Death Stranding 2 early reviews are out and highly positive

The sequel to the 2019 Kojima project Death Stranding is slated to release on June 26, 2025, but a few early reviews are already in. From the looks of it, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is being praised heavily even by publications that did not appreciate the original. The game will only be available on the PS5 for now with a those who purchased the Digital Deluxe Edition will get 48 hour early access.

Kakuchopurei and JeuxVideo (French) have published first reviews of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Without spoiling anything, the former publication has called the game “more endearing” than the original and that it is “unabashed with its vision of human connection and its own Strand-type worldbuilding, and gives you enough tools to make the journey all the more worthwhile and memorable.” It rates the game at 90/100. Notably, the same publication was not a fan of the original Death Stranding and gave it a measly 40/100

JeuxVideo originally published the review in French and the machine translation to English calls it a “masterpiece on PS5, but not for everyone.” The review goes on to state that the progression is more “generous and stimulating than in the past, and the action-infiltration phases accompany very well a gameplay loop that is still as gripping as ever.” It was rated 17/20 by the editor. JeuxVideo was also a fan of the original and rated it highly as well, even higher than the sequel.

Both publications shared their reviews after about 35 to 40 hours of gameplay. These are positive signs for the upcoming game that Kojima wanted to be a devicive one. It will be available to those with early access on June 24, 48 hours before the official general release on June 26.