TheDeath Stranding 2: On the Beachreview embargo has been lifted, with early reviews positioning the upcoming title as one of the highest-rated games of 2025. The positive reception reinforces Sony’s decision to makeDeath Stranding 2its flagship PlayStation exclusive for summer 2025.
TheoriginalDeath Strandingreceived a mixed response from criticsfollowing its late 2019 release. While its average score on OpenCritic stands at a respectable 83, the game proved somewhat polarizing, with many reviewers criticizing its slow pace and gameplay focused largely on traversal, inventory management, and fetch quests. Conversely, some critics praised it as one of the most innovative games in recent memory that cements Hideo Kojima’s status as a video game auteur. According to OpenCritic data, nearly one in four reviewers did not recommendDeath Stranding—an unusually low recommendation rate for a game with a non-zero rate of reviews calling it a masterpiece.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beachappears to be significantly less polarizing. Following the lifting of its review embargo on June 23, the upcoming sequel received a wave of highly favorable reviews, earning a “Mighty” rating onOpenCriticwith an average score of 90 and a near-perfect 97% recommendation rate. By these metrics,Death Stranding 2is currentlyone of the highest-rated games of 2025, with OpenCritic’s “Hall of Fame” list for this year placing it only behindClair Obscur: Expedition 33andSplit Fiction.
What Critics Are Saying About Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Looking beyond the arbitrary numbers, many reviewers describe the upcoming title as a clear improvement over its predecessor, retaining what worked while addressing its shortcomings.Death Stranding 2is said to feature somewhat improved pacingand deeper gameplay, particularly in its stealth and combat systems. Some reviewers have also praised the addition of an RPG-like skill tree as contributing both gameplay flexibility and replay value. Another frequently cited strength is the game’s world design, featuring ever-shifting environments that present tactical challenges and offer greater variety than the original.
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As for criticisms, the story’s finale has been described as overly messy—a complaint that was also frequently directed at the first game. Similarly, the critical consensus suggests that inventory management from the firstDeath Strandingstill lacks the intuitiveness many hoped for in the sequel.
Death Stranding 2officially releases on June 26, at midnight ET. However, the game will also have a brief early access period that starts exactly two days beforehand. Access to this preview period is restricted to consumers who purchase its Collector’s or Digital Deluxe Editions, priced at $79.99 and $229.99, respectively. PlayStation Direct stillliststhe Collector’s Edition as available in the U.S. as of June 23.
