Acclaimed director Hideo Kojima has recently reacted to the reviews of his latest game,Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, stating he is “happy with the scores.”Death Stranding 2: On the Beachhas received very positive reviews, with an average OpenCritic rating of 90 and a 96% recommendation rate, making it one of the highest-rated games of 2025 so far.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beachlaunched exclusively for PS5 on June 26. In it, players once again take on the role of Sam Porter Bridges, now journeying to reconnect humanity through the chiral network. The game clearly builds on the originalDeath Strandingwhile introducing new mechanics, features, and characters. It also has improved visuals, expanded gameplay options, and early reviews already positionDeath Stranding 2as a strong contender for 2025’s Game of the Year. While the sequel keeps the weird and unique style of Kojima,Death Stranding 2is proving to be less divisive than the original game, with Kojima even wishing the game would be more polarizing. Now, the acclaimed director has just spoken his mind about the sequel’s reviews.
As reported byGamesRadar+, during the ongoingDeath StrandingWorld Strand Tour 2 in London, Hideo Kojima was asked his opinion abouttheDeath Stranding 2reviews. The director acknowledged how positive the reception has been so far and revealed he was happy with the scores.
Hideo Kojima is Happy with Death Stranding 2’s Review Scores
Kojima’s comments indicate that the director is indeed satisfied with the final version of the game, which didn’t seem to be the case during the early playtesting stage. The game’s composer, Yoann “Woodkid” Lemoine, revealed a few weeks ago thatKojima made changes toDeath Stranding 2to make it more polarizingbecause he was not happy to see that the sequel was getting better scores than the original game. Woodkid said the director made changes to the story and certain crucial events to trigger more emotions in players, as he wanted to deliver an experience that grew on players instead of pleasing them immediately.
Kojima’s unique vision of video gameshas helped bring to life some of the most iconic titles in the industry, including all-time classics likeMetal Gear Solid 1andMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. WithDeath Stranding 2, the director faced higher challenges due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, which even led Kojima to think he would never finish the game. Fortunately for him and fans, the game was finished and finally released, meeting fans' expectations and satisfying Kojima.
