Death Stranding 2: On the Beach may not be as divisive as the first game thanks to some huge changes to its accessibility and barrier to entry, but it still largely maintains the core fundamentals of its predecessor’s formula. That being said, while the first game was labeled “walking simulator” due to how much on-foot traveling players were required to do, the sequel might have avoided that categorization with an increased number of vehicles and fast traversal options. However, there remains a strong case that walking is still the best way to travel in Death Stranding 2, in spite of these options.
Unlike the first game, which had only a couple of vehicles and fast travel with limitations, the sequel expands on those options with even more vehicles, accessible fast travel, and a monorail system that can be used to transport Sam and any cargo he may be carrying. More or less, vehicular traversal is built into Death Stranding 2‘s progression, increasing the temptation for players to take the easy road as they make their deliveries. Even so, should players choose to resist that temptation, they might enjoy Death Stranding 2 the way it was arguably meant to be experienced.
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Walking Is Still the Best Way to Travel in Death Stranding 2
Sam’s Journey Still Thrives on the Pacing That Only Walking Brings
Walking is the quintessential Death Stranding experience, since that’s what started it all, and despite Kojima’s attempts to open the door just a little bit wider for newcomers in the sequel, it’s still possible to avoid its new traversal options entirely and embrace the true soul of the franchise. Furthermore, while some might expect gameplay to be at the heart of the argument that walking is the best way to travel in Death Stranding 2, it has more to do with how it impacts the game’s pacing than anything else.
There’s a pacing that only walking brings into the world of Death Stranding — one that is contemplative, meditative, and quiet. Death Stranding‘s core gameplay loop may be about completing deliveries at every turn, but the overall tone of that gameplay doesn’t revolve around a checklist of orders. Connection has always been the goal in Death Stranding, but isolation is the journey, and walking’s slower pace helps bring that isolation to the forefront.
Walking is the quintessential Death Stranding experience, since that’s what started it all…
Within that slow pacing and isolation, players can absorb the world around them more slowly. And if there’s any world that’s meant to be taken in slowly, it’s Death Stranding 2‘s Australia. Mexico is beautiful, thanks to the sequel’s impressive visuals, but Australia introduces a world that is more diverse in its biomes and geographical makeup. Rushing from one delivery to the next on a vehicle or skipping the journey entirely using fast travel can undercut these moments, but walking allows players to engage with the world at its intended rhythm.
Even With More Tools, Walking Remains the Game’s Most Strategic Choice
Some might view walking as less efficient from a gameplay standpoint as well, since vehicles, fast travel, and Death Stranding 2‘s monorail should theoretically reduce risk, in addition to making deliveries much faster. However, both Mexico and Australia have rugged landscapes that offer creative routes for players that can only be taken advantage of by walking. In many cases, walking actually proves to be faster and more efficient than vehicles, as players can turn lengthy, winding routes into a straight line if they’re brave enough.
Walking is also the best way to avoid BTs in Death Stranding 2.
Since walking is much slower than vehicles, it also allows players a chance to use their Odradek scanner in Death Stranding 2 to reveal lost cargo and other items around them that they might miss if they were speeding by in a vehicle. In short, walking truly is the way to go in Death Stranding 2, both for the pacing the game is meant to have and the strategic advantages it offers.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Released
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June 26, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Engine
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Decima
- Franchise
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Death Stranding
- Number of Players
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Single-player
