Acclaimed director Hideo Kojima has recently reacted to the reviews of his latest game, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, stating he is “happy with the scores.” Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has received very positive reviews, with an average OpenCritic rating of 90 and a 96% recommendation rate, making it one of the highest-rated games of 2025 so far.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launched exclusively for PS5 on June 26. In it, players once again take on the role of Sam Porter Bridges, now journeying to reconnect humanity through the chiral network. The game clearly builds on the original Death Stranding while introducing new mechanics, features, and characters. It also has improved visuals, expanded gameplay options, and early reviews already position Death Stranding 2 as a strong contender for 2025’s Game of the Year. While the sequel keeps the weird and unique style of Kojima, Death Stranding 2 is proving to be less divisive than the original game, with Kojima even wishing the game would be more polarizing. Now, the acclaimed director has just spoken his mind about the sequel’s reviews.
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‘Felt Like We Might Never Finish This Game’ – Kojima Thanks Death Stranding 2 Fans For Positive Launch Response
Following the game’s lengthy production period and launch, Hideo Kojima thanks Death Stranding 2: On the Beach players for their positive feedback.
As reported by GamesRadar+, during the ongoing Death Stranding World Strand Tour 2 in London, Hideo Kojima was asked his opinion about the Death Stranding 2 reviews. The director acknowledged how positive the reception has been so far and revealed he was happy with the scores.
Hideo Kojima is Happy with Death Stranding 2’s Review Scores
Kojima’s comments indicate that the director is indeed satisfied with the final version of the game, which didn’t seem to be the case during the early playtesting stage. The game’s composer, Yoann “Woodkid” Lemoine, revealed a few weeks ago that Kojima made changes to Death Stranding 2 to make it more polarizing because he was not happy to see that the sequel was getting better scores than the original game. Woodkid said the director made changes to the story and certain crucial events to trigger more emotions in players, as he wanted to deliver an experience that grew on players instead of pleasing them immediately.
Kojima’s unique vision of video games has helped bring to life some of the most iconic titles in the industry, including all-time classics like Metal Gear Solid 1 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. With Death Stranding 2, the director faced higher challenges due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, which even led Kojima to think he would never finish the game. Fortunately for him and fans, the game was finished and finally released, meeting fans’ expectations and satisfying Kojima.
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
