The review embargo for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has officially lifted, revealing overwhelmingly positive reception that places Hideo Kojima's upcoming sequel among 2025's highest-rated titles. With an impressive 90 average score on OpenCritic and 97% of critics recommending the game, Sony's decision to make this their summer 2025 PlayStation exclusive appears validated.

This marks a notable contrast to the mixed response that greeted the original 2019 game, which polarized critics with its deliberate pacing and unconventional delivery mechanics. While the first installment earned an 83 OpenCritic score, nearly 25% of reviewers didn't recommend it—a surprising figure for a title that simultaneously garnered 'masterpiece' declarations.

Critical Consensus: Refinement and Evolution

Reviewers highlight several key improvements in Death Stranding 2:

• Enhanced pacing that maintains the series' contemplative nature while reducing downtime
• Expanded combat systems with deeper stealth mechanics
• RPG-inspired progression through a new skill tree system
• Dynamic environments that evolve based on player actions and story progression

The game currently ranks third on OpenCritic's 2025 leaderboard, trailing only Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (92) and Split Fiction (90). This positions Kojima's latest as one of the year's most critically acclaimed releases.

Top Rated Games of 2025 (as of June)

Lingering Criticisms

While overwhelmingly positive, some critiques echo issues from the first game:

• The narrative conclusion has been described as unnecessarily convoluted
• Inventory management retains some of the original's cumbersome qualities
• Certain gameplay systems lack intuitive onboarding

Release Details

Death Stranding 2 launches June 26 at midnight ET, with early access beginning June 24 for:

• Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)
• Collector's Edition ($229.99)

PlayStation Direct still had Collector's Editions available at time of writing.