Ever since the first trailer for Death Stranding 2 came out, people have already assumed that this bizarre yet unique ride would be a GOTY contender. However, recent Death Stranding 2 previews have made that assumption and almost a fact because it seems this is, hands down, Kojima‘s best work. Yes, the actual release date is still far away. But hearing a lot of outlets say this sequel has improved upon many of its predecessor’s weak points is encouraging.
Recent Death Stranding 2 Previews Point at a Clear GOTY Contender
For the unaware, several outlets were invited for a hands-on preview of Death Stranding 2. Contrary to other games where journalists only play for three or four hours, here they spent 30 hours playing Kojima’s next game. This was certainly a long preview event, but it just shows how confident Kojima and his team must be about the sequel.
While many have already posted their impressions, the general consensus is that it is fantastic. As you know, Death Stranding at launch had divisive reactions. Big outlets scored it low while others praised it for its innovative design and being the first strand-type game. Slowly but surely, the love for Death Stranding grew and became the giant we all love today, hence the excitement behind the sequel’s announcement and gameplay reveal.
With the recent reactions, many claim this will be a GOTY contender, and even we who’ve watched the trailer on repeat believe that, too. While 2025 is a huge year for gaming, even with the GTA 6 delay, Death Stranding 2 will certainly come out on top as one of the greatest this year, and, fingers crossed, take the coveted prize home.
The Sequel Innovates Upon Almost Every Aspect
One key aspect that many outlets emphasized was all the improvements this sequel makes to many of the first game‘s features. In a way, the gameplay loop remains the same. Sam does deliveries and has to dodge BTs and other environmental hazards on the way. However, there seem to be many new things that make the game feel fresh. For instance, many sites and content creators claimed combat has been vastly improved and felt more like a new Metal Gear Solid. Others claimed customization is a huge part of the gameplay this time, with Sam having options to customize his backpack among other things. On top of that, the actual point A to point B gameplay has even more reactive things like weather effects, day/night cycles, new BTs, and more.
Right now, it is safe to assume that Death Stranding 2 will knock it out of the park once it launches. Plus, it is rare to see studios do a 30-hour preview ahead of a game’s release, so this is huge for Kojima Productions and should give players peace of mind while they wait for this sequel’s imminent launch. There’s still time until we get our hands on this entry, but after all the previews, we can safely say Death Stranding 2 will be one game for the history books.
