Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is just a day away from release (or already available to those currently playing it in early access) and developer Kojima Productions has gone above and beyond to implement new features and quality of life improvements to the sequel while altogether changing or removing the more frustrating elements from the first game. We’re going to look at five of the biggest changes and improvements made in the sequel that sets it apart from its predecessor.
We’ll be providing a lot of coverage on Death Stranding 2 in the coming days so be sure to keep an eye out. If you’re curious about how long it will take you to beat the game’s main story as well as its side content, you can read more about it right here.
Death Stranding 2 – Five Biggest Changes and Improvements Over The First Game
Better Route Planner
The first Death Stranding had a route planner for Sam but it wasn’t as intuitive as it could’ve been. It’s now been fully realised in Death Stranding 2. Players can bring up the map and plot a route to their next destination by adding up to ten connected markers across the continent. More importantly, the route you select now provides valuable feedback such as potential hazards, ground elevations, bandit patrols, difficult terrain and BT zones. It’s a lot more in-depth than the first game and particularly helpful for longer deliveries.
Improved Skill and Upgrade Tree
The skill and upgrade tree in the first game was basically non-existent as Sam gradually improved his cargo and porting skills over time. However, Death Stranding 2 gives you much more control over what skills you want to specialise in. Sam now levels up specific skills as he performs them, so engaging in combat improves his combat capabilities and so on. A skill tree allows you to focus on which abilities Sam uses. They can be reset at any time, meaning they can be adjusted on the fly depending on the situation.
Dynamic Weather and Quakes
Death Stranding 2 features a day and night cycle along with dynamic weather effects and even earthquakes (called “gate quakes”) that randomly trigger on a magnitude of 1 to 10. More powerful gate quakes can even cause unexpected avalanches or rockfalls alongside mountains and kills. Sandstorms can also sweep through the map, causing limited visibility and violent lightning bursts to strike the ground. It’s all visually stunning but adds a lot to the believability of the game’s open world.
Combat and Stealth
Combat and stealth have seen the biggest improvements in the sequel. Not only is combat much more flexible, Sam can now use melee weapons, parry with them, and even throw them at enemies to pick up another weapon. When in close-quarters combat, Sam has a backstep dodge and a deflect with a counterattack that can throw enemies off-balance. Stealth is also actively encouraged. Nightfall provides you with the cover of darkness, so you’ll want to change the time of day to better your chances.
Dialogue Options
This one might seem insignificant but if you’re familiar with how much NPCs tended to ramble about their life stories in the first game, having dialogue options to completely skip or only ask your preferred questions is very welcomed in Death Stranding 2. During the story, you’ll also get dialogue options to progress, though they don’t do much to change or impact the overall narrative. Still, it feels like Sam has a bit more agency in the story now instead of being a blank canvas for other NPCs to offload their troubles onto.
Bonus: Portable Music Player
In the first game, you could only listen to music in your safe rooms. In Death Stranding 2, you now have a portable music player that you can take with you wherever you go. It’s a shame to not enjoy Hideo Kojima’s hand-picked song selection more because it’s all fantastic. Well, now you can. However, the portable music player only works in areas already connected to the chiral network so keep that in mind.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach releases on 26 June 2025 exclusively for PS5. We recently unboxed the Collector’s Edition and Limited Edition DualSense Controller. Both are still in stock in SA. Check out the unboxing below and pick yours up here.
