Death Stranding 2: On The Beachis definitely one of Hideo Kojima’s stranger games, featuring an enormous ensemble cast, a whole new environment to explore, and a vastly complex narrative that will delight fans of the first game. Of course, with its exceptionally gorgeous visuals, new setting, and intriguing premise, not to mention a swathe of trailers at practically every event possible, newcomers to theDeath Strandingseries may be wondering whether they can jump on board and skip the first game.
With many fans saying theypreferDS2to the original,it is no surprise that people are eager to just get straight to it and avoid the first game. However, that route isn’t always possible with sequels. Kojima has shown in the past that he is capable of making new entries friendly to newcomers, such as withMetal Gear Solid V, but even then, there is a lot that would confuse those unfamiliar with the series. Those who don’t want to playDeath Strandingare likely hoping he’s improved in this regard, but they may be flat out of luck.
You Must Play Death Stranding Before Starting Death Stranding 2
It Carries On Directly After The First Game
While you may be tempted to skipDeath Strandingin order to jump straight into the sequel,it is absolutely essential to play the first game beforeDeath Stranding 2. The sequel is set 11 months after the events of the first game, andcarries over features fromDS, as well as characters and plot details. You’ll need to have all of that knowledge under your belt to even remotely understand what is going on inDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach, as well as be acquainted with its unique gameplay style and general atmosphere and tone.
Simply put,Death Stranding 2is a direct sequel, one that presumes those jumping into it will have a key understanding of the first game in the series. Also, unlike with a lot of other game series,Death Strandingis inherently weird and extremely complex. Even those who have played the first game may not understand the entire plot. Repeat playthroughs are important if you want to truly grasp everything that’s going on, and a lot of the side content exploresDeath Stranding’smost bizarre elementsand characters that end up being rather crucial.
For those who are contemplating playingDeath Strandingbefore its sequel, it will take 40 hours to beat its main story and 60 to do all the side contentas well, according toHow Long To Beat. That’s not an insubstantial amount of time, especially asDeath Stranding 2is also an extremely long game. You can skip the side content, although certain missions, as aforementioned, tie into key characters, including the game’s villain, so they’re always worth doing. It’s a long journey, but it is honestly one worth taking, especially if any part ofDeath Strandingappeals to you.
Death Stranding Recaps Won’t Really Help
They Don’t Give You The Full Picture
Another route one can take is watching recaps. There are plenty of comprehensive recaps available online via YouTube, and these will cover the game’s story, key characters, and show crucial cutscenes. However, while these can be helpful, newcomers shouldn’t rely on them completely.Death Stranding’sstory is extremely complicated, with all of its cutscenes combined requiring roughly 11 hours of watch time. There’s so much lore, so many character arcs, and a lot of backstory to get through thateven a one-hour recap may not be enough.
You’ll also miss out on one of the key parts ofDeath Stranding: Sam’s relationship with BB. A lot of that is fleshed out through gameplay, as well as story moments, and culminates in one of the most heartfelt and beautiful finales of any video game ever. A recap can’t really give you the same level of attachment or understanding as having experienced it yourself, which is why it is highly recommended you playDeath Strandingbefore its sequel. Ironically,a recap is probably better suited to those who’ve already playedDeath Stranding.
Additionally,DS2is fixingDeath Stranding’sworst features, making it a superior experience, at least when it comes to gameplay. It is more of an iterative sequel, rather than an innovative one, meaning that those who playedDeath Strandingwill be able to appreciate all of the changes but won’t feel like they are detrimental to the core identity of the original. However,those who’ve never playedDeath Strandingwill miss out on that appreciation, and may struggle to return to the originalafter having experienced the sequel’s quality-of-life improvements.
The Death Stranding Novelizations Are A Good Way To Get The Story
One reason why playing throughDeath StrandingbeforeDeath Stranding 2may be an issue is if you’re already playing through countless other games. Fortunately,for those who love reading as well, there is a novel ofDeath Stranding. Split into two parts and written by Kenji Yano (under the pen name, Hitori Nojima), the co-writer of the video gameDeath Stranding, these novels pretty much tell the story of the game beat for beat. There are even entire lines of dialogue that are taken from the game and put onto the page.
While there are a few subtle changes, the core story moments, characters, and overall themes are kept entirely intact, meaning that you’ll get all the necessary narrative context for the sequel. Despite being two books, they are quick reads, and the translation work by Carley Radford is exceptionally good. For fans of the games, they more or less serve as a recap, with some minor characters getting a bit more backstory. However,for newcomers, they’re a great way to get into the story ofDeath Strandingwithout needing to commit 40 hours to a game.
The best way of understanding what is happening inDeath Stranding 2: On the Beachis to just sit down and play the masterpiece that isDeath Stranding.
Of course, if you are happy to wait a while to play the sequel, theDeath StrandingA24 moviewill also recap the events of the first game in a much shorter amount of time. Kojima has also announced that there will be aDeath Strandinganimefor those who prefer longer-form TV to movies, so there will be plenty of options in the coming years. However, while these will be great, the best way of understanding what is happening inDeath Stranding 2: On the Beachis to just sit down and play the masterpiece that isDeath Stranding.
