Alright fellow gamers, seatbelts on, as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is just one week away from its launch on June 26. For those who have maybe never held back while waiting to start their games two days earlier–or is it just me?–it was promised through the Digital Deluxe Edition that that would be the case, and those who just had to get past the two days couldn’t wait to dive back into Sam Bridges’ strangely compelling delivery simulator life after all.
The authoritatively announced position comes from PlayStation’s Twitter account with the supposedly cryptic “connect the network” tagline Kojima cherishes. The replies were wild. Many were already deeming the game for awards (shoutout to @RinoTheBouncer, who bluntly said in all caps, “A Hideo Kojima Masterpiece”). Others, however… eh, well, some were still reluctant for now. @Mariofan1632073 went all scorched-earth on it, calling it “garbage,” accusing Kojima of “just a movie director disguised as a game developer.” Ouch.
The real deal however is that some of these very early access issues might really be puzzling. The concern of @PanthoriusPrime is valid: How will Collector’s Edition buyers actually get their “48-hours early access” when their physical copies may or may not arrive in time? That’s… actually a really good question that nobody seems to have an answer for yet. Typical gaming industry stuff where digital gets priority over physical, am I right?
Next are the gameplay trailers (or whatever you choose to call Death Stranding’s strange cinematic trailers) that garner mixed opinions, as usual. @damage3421 simply put: “I never gave this series a try. Is it that good?” which sparked a debate in the replies. @OhNoItsRoss nailed it: “Very hit or miss. There really is no in between, you either love it or hate it.” Meanwhile, @BurakCo53951852 just casually chimed in with: “Overrated af,” like they couldn’t care less about debating it.
Some seconds for the global presence too – @sadeem199081 replied in Arabic: “But really?! I’m not waiting for a new part of this silly dead game 🤷♀️,” which, thanks to Google translate, we were able to comprehend. It’s always interesting seeing how the reactions usually diverge in these few regions with these announcements even.
The tech sector kept giving problems, because it had to be there. @malice1ntent started ranting about PS5’s recording features failing during hour-long sessions-that… okay, that’s actually pretty brutal if you lost 20 hours of content. Maybe take a break from recording and just enjoy Death Stranding 2 when it drops? Just a thought.
So, from Death Stranding 2, NCAA football, and whatever “ReMatch” is, gaming’s going to be fully plated,” said @bmuny101. Then, @critic_don has his game already installed and is just staring at the countdown timer like some digital monk practicing patience. Respect.
I mean, what was the general verdict? If the weirdly meditative package-delivering, baby-toting, ghost-fighting gameplay of the first game charmed your soul, then you have started your countdown now. Else, if the game struck you as pretentious nonsense, well… maybe go play something else? One way or another, the 26th of June (or the 24th of June in the case of the extravagant Digital Deluxe gamblers) is coming. Returning to some classic strand-type gameplay, whether the whole world is ready or not.
Norman Reedus’ hair though, it is a sight to behold. That alone must raise the price of the Entry.