The first time stepping into “Death Stranding” is bewildering. It’s a post-apocalyptic game without aliens, zombies or thermonuclear war. Rather than dealing with those familiar cataclysmic problems, it takes place in a world where the line between the living and dead have blurred with deadly consequences.

The human race is on the brink of extinction. Unusual precipitation called Timefall accelerates aging and deterioration. Ghost-like entities called Beached Things, or BTs, haunt ruins, and if they consume a human, it creates a devastating blast called a Voidout that’s capable of wiping out cities. That has forced survivors to live separately underground, and they use a super internet called the Chiral Network to print out tools and share data.

Despite taking place on Earth, the world of “Death Stranding” is so bizarre that it may as well be another planet. That doesn’t take into account director Hideo Kojima’s penchant for going off the rails with his lore. In the original, these complex ideas and new concepts were jarring, though the core gameplay was solid and novel. It focused on the logistics of delivering packages from Point A to Point B efficiently while introducing asymmetrical multiplayer elements, in which paths and objects from other gamers emerge within the campaign. That dovetailed into themes about overcoming isolation through the power of connections.

CAPITALIZING ON NOVEL GAMEPLAY

With the sequel, “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” Kojima and his team grab the best parts of the original and refine them while also exploring the relationship between the protagonist, Sam Bridges, and his ward, Lou. The two experience a gut-wrenching tragedy and Sam’s friend, Fragile, offers him a job to expand the Chiral Network across borders as a way to help the porter recover. That quest takes him first to Mexico and then to Australia. Just like in the original, Sam has to connect far-flung places to the network to improve their lives, but he faces an adversary who he thought was dead.

This time around, the journey is less lonely as Sam becomes part of Fragile’s civilian company called Drawbridge, which features a crew of survivors with special abilities. The Death Stranding bestowed these DOOM sufferers with powers. Tarman has the ability to navigate underground tar currents to jump across continents, while Rainy can reverse the aging effect. Sam has two abilities: He can sense BTs and he’s essentially immortal.

That makes him the perfect candidate to navigate a harrowing environment full of brigands, BTs, chiral creatures, and ghost mechs. He must also contend with a dynamic environment where Time Quakes can cause avalanches when trekking through mountains, and heavy rains flood channels, making them difficult to pass.

Elle Fanning plays a mysterious character named Tomorrow in “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.” (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 

BETTER PROBLEMS
Much like the recent “Zeldas,” “Death Stranding 2” gives players problems and the tools to solve them. It starts off easy with ladders and climbing anchors, allowing Sam to traverse difficult terrain. As players complete more errands and gain access to better gear, it escalates with vehicles that let him ferry heavier loads. In the mountains, players build a network of zip lines to reach hard-to-reach areas. Creating the best routes requires planning and a bit of luck, especially when it comes to strangers’ tools entering the player’s world.

Kojima Productions masterfully creates a setting where numerous paths are possible, but it also funnels players into confrontations. In the previous entry, players can cleverly avoid enemy camps or just roar past them, but in “Death Stranding 2,” these dangerous missions are inescapable. Sam will have to infiltrate a weapons factory or hunt massive chiral creatures. Further campaign, players will encounter gunfight-heavy interludes that offer key insights into Lou’s mysterious origins.

Players have several ways to deal with enemies in “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” including firing from a vehicle. (Sony Interactive Entertainment) 

FLEXIBLE COMBAT
Battling adversaries in these situations feels visceral while also creating strategic opportunities. Sam has an arsenal of guns and high-tech weapons, but players have to balance that firepower with maneuverability and stealth. They can bring five rocket launchers to battle, but it’ll mean the protagonist will be bulky, slower and incapable of hiding in the tall grass. It’s better for players to read the mission parameters and bring tools for the job.

If Sam is outnumbered, it’s better to snipe at enemies to thin them out and guard a position with mines. Another may require stealth, as Sam may not have weapons and must sneak past BTs. Players may even have moments when a “Pokémon”-type mechanic is needed.

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All of these options make combat just as fun as figuring out the logistics of delivery, and Kojima leverages a fascinating world to create compelling scenarios that stretch what the systems can do. While the first “Death Stranding” built the foundation and tools for an intriguing game, the sequel creates the right problems that invite players to use them.

That’s the big lesson for “Death Stranding 2.” The original introduced players to a strange apocalypse that bordered on the ludicrous. Although the impenetrable lore was flawed, it established a novel approach to the end of the world. Surprisingly, the sequel makes this outlandish world easier to understand, and that’s because it grounds it in more personal and relatable stories that Kojima weaves together for a satisfying conclusion.

‘Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

4 stars out of 4
Platform: PlayStation 5
Rating: Mature