by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $16.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, Troy Baker, George Miller, Elle Fanning, Guillermo del Toro, Jonathan Roumie, Zac Garred
Intro:
... an original, heartfelt, surreal, immersive, beautiful and poetic adventure set in this great southern land.
The original Death Stranding came out in 2019 and it was just as divisive and iconic as you might expect from the mad Japanese video game auteur, Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear series). Essentially a walking simulator in the most literal sense of the word, Death Stranding featured a post-apocalyptic America being linked together by a gruff, isolated Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) and delivered a haunting soundtrack, spectacular visuals and a gameplay loop that boiled down to: hairy man delivers packages.
Seriously, the entire game features ol’ mate Norman schlepping from one location to the next, dropping off his cargo and grabbing more for the next trip. Occasionally a lengthy, wacko cut scene or brief combat encounter would break up the postie services, but ultimately the game was all about riding Shanks’s pony hither and yon. The reaction from critics was mixed, many finding lots to like but questioning some of the more repetitive aspects. Many of these concerns were addressed in 2021 with the Director’s Cut of the game – that added more vehicles, mech suits, gadgets and general weirdness – which has now neatly spiralled into the inevitable sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. And this time it’s set in Australia!
Death Stranding 2 puts us once again in the overworked boots of Sam Bridges who, after a prologue section, goes through a mystical gate and starts fixing Australia. Finally, some good news! Sam must link the ancient island continent together, rescue people in trouble, fight big gloopy monsters and battle tar-slicked enemies who seem to have a personal vendetta against him. Basically, it’s business as usual for Death Stranding fans, with an emphasis on vehicles and combat rather than the near total isolation of the first game at launch.
For people who liked the original in its non-director’s cut form, this may rankle. A lot of the friction points from the series have been sanded away, there’s far less traversal puzzles and need to use things like ladders and climbing anchors. You’re unlikely to drop your packages anywhere near as often and while the combat looks slick and daunting, the sheer number of weapons and gadgets you can fabricate means that you’ll likely beat most encounters on your first go. Dark Souls this ain’t.
For people who saw the potential in Death Stranding but found it a little too much of a slog, however, Death Stranding 2 will be the game they’ve been waiting for. It certainly helps that this is one of the best looking games on the PS5, slick and polished in ways that you don’t tend to see from AAA-games at launch these days. The voice acting is impeccable – with new characters like Dollman (Jonathan Roumie) and returning ones like Fragile (Léa Seydoux) – doing fine work. There are also a lot of Aussie voices to hear, with the best being that of director George Miller (Mad Max series) who plays Tarman and proves to be genuinely excellent in the role. You’ve also got the expected celeb roles from Guillermo del Toro, Elle Fanning, Troy Baker, Nicolas Winding Refn and about a hundred other famous mates of Hideo.
The game itself is as nutty and ridiculous as you’d expect but the pacing is better, the stakes more tangible and the gameplay – even if it does skew a little too easy at times – much more engaging.
It certainly won’t be for everyone, mind you. For every gamer delighted by the quirk and whimsy of unexpected doll dance numbers or riding coffins like skateboards down mountains, you’ll have another wondering why the hell they’d want to play a game where they’re essentially an Amazon delivery driver for the end times. And they’re not wrong, this is still the same core loop that confounded so many in 2019. But this time around there’s a lot more meat on the bones, and somehow Hideo Kojima has made hooning around Australia, building structures, helping your fellow porters via unique online mechanics and getting into blues with giant blob monsters weirdly but undeniably compelling.
Death Stranding 2 improves on most of the problems of the original and delivers an original, heartfelt, surreal, immersive, beautiful and poetic adventure set in this great southern land. And whether you’re delivering lost animals to the Scottish band CHVRCHES (for some reason) or fighting off waves of undead trauma soldiers, it’s a unique and compelling vision. Put simply, this time around, Death Stranding 2 is worth the schlep.
