🎮 HOT TAKES: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review — Kojima’s Masterpiece or Mid-Life Crisis?

LOST NACHOS GAMING
Jun 30
2 min read

By Slick Voltage — June 30, 2025 - LostNachos.com

Hideo Kojima’s eagerly awaited sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, officially dropped on June 26—and critics have spoken. The verdict? It’s Kojima at his peak—but not without a few stumbles.

🏅 “Kojima at the peak of his powers” — Washington Post

The Post hails it as “a pinnacle in video game storytelling and design,” praising its cinematic scope, deeper pacing, and improved access to gear, tools, and vehicle.

They highlight the immersive world built on Mexico and Australia maps, along with a stirring soundtrack and emotional climax comparable to Metal Gear Solid 3.

💡 Quality‑of‑Life Wins: MeriStation

Spanish outlet MeriStation notes Kojima tackled fan frustrations by adding a cinematic progress bar, letting players skip cutscenes mid-way — a direct response to criticism of lengthy pauses in previous game.

They also confirm the sequel sticks to the original's formula while upgrading combat, stealth, and visuals—even if some surprises fade by hour 20.

🎢 “Bigger, zanier… not always better” — Polygon

Polygon describes it as “a bigger, zanier, but not always better” adventure, yet notes that its improved balance between spectacle and accessibility makes it more widely appealing.

Kojima reportedly self-adjusted elements after early positive feedback—both leaning into and pulling back to avoid the sequel getting too comfortable.

🚀 Accessible Yet Weird — The Verge

The Verge confirms the game retains its signature surrealism—talking puppets, healing rain—while enhancing mission variety, fast travel, and an explanatory codex to welcome newcomers.

Combat still creaks at times, but fans hungry for Kojima’s peculiar storytelling will find a richer, more engaging journey.

🎖 Metacritic: Praise with a Pinch of Salt

With a Metascore in the low 90s and OpenCritic recommending it at 96%, the game is widely lauded as a sequel that improves upon and expands the original. However, some outlets flag it as slightly more accessible—and thus less challenging—than its predecessor.

🧠 Nacho Takeaway

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is undeniably a dream for Kojima fans—visually stunning, narratively rich, and emotionally resonant on a grand scale. It refines its predecessor with useful upgrades while layering on fresh cinematic and gameplay depth.

But if you fell for the original’s isolated, novelty-driven grind, you might miss a bit of its edge. Still, this sequel proves Kojima can deliver bold, weird, and moving experiences—and then ask, “need more?”