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Welcome to Drawbridge

A beginner's guide to Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Before setting off on your first assignment, take a look at a few beginner tips that will see you handling precious deliveries like a pro.

Preparing for the journey

Get caught up

If you need a refresher, or are new to the series, you can check out a brief recap of the first Death Stranding straight from the main menu. It covers all the key characters and events you should know before continuing Sam’s journey.

Check the Corpus

Pause the game at any time (even during cutscenes) and this in-game guide will explain important terminology and names that are mentioned. Entries in the Corpus are often updated too, and there’s even a ‘Story So Far’ page, so be sure to check it regularly.

Practise makes perfect

From your Private Room, you can access VR Training. Use the challenges here to brush up on your skills, test out new weapons and gear, and even earn some Likes in the process. New VR challenges are added as you progress through the story, so revisit them whenever you can.

Traversal

Scan your surroundings

Remember to use your Terrain Scanner as you travel (L1 button by default). This handy gadget will help you stay on-route and spot hazards on and off the road. It’ll even ping cargo carried by enemies, giving you an early warning when moving through hostile territory.

Balance your cargo

From the Final Preparations or Cargo Management Menu, hold the triangle button to automatically optimise your load. Poorly balanced cargo makes it easier to trip and fall, resulting in damage and a reduced delivery rating, so spread the load and try not to over-encumber yourself.

Borrow a ride

Keep an eye out for vehicles parked at enemy bases or left by other porters. If you’re struggling to carry everything, you can simply transfer cargo to a vehicle and drive it to its destination. Just remember to keep an eye on their batteries, as vehicle charge is limited.

Combat

Try going quiet

Slowly approach an unaware enemy from behind and perform a non-lethal takedown with the circle button. Takedowns are rewarded with Likes at the end of your delivery, and reduce the chance of your cargo taking damage in a fight.

Watch for Strands

Enemy BTs – the ghostly ‘Beached Things’ – can be hard to spot, especially at night and in poor weather. Watch where your Odradek is pointing and follow the umbilical cords floating in the air to help you spot the enemy before they spot you.

Upgrade your skills

As you progress the story, you’ll unlock APAS enhancements. These are upgrades for Sam, allowing him to move silently, fire faster, boost his endurance and much more. Your abilities here can be reset at any time, so feel free to experiment with different combinations to suit each delivery.

Building connections

Get social

The in-game Social Strand Service (SSS) is where your allies will stay in touch with you while out in the field. Take a look when they post, as they’ll share valuable info, and liking their messages generates more Likes for you in turn.

Contribute to group projects

Structures built by other porters can appear in your world and even be upgraded. If you have spare resources on hand, try donating them to a structure. As structures gain levels, they can gain new functionality that’ll benefit you and the other porters that find them.

Light the way

Pressing the down directional button (down on the D-pad) opens Sam’s sign menu, where he can leave words of encouragement, directions and warnings to porters who follow in his footsteps. Leave these in areas of heavy traffic and porters affected by your signs will add to your Likes, improving your Porter Grade.

Photo mode

Photo mode can be activated at almost any time during gameplay by pressing the left side of the touch pad button. From here, you can freely adjust the camera’s position, focal length, exposure and more. You can even pose Sam and add a customisable light source to nail the perfect shot.  

Once you’re happy, snap a photo with the cross button (X) and it’ll be automatically uploaded to the in-game Social Strand Service as well as saved to your Media Gallery. Photos here can be used to decorate Sam’s Private Room to really make it feel like home. 

Note that Photo Mode can even be activated during cutscenes, though you’ll have limited control over the camera’s settings.

Buy Death Stranding 2: On the Beach at PlayStation®Store

Editions:

Standard Edition

  • DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH

Digital Deluxe Edition

  • DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH
  • Machine Gun [MP] (Lv.1) early unlock
  • Quokka, Chiral Cat and Why Me? Patches
  • Battle Skeleton: Gold (Levels 1, 2, 3)
  • Boost Skeleton: Gold (Levels 1, 2, 3)
  • Bokka Skeleton: Gold (Levels 1, 2, 3)

Add-Ons

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - Collector's Edition

Purchase the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - Collector's Edition to receive:

Full Game Digital Download
  • 48-hour Early Access to the game
Collector's Box:
  • 15” Magellan Man statue
  • 3” Dollman figurine
  • Art cards
  • Letter from Hideo Kojima
In-game items:
  • Machine Gun (MP Bullets) LV1 early unlock
  • Battle Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
  • Boost Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
  • Bokka Skeleton: Gold (LV1, LV2, LV3)
  • Patch 70: Quokka 
  • Patch 71: Chiral Feline 
  • Patch 72: Why Me?  
All pre-orders - of any edition of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - also include: 
  • Battle Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
  • Boost Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
  • Bokka Skeleton: Silver (LV1, LV2, LV3)
  • Custom Hologram: Quokka early unlock
Find out more
Platform:
PS5
Release:
25/6/2025
Publisher:
Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Genres:
Action
Voice:
English, French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish, Spanish (Mexico)
Screen Languages:
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Dutch, English, French (France), German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish, Spanish (Mexico)
Purchase or use of this item is subject to SEN Terms of Service and User Agreement.