond the screen – To hear the world breathe:

Throughout all of his productions, Hideo Kojima has demonstrated a great understanding of musical timing and composition choices. In a previous titled he developed Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, certain themes portrayed in the late David Bowie’s song The man who sold the world, heavily reflect the overall plot of the game. Though in this title, Kojima uses a cover developed by Midge Ure, which actually provides further foreshadowing to the plot than if the original was utilised. (As Per CBR).

“What relevance does that have here?” I hear you asking.

Throughout both Death Stranding titles, this idea is replicated, though perhaps not in such an intense way. Whilst playing these games, my interpretation of the music was that they were more reflective than clairvoyant. I found these songs, developed by the likes of Low Roar, WoodKid, Ludvig Forssell and others to be commenting on Sam’s world in a past sense, with lyrics that highlighted the difficult journey he had been upon thus far. I do believe there would be more evident foreshadowing if you were to listen closely, I was simply to caught up in the serenity of the moment that stemmed from a combination of the music and the lifelike sights put before me.

The second title introduces the portable music player, which allows players to listen to music on the fly after unlocking songs through completing in game activities. Aside from music, all diegetic sounds feel realistic and well researched, never at one point shattering my experience. A prime example being the updated weather effects, such as the sandstorms and thunder strikes being intense, expressed with a genuine rumble that enhances the in-game immersion. Other honourable mentions include the sounds of machinery whirring to life, cargo falling apart and gunfire flying past Sam as he deals with both the undead (Not the first time for Mr Reedus) and the living.

Pictured: Sam (Norman Reedus) and Lou in Death Stranding 2 – On the beach

Concluding statements – Beyond the narrative:

Death Stranding 2 launching when it did signifies something larger than its fictional world. Up until this point, 2025 has been fairly sparse with AAA or larger scale games. There are of course a few exceptions, such as Doom: The Dark Ages and clair obscur: Expedition 33.

Not only is Kojima’s latest adventure an experience that is non-stop fun and tells a beautifully intriguing story, but it kicks off a chain reaction in our own reality. It serves as the first in a wave of notable title launches projecting into early 2026. It will be swiftly followed by ‘Mafia: The old country’, ‘Metal Gear 3: Snake eater’, ‘Ghost of Yotei’ among others. Alongside this, it joins a fairly limited club being launched as ‘A PS5 exclusive’, though this will be joining it’s predecessor on PC at some point in the future.

It has now been over 30 days since the launch of Hideo Kojima’s latest art piece. The experience has been enjoyed by many and is yet to be enjoyed by many. The stranding games hold a special place in my heart, I enjoyed the first not long after the world shut down due to COVID, and now I experience the sequel in a time that has its own looming threats. Whether he is a clairvoyant or not, Kojima has great timing with his launches, as the metaphors about connection that fuel the veins of both games are delivered at the perfect moment, when the world needed them the most.

For my final statement, despite the somewhat mixed experience I have encountered so far, the positives profoundly outweigh the negatives, and I cannot wait to enjoy the second half of this brilliant adventure. I look forward to seeing what Kojima gets up to next, as well as seeing new porters enter the Death Stranding universe for the first time.

– Written By Nick Roberts, July, 2025