For those with a preference for the weird, wacky, and slightly uncomfortable, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is one of the most exciting upcoming games of 2025. The young franchise is strikingly unique and has many clear strengths, but it will always be defined by its connection to Kojima Productions, the breakout studio led by the eponymous Hideo Kojima.
Anyone following Kojima’s work over the past few decades knows that the first Death Stranding represented more than just a studio debut: it was the first Kojima-directed outing since the auteur’s widely publicized falling-out with Konami, where he had served as vice president for many years. During his tenure, he was best known for his work on the seminal Metal Gear franchise, which many argue played a pivotal role in video games becoming more cinematic and story-driven. Indeed, Metal Gear was Kojima’s bread and butter, which made it all the more tragic that he had to give up the series’ reins before it was completed. Kojima left Konami before the release of Metal Gear Solid 5, a game that is widely considered to be incomplete for this very reason. With Death Stranding 2, this is unlikely to happen.
Death Stranding 2's New Onboarding Features Are Its Most Self-Aware Additions Yet
Death Stranding 2 may be the most self-aware Kojima game yet, quietly guiding players through a world that finally seems to know it needs explaining.
Kojima Can Actually Finish Death Stranding, Unlike Metal Gear
Metal Gear Has Never Gotten a Real Ending, but Death Stranding Might
With Metal Gear Solid 5 being incomplete, and no plans on the horizon for a new chapter in the Metal Gear franchise, it would seem that there are a lot of loose ends that may never get resolved. Metal Gear may have always been a non-linear series—Metal Gear Solid 5 isn’t the last game chronologically—but many thematic elements, as well as major tertiary plots, have been left unfinished.
This is rather tragic, since the series had an almost three-decade-long run before being unceremoniously snuffed out, leaving longtime fans slighted and unsatisfied. But Kojima Productions itself owns the rights to Death Stranding, and it seems improbable that Kojima will be ousted from his own company, so the IP likely won’t suffer the same fate as its predecessor. Kojima also doesn’t plan to continue Death Stranding after the second entry, even though he has some ideas for a threequel.
It should be mentioned that Kojima hasn’t ruled out passing the torch to someone else, letting a new creative lead take charge with the Death Stranding IP. But even so, the franchise would be getting handed to someone picked by Kojima, rather than fading into a miasma of corporate-controlled intellectual property. There’s a sense that finality will be possible for Death Stranding, a luxury never afforded to Metal Gear.
Why Death Stranding Reaching Its End Point Is Important
Whenever Death Stranding wraps up, whether that’s with On the Beach or another, non-Kojima-directed sequel, it will be interesting to see how a Kojima property actually ends. With Metal Gear Solid, it feels like the door is always open for further development, with Konami simply waiting for the right moment, biding its time after the disastrous Metal Gear Survive. Naturally, many will view this as a good thing, but with the series unshackled from its original visionary, there’s a higher chance it will just be driven into the ground, milked for all it’s worth.
A good story needs a good ending—this principle is a big reason why long-running movie franchises and TV shows have a tendency to overstay their welcome, becoming less highly regarded with time. When done right, an ending puts a bow on a story, whether it be modest or epic in scale, letting the audience look back at the journey they’ve taken with a feeling of satisfaction. Metal Gear might never have this moment, but there’s still hope for Death Stranding.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- June 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam—with companions by his side—sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: should we have connected? Step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again.
- Engine
- Decima
- Franchise
- Death Stranding
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- PS5 Release Date
- June 26, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
