Death Stranding 2 Delivers Unyielding Heartbreak

So, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is finally here, and I’m kinda excited to dive into this new chapter, even though, full disclosure, I barely understood half of the first game. Anyway, Sam and Fragile are back, leading the charge on some new adventure – while newbies like Tomorrow, Rainy, and Dollman jump in. They’re fresh faces, and it’s a wild cast, seriously. Everything’s deeper this time, especially backstories.

Back in the first one, sure, there were backstories, but now? They’ve cranked it up to eleven. Honestly, the first game almost feels like practice for what’s happening here. Between the trekking part being better and the combat more intense, they’re really putting a lot into it, but, like always, the storyline is what hits the hardest. Connection is still the big theme, but so is loss – which makes for, man, some really gut-wrenching moments.

Oh, and speaking of heartbreak – Kojima, you masterpiece of madness, he just throws it right at you. Early on, Sam leaves Lou with Fragile while he’s off on some delivery run. What happens next? A mess with armed dudes at Sam’s place. Fragile tries to high-tail it but gets taken out. Fragile makes it, Lou doesn’t. So yeah, that’s our first heartbreak right there. Loss becomes this big connector for everyone – kinda sucks but is totally relatable too.

Then you’ve got the DHV Magellan crew. Tarman, Dollman, Rainy – all kinds of loss there, each one tragic in its own way. Tarman lost his kid, Dollman his wife in a crazy tar wave, and Rainy? She was ousted as some kind of witch – her powers freaked everyone out. It’s heavy stuff, and honestly, you might want tissues nearby.

Sam, dealing with Lou’s loss, is a wreck. He can’t even handle leaving his place until Fragile nudges him to connect Australia’s network. Turns out, grief can bring people closer. Who would’ve thought, right? But yeah, at the end of the day, it’s better to share the burden than carry it alone.

And then, Deadman – he comes back. Sort of. Leaves a note for Sam, saying, even though he wasn’t born traditionally (whatever that means), he’s got his own Beach. It’s like this bittersweet goodbye as he walks into his Beach, cool as a cucumber, embracing death. Hits you in the feels hard.

So, Death Stranding 2 doesn’t just stick to the tried and true. It totally elevates how it handles characters, introducing these new guys you can’t help but like. It’s tough to beat the original, yet here we are, loving the cast and their stories even more this time around. It’s all chaotic, messy, beautiful. Go figure.