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It’s been a while since we all stepped inside Sam’s delivery boots, which means jumping into Death Stranding 2: On the Beach might be a bit difficult for some. There are so many new things to try, BTs to kill, cargo to deliver, and blood-infused weapons to shoot that it can be a bit overwhelming for some. For that reason, we’ve prepared a beginner’s guide for everyone playing Death Stranding 2, so you can all have a smooth experience without losing your balance.
Difficulty Modes
You might not know this, but Death Stranding 2 features different difficulty modes. There are four you can pick right from the start, and here’s how the game describes them:
- Story: Allows you to focus completely on the story. Recommended for those who struggle with action games but want to play all the way to the end.
- Casual: Gameplay remains relatively effortless, allowing you to enjoy the story. Recommended for those who want to enjoy a few moderate challenges along the way.
- Normal: Mixes challenging gameplay with an enjoyable story. Recommended for those who are familiar with action games and want to experience everything this title has to offer.
- Brutal: Recommended for those who want a real challenge to accompany the story. Completing the game at this difficulty level will test all your skills and provide a true sense of accomplishment. Your reputation will be legendary, your standing as a porter unmatched.
If you’re playing after taking a break from Death Stranding, Normal is an excellent starting point that will guide you through all the content in Death Stranding 2. However, if you’ve played the first entry for hundreds of hours, Brutal could be a good challenge. If, for whatever reason, you skipped the first, start with Casual. Yet, we don’t recommend skipping the first game.
Learning How to Navigate the Terrain
Everything in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach feels like a puzzle as you try to guide Sam from point A to point B. While BTs and MULEs are some of the enemies you’ll face, the biggest challenge is the actual map. Traversing the world of Death Stranding 2 is challenging, especially with the new natural disasters that can occur at any moment. It is important that you follow these steps when completing a delivery:
- Plan your route: If you played the first game, you know how paramount planning a route is. Before going into the unknown, see where you’ll walk. Failure to do proper planning will lead to a chaotic delivery, and if you mess something up, you’ll have to start from scratch.
- Scan the terrain: Whenever you enter a new place without roads that seems challenging for Sam to traverse, use your scanner. Just like in the first game, you’ll see the spots that are easy to walk on, and you should stick to those.
- Start creating shortcuts: In most cases, you’ll pass through the same route repeatedly. For that reason, it is important to start creating shortcuts for Sam. You’ll still have ladders you can use to create ramps or bridges, so try to position them appropriately so your subsequent deliveries are much easier to complete.
Focus on Stealth
While stealth-oriented gameplay has existed since the first entry, it is much better in Death Stranding 2. Sam has way more tools to help him sneak past enemies or take everyone down without alarming a whole camp. There’s even an option to leave your backpack behind so you can go all Porter ninja on MULEs. And if that wasn’t enough, the day/night cycles play a huge part in Death Stranding 2 and will allow you to sneak more easily in certain places. So, even if it’s not your cup of tea, give stealth a go. Who knows? You might discover the game is much easier to play like this.
Start Working on Roads
Veteran Porters will remember how challenging it was to traverse some roads around the UCA. However, things got much easier once everyone started building roads, and Death Stranding 2 isn’t an exception. While it may take a while to get started on that, investing in roads is the best thing you can do. You’ll need a lot of materials to complete one, but missions reward you with most of what you’ll need, so put some aside and start building a new way for Sam to deliver everyone’s precious cargo.
Repetition is Everything
You’ll quickly notice that skills in Death Stranding 2 work a bit similarly to other RPGs, in the sense that the more you use them, the more you level them up. With that in mind, if you want to level up a specific stat or skill, just get out there and start using it. If you want to be better at stealth, sneak around more often. Do you want to be better with firearms? Start shooting. Everything comes down to repetition, and fortunately, there are many activities in Death Stranding 2 that will guide Sam to the top.
Work on Your APAS
APAS is a skill tree of sorts in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and one that unlocks many perks for Sam. However, the things you unlock in your APAS aren’t permanent, and you can actually swap builds, so to speak. Let’s say you have a delivery that involves a lot of combat, you can rearrange some of the APAS you’ve unlocked to select combat-oriented skills. The same applies to stealth-oriented missions. It is a good system that provides a lot of gameplay flexibility and customization, so you’d better familiarize yourself with it as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Last but not least, we’ve made a quick list of questions that many players tend to ask regarding Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and some that you don’t usually find in a specific guide.
Is Death Stranding 2 on PS Plus?
At the time of writing, Death Stranding 2 is only available if you purchase it as a digital or physical copy. There are no plans to bring it to PS Plus right now.
Do You Need PS Plus to Play Death Stranding 2: On the Beach?
No. Death Stranding 2 has an asynchronous multiplayer component, and you do not need a PS Plus subscription.
Is Death Stranding 2 Multiplayer?
Not strictly. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach features an asynchronous multiplayer component, meaning that you can interact with things that other players build in the world. However, as far as it goes, you won’t interact directly with other players.
Is Death Stranding 2 Coming to PS4?
No. Death Stranding 2 is available only on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
Does Death Stranding 2 Feature Micro-transactions?
No. Death Stranding 2 doesn’t have any in-game purchases nor does it plan to include any in the future, according to the game’s PS store page.
Do I Need to Experience the First Game Before Playing Death Stranding 2?
It isn’t a hard requirement, but if you don’t play Death Stranding, you will definetely have a hard time understanding many things about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. After all, these games rely heavily on their narrative, and since it is a direct sequel, you need to understand many of its concepts.
