Kojima Production’s newest game, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has proven popular in playtests despite claims by the developers that they were not trying to make a broadmarket appeal game.
This comes after the original game released to widely divisive reviews from both players and critics, becoming an all time great for some action-adventure gamers, and falling flat for others.
Speaking on the feedback from the original game and the upcoming sequel, founder of Kojima Productions, Hideo Kojima, said: “I did a lot of monitoring tests for the original Death Stranding. I’d find that four out of ten people would love the game, but six would say it was a terrible game.
“For me, I think that’s a good balance. But with the playtests for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, everyone seems to be positive.”
With the new game already exciting many, what’s in store for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach?
New features, gameplay and mechanics
The script is flipped on the Death Stranding formula, while the original game focused on deception and stealth, avoiding conflict wherever possible, the second game in the franchise is set to feel much more like the most recent iterations of the game’s sister title Metal Gear, which Kojima also helped to develop.
The original game was focussed on the world, the developers were careful in ensuring the gritty yet jaw-dropping cinematics and scenery were not ignored in favour of explosions and gun-play.
However, according to Kojima, this will continue in the newest game, with more options for action not coming at the expense for the world-building aspects of the game, with players also being able to avoid most of the conflict all together if they prefer.
Speaking to VGC, Kojima said that while he still wants the story to revolve around the non-combat options, whether that’s speed and evasion, or deception and stealth, but with fans begging him to create a new Metal Gear style game, he has softened on the inclusion of more combat options.
Consoles and Release Date
The future of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach remains up in the air, but initial playtests suggest it could be a massive hit for Kojami. Fans who have not had the chance to play in the early access rounds will be able to get their hands on the game on June 24. It will be exclusively available of PlayStation 5.
