Evolving the Original: Insights from the Preview of Death Stranding 2

At the end of April, bloggers and journalists traveled to Tokyo, where they spent four days visiting **Kojima Productions**. During this time, the attendees had the opportunity to interact with **Hideo Kojima** and his team, while spending over 25 hours immersed in **Death Stranding 2: On the Beach**. According to **Kojima**, that amounts to roughly 40% of the entire game experience. Below, we’ve compiled key points from the preview and new details about the title.

**Marcus Stewart** from Game Informer.

**Ed Nightingale** from Eurogamer.

The media consensus is that **Death Stranding 2** is shaping up to be a very entertaining game that retains the strengths of its predecessor while significantly enhancing its weaknesses. *»I’m impressed with how attentively **Kojima Productions** has responded to feedback,»* remarked a journalist from Game Informer.

However, not everyone is in favor of the close ties to the original **Death Stranding**. Eurogamer noted that the sequel seems to cater to what the audience supposedly desires, yet **Kojima**, known for his innovative vision, may be seen as taking a step back in appeasing critics of the first game. Nevertheless, most agree that **DS2** is constructed from well-crafted gameplay mechanics, stunning landscapes, and remarkable details, all wrapped in a «Kojima-esque understanding of coolness».

**Death Stranding 2: On the Beach** will launch on June 26 exclusively for PlayStation 5. Those who pre-order the collector’s or digital deluxe edition will receive early access to the game—two days before its official release. Today, **Sony** also **unveiled** a controller in the style of **Death Stranding 2**, priced at 85 dollars. Pre-orders will begin on May 22.