Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a triumphant sequel that emphatically delivers on the promise of its original.
Developers
Kojima Productions
Publishers
Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date
June 26, 2025
Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima recently echoed Tom Cruise when talking about his future plans, declaring: “I want to keep creating things until I die.”
Since starting out in the industry at Konami in 1986, Kojima has created a variety of games, including Snatcher, the innovative sunlight-based GBA title Boktai, and the infamous P.T. demo. In a recent interview centering around Kojima’s latest game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Game*Spark asked Kojima about his motivations and thoughts on why he continues to make games.
“I’m the same as Tom Cruise (laughs),” he said. “My life has been dedicated to creating things. That is my joy. I want to create for as long as my body and my brain keep working. I will think about (stopping) if it begins to inconvenience the people around me, but I want to keep creating things until I die.”
In likening himself to Cruise, Kojima is probably referring to the recent comments made by the actor at the premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. On the red carpet, Cruise told The Hollywood Reporter that he will never stop making movies, even quipping that intends to keep making them into his 100s.
Talking of movies, in Kojima’s comment to Game*Spark, he didn’t specify creating games, just creating. This suggests that Kojima is open to making something that is not a game in the future. In a recent video interview with French media outlet Brut, Kojima revealed that, depending on how Kojima Productions is doing after it has completed Microsoft game OD and Sony game Physint, he would like to make a movie.
With their long cutscenes and cinematic presentation, some have argued that many of Kojima’s games are already movie-like (we’ve even worked out exactly how much of each Kojima game is cutscenes). However, in the interview with Game*Spark, Kojima addresses this, explaining that even though his games are influenced by movies, he is always focused on making a game first and foremost.
“I grew up watching movies, so they influence the lighting, character modeling, direction and so on (when I make a game), but I am conscious of the fact that I am not making a movie, and my fundamental approach is to consider what can only be done in a game, including an odd sense of playfulness,” he said.
Kojima’s playfulness is evident in some of the unexpected cameos and bizarre Easter eggs you can find in his games, especially if you mess about. Check out our list of the Death Stranding 2 Easter Eggs, cheats and secrets we’ve found so far, or find out about the strange things you can make Sam do in the hotsprings.
Death Stranding 2: 45 Amazing Details That Blew Us Away
1 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is out, and as porters worldwide begin trekking across Hideo Kojima’s newest adventure, all sorts of little secrets and discoveries are being uncovered. While much attention will be paid to the grand, cinematic experience on display, Kojima also went ahead and stuffed Death Stranding 2 to the gills with little flourishes and details, some obvious, some very, very hidden.
2 It’s not limited to just the elements, either. After an intense fight, Sam will also become covered by the blood of his enemies. While this might make him look very battle hardened, it probably isn’t how Sam wants to present himself when he’s on deliveries, so be sure to clean off the blood in the shower too.
3 When not covered in grime, even just exposure to the sun can affect Sam’s appearance. He’ll turn redder as he gets more and more sunburnt, to the point where he can start resembling a cherry tomato in the face. Taking a shower will heal these burns, so bathe regularly.
4 However, if you decide to take off your backpack before showering, you’ll find that while you become clean, your backpack will stay dirty. Why you’d take your pack into the shower is beyond me, but it’s better than carrying around a dirty pack, I suppose.
5 If you can’t make it to a shower, hopping into a lake or river will clear off some of the dirt up to the point you submerge yourself. Meaning if you only dip your shoes into the river, your boots will be clean, but the rest of you won’t be.
6 There are all sorts of different weather conditions in the world of Death Stranding 2, all of which will hit in real-time
7 The earliest natural event you encounter is the sandstorm, which severely impairs Sam’s visibility, forcing you to rely on your Odradek scanner to scope out the terrain. When the storm gets particularly bad, you’ll lose stamina and will need to hide behind large structures to shield yourself from the storm.
8 Other natural disasters include blizzards that, like a sandstorm, will impair Sam’s vision and slow him down. Plus, when Sam’s too cold, his stamina will deplete faster than normal.
9 Lastly, thunderstorms will also strike Sam when he’s out and about. The rain in Death Stranding 2 is known to degrade Sam’s cargo and equipment faster than usual so be sure to find shelter fast to prevent your packages from getting damaged. And watch out for lightning strikes. While I haven’t seen anyone get hit by one yet (unlike in The Legend of Zelda), they can strike awfully close to Sam if he’s not careful.
10 What’s more, you can even see these weather events in real-time from afar. Meaning if there’s a blizzard happening on a mountaintop, you can see it from the base of the mountain.
11 Dust, rain, snow, and even chiral creatures build up on the screen when you spend too long in them, which adds to the immersive and cinematic approach Kojima takes with his games.
12 If you’re in the high heat of the desert too long you’ll begin to see mirages of rivers flowing through the sands. But as you get closer you’ll realize there’s no water there. Sorry to players and gamers.
13 Depending on which biome you’re in, whether it’s the hot desert or freezing mountaintops, Sam will take either a cold shower to cool off, or a hot shower to warm up.
14 Rivers will also rise and fall with the rain. Some rivers become flooded under heavy rainfall, making them more difficult to traverse than under dry conditions.
15 Some Pickups aren’t drive able because they belong to specific shelters. Weirdly, Pickups that aren’t owned by Sam or Drawbridge feature the logo of Yamato Transport, a real-life Japanese delivery company.
Source = reddit,official developers,website etc