Despite its popularity, the original Death Stranding was a very opaque game, requiring its players to engage with systems that refused to hold their hand in ways that modern gamers are used to.
Its main story was equally vague and open-ended, requiring that players got to its grand conclusion to truly understand Hideo Kojima’s ambitious and bold tackling of complex themes surrounding human connection and mortality.
However, its success speaks volumes about how well it was received both critically and commercially. Kojima’s unique brand of storytelling notwithstanding, it was a game that resonated with every player who deigned to see it through and we now have a sequel that builds on those ambitions in meaningful ways.
While Death Stranding 2 could be considered as the realization of Kojima’s original vision, and a dream come true for his fans who have waited for this sequel for a long time, its success does raise questions about what makes this new addition to the franchise tick.
Why did the gaming world wait with bated breath for the new game? And now that it’s in players’ hands, what keeps them diving back into Kojima’s expanded take on a post-apocalyptic world? How has Kojima managed to recapture the magic of his original effort and build on it in his latest outing?
It’s time to dive in and find out why Death Stranding 2 has enthralled its player base and cemented Kojima’s reputation as a storyteller who cannot be compared to any other.
A World Without End
While we won’t waste too much time commenting on Death Stranding 2’s immensely immersive visuals, their presence in the game goes beyond adding a layer of polish to an already stunning open-world. But the manner in which they complement the experience that Kojima has brought to the table does elicit comments on how they elevate Sam Porter’s latest adventure to a large extent.
Considering that the original Death Stranding pitted its protagonist against the very world he was trying to improve, it’s evident that the new title needed to build on that premise in meaningful ways. Kojima’s clever use of the PS5 and PS5 Pro to bring a significantly larger open-world for his players to explore goes beyond a fresh coat of paint.
It allows Death Stranding 2’s take on Mexico and Australia to become a character in and of itself, responding to Porter’s actions in ways that the original game could not while serving as a challenge to be overcome for players looking to discover where his latest adventure leads.
It helps that the world in Death Stranding 2 has a lot more to do as Sam explores it, building on the original game’s tendency to favor the journey over the destination to make each trek through its varied landscapes eventful and unpredictable in ways that Kojima’s original game could not entirely manage.
In short, Death Stranding 2’s visually stunning world is a feather in its cap, blending style and substance in a way that allows the game to be a sequel in more than just its story. But it’s only one reason to keep its players returning for more.
Incremental Improvements
Like Porter, Kojima’s vision clearly includes the goal of emulating his now legendary protagonist and making the world he has built a better place for everyone involved. To that end, he has allowed Sam Porter to expand on his skill set in ways that make sense, establishing a sort of continuity with the original game that other titles cannot hope to match.
It’s not uncommon to see a sequel bring its protagonist back to square one at the start of their new adventure. The most egregious example that comes to mind is Horizon Forbidden West, which even addressed the reason for Aloy’s lack of all the cool gear she uncovered in the first game being absent through a few lines of dialogue in the game’s early sections.
But Kojima eschews what he would certainly see as mainstream, instead opting to make meaningful changes to the core gameplay loop on offer in Death Stranding 2 that are not only sensible from a narrative standpoint, but make sense in terms of gameplay too.
Take Sam’s backpack, for instance. While he rarely felt the need to drop it in the original game, Kojima’s revamped combat and stealth mechanics in the new game make leaving his cargo at a safe place while he deals with whatever threats are in his way.
That’s further exacerbated by new holsters for his weapons, allowing him to make more room for precious cargo in his journeys while his improved mobility on foot and with newly introduced vehicles make interacting with the world a lot easier than it used to be in Death Stranding.
It’s almost as if Sam used his time in isolation to reflect on how he could be better at what he does best, possibly reflecting Kojima’s own thoughts about how to build on the success of his first outing in ways that resonate with his players. Each improvement to Sam’s capabilities feels like a direct result of his past adventures, and is certainly a factor in how Death Stranding 2 is even better at resonating with its players than the game that came before it.
However, Sam’s improved capabilities and a vastly expanded open-world are only parts of what makes Death Stranding 2 such a magical experience.
Carefully Crafted Connections
Rounding out the trio of reasons for Death Stranding 2’s success is the manner in which Kojima has taken the story forward. Without wading too deep into spoiler territory, this is a tale that takes the thematic explorations of the first game and develops them in ways that replicate the ethereal and haunting nature of the original game while remaining grounded in the human interactions that facilitate them.
While Porter was a lone man trying to make sense of a world gone horribly wrong in the first game, the stakes are higher for him this time around. The resulting narrative cleverly balances his lonesome travels with a renewed focus on leaving behind a lasting legacy, requiring that Sam further solidifies the relationships he built in the first game while navigating new ones as he attempts to expand the Chiral Network to include Mexico and Australia.
Some of the game’s new mission types reflect this philosophy, the rescuing of endangered animals being foremost among them. Sam’s desire to stay aloof from the world he helped improve constantly clashes with his newly formed mission to further develop it in his quest to assist Fragile and other members of the game’s cast.
Where the first game explored how one’s own mortality informed their actions in life, Death Stranding 2 examines the effects of those actions on a granular level as well as how an individual can impact the world around them in ways that even they don’t grasp in the moment. It is a balance that the game achieves quite well, making its visually stunning world and redesigned gameplay loop feel more significant.
It also helps that the stakes are a lot higher for Sam, lending a sense of urgency to his adventure that the original game did not have. In many ways, Lou serves as the catalyst for Sam’s latest outing, and perhaps a great way to cap off his adventure with style, allowing the character to enjoy a swan song that many other gaming protagonists could only dream of.
These narrative threads are firmly rooted in the real world, allowing Kojima to reflect on the value of an individual within the larger framework of human societies.
It’s the perfect way to examine how advancements in the way people communicate can prove divisive enough that they only serve to alienate them from each other in the absence of viable reasons to remain united – a sentiment that’s showcased in the game’s revamped approach to the Strand system that allows asynchronous communications between individual players aimed at creating a shared sense of progress.
Death Stranding 2 weaves this ambitious mechanic into its core gameplay loop quite effectively, allowing its players to truly shape its world in ways that impact their own playthroughs while benefiting others who may attempt to take similar paths. Coupled with all of the other additions in the game, the Strand system is another feather in Kojima’s cap as it amplifies the game’s themes while bringing a fresh layer of complexity to his vision.
The Perfect Balance Between Art and Ambition
Death Stranding 2 is a game that is sure to remain in its players’ minds long after they roll the credits on the sprawling adventure it brings to their screens. Its many strengths stem from Kojima’s ability to weave complex thematic influences into the very fabric of his creations while managing to remain entertaining enough to keep players invested.
It’s a tricky thing to craft a video game in which the core gameplay loop involves making deliveries from one place to another. But Death Stranding 2, like its predecessor, deftly integrates so much value into the journey itself that describing it in such a way becomes a reductive argument that holds no weight for those who truly dive into what it aims to present.
It’s an experience like no other despite the presence of other excellent titles in 2025, and is one that can prove quite daunting and rewarding in equal measures once you begin to see just how ambitious in size and scope it really is. And that, perhaps, is why it has proven to be as addictive as it is in the days since its release.
We can’t wait to see what Kojima comes up with next. And after our time in Death Stranding 2, we’re certainly going along for the ride wherever that takes us.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
