Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Death Stranding 2 is as strange and singular as any game Hideo Kojima has ever directed, and some of its best moments come not when you’re navigating the terrain of Australia or battling fearsome BTs or ghost mechs, but as you’re watching your little companion Dollman do a spectacular choreographed dance to a Japanese pop song on a tabletop, or experiencing the remnants of another man’s memories in a dreamlike realm. Having said that, the terrain traversal remains Death Stranding’s signature appeal, and when it’s good in this sequel, it’s very good. You feel the rocky ground beneath your feet, the pitter-patter of rain (sorry, “timefall”) as it lands, the wonderful relief of cresting a mountain and seeing your destination in reach as a moody tune gets cued up on the soundtrack. Death Stranding 2 has no shortage of lows, and its narrative has some serious issues that deserve serious criticism. But it’s also full of gorgeous, absorbing, uniquely Death Stranding moments, the kind that emerge from friction and struggle and the ordeal of transporting items across hostile terrain, perhaps with the help of structures and resources left by your fellow players, and when you’re experiencing those, there’s nothing like it. — Carolyn Petit