Death Stranding 2: On the Beach PC is a unique horror walking simulator

With Playstation moving away from PC gaming to focus on console exclusivity, Death Stranding 2 may just be the very last Playstation original. Starting with Horizon Zero Dawn in 2020, Sony has had quite the successful run, and what better way to go out on than with Death Stranding 2?

Launched in 2025 to rave reviews, it tragically missed out on winning Game of the Year in almost every category, which went to Clair Obscur. However, that does not make it any less deserving of attention, especially if one is a fan of the first game as a PC player and is eager to see how the story of Sam pans out.

After connecting America, Sam is forced to hide with his daughter in Mexico, away from the very company he used to work for. Sam is afflicted with a condition called DOOMS which lets him freely roam in a world taken over by unseen ghosts and rain that will age you with every drop. Sam is a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic delivery guy, who has to carry parcels between the remnants of humanity gone underground.

In Death Stranding 2, it is up to Sam to reconnect Mexico and Australia, while searching for someone he has lost.

The story of Death Stranding is bonkers, but extremely unique. The first game could be termed as slow, as you learn and discover the world and its mechanics. Death Stranding 2 is much faster paced, as the story picks up right after the events of the first game, which if you have not played, then a recap is not enough. I would strongly suggest you drop this review and go play the game, or nothing will make sense.

Death Stranding 2’s story may lose the novelty the first game had, but its plot is equally poignant with a few excellent new characters and Oscar-worthy performances from Norman Reedus, Ellie Fanning, Léa Seydoux and others. Also, since Kojima is a massive fan of RRR, there are substantial appearances by SS Rajamouli and his son SS Karthikeya, so keep an eye out for them.

It is hard to pin Death Stranding down in any genre. At its core, it is a walking simulator where you have to balance a bunch of parcels or truck them around across unforgiving, but mesmerising terrain just to make sure you get likes for your deliveries.

Both Death Strandings are extremely therapeutic, especially in the mid to late game after you unlock several technologies and vehicles to overcome the horror elements that are usually scarier early on. After a terrible day at work, a bunch of deliveries will release that oxytocin, with its themes of social connectivity.

On the other side, Death Stranding 2 doubles up on action elements, closely pushing the game towards Hideo Kojima’s past with the Metal Gear Solid series — from mysterious synthetic enemies and tactical gunplay, to all sorts of gadgets to dispatch one’s enemies.

To be honest, Hideo does this type of espionage action really well, and it is a welcome difference from Death Stranding’s pace. There are a lot of areas to infiltrate and take out via stealth apart from the head-on action sequences with ghostly samurai mechs and other unique enemies. 

That said, there is nothing quite like walking across Australia’s biomes or the jaw-dropping mountains of Mexico, just to get your high delivery ratings. The gameplay loop is addictive, and the surroundings are stunning. This new version of the Decima engine, the same that powers the Horizon games, is unparalleled when it comes to creating landscapes.

The PC version is even better, especially if you have a good graphics card capable of DLSS, and frame generation and ray tracing capable of outputting at ultrawide resolutions which let you take in more of Decima’s visual prowess.

In addition to that, there is a higher difficulty called Into the Wilder. Apart from the new features, and Playstation controller support, I appreciate the value of good old mouse aim which helps immensely in combat. 

Death Stranding 2 is a must experience game, especially if you loved the first game and don’t own or want to get a Playstation 5 to see the next chapter in the saga. Just do not watch trailers online, because they are riddled with spoilers, and if you have not played the first part, start from there. If you have, you are in for a treat. 

Published – March 23, 2026 12:08 pm IST