The best thing about Death Stranding 2 is its multiplayer – even on PC
19/3/2026
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Death Stranding 2 is a single-player game with an asynchronous multiplayer mode. You don’t meet any other players, yet their presence is constantly noticeable. The courier game’s a wholly unique experience – and finally on PC.
Note: this article was originally published on 2 July 2025, reviewing the PS5 version. On 19 March, Death Stranding 2 will also be released for PC. This article was revised and supplemented with a rating for the port.
Timefall, a rain that destroys everything it touches in Death Stranding 2. Right now, it's hitting me and the Empire State Building-sized load on my back. I’m out of repair spray, and the battery on my Tri-Cruiser is already glowing a menacing red. I’m too far from my base, but also still too far from my destination – I’m stuck. Wait, what’s that blue glow over the hill? A Timefall Shelter, maybe even a charging station next to it? Amazing! Thank you user Deeznuts_WYBM, you’re my hero.
Alone, yet connected
In truth, Death Stranding 2 is a classic single-player adventure. I play as Sam Porter Bridges, tasked with delivering parcels across the post-apocalyptic USA while simultaneously reconnecting the world. As in part one, the game has asynchronous multiplayer that imports elements from other games into my session and vice versa. Death Stranding 2 is very special as a result. I never see other players, but it still feels like we’re playing together.
The density of charging points is so high that even Norway, a flagship e-car country, could only dream of it. I can’t remember the last time I built one myself. I prefer investing my resources in road construction. Car building stations can be found at various locations. They have to be supplied with certain resources. Then, almost magically, a small section of road is built.
However, this requires a lot of resources I could never transport in one go, even with a truck. That’s why other Porters can do their bit. The same applies to the monorail, bridges or zip lines, which I can use to conquer entire mountain ranges in no time at all. I can also always rely on the fact that someone will already have set up a watchtower near an enemy base. They can be used to spy on patrols before I sneak up on them. If there’s none available, I can even queue up a construction order and in most cases it’ll be carried out promptly. No bureaucracy or tradesmen ripping me off. I can only dream of that in real life.
I can also delegate delivery orders to other Porters. Alternatively, I can bring lost parcels I find along the way to their final destination and collect Likes, one of the in-game currencies. The more Likes I collect, the higher my status and the more buildings belonging to other people I see. At least I think that’s how it works. As always, games made by Hideo Kojima – the creative mind behind Death Stranding 2 – are hard to wrap your head around.
Like a co-op game with friends who are never online at the same time
The collaborative construction almost makes the game a little too easy. I’m thinking back to my trials and tribulations in the original. This creates a sense of community, reinforced by the digital emote signs, which somewhat excessively plaster every reasonably popular route.
There’s a huge range to choose from. I can use them to warn about dangerous areas, give tips on traversing and even give or receive boosts for stamina or speed. That’s a thousand times better than the annoying screenshots posted by other players in Ubisoft games. Those are about as interesting as family photos of kids that aren’t mine.
I even regularly give out Likes when there’s a bridge in just the right place again. This teamwork feels lovely. It feels a bit like a cooperative survival game in the style of Valheim – my buddies just aren’t ever online at the same time. But every time I log in again, I realise something has changed. Speaking of buddies: I can enter into Strand contracts with them to primarily see their buildings. I immediately realise fellow editor Domagoj was once again too lazy to get those special alloys we need to finish the final piece for our monorail. You have to do everything yourself these days. Wait, what am I saying? It’s the exact opposite – the game encourages collaboration.
However, I can only see construction projects, emotes and other elements from other players once I’ve expanded the Chiral Network in a relevant region. It’s equivalent to the internet, and Kojima’s not-so-subtle criticism of always being online. This means I have to cross the inhospitable world at least once without major help before I can benefit from a community boost. Still, I don’t mind a bit of a challenge. Otherwise, the only difficulty lies in following the story, and even that is less convoluted than in the last game.
PC features and performance
The PC launch comes with your usual improvements such as unlocked frame rates, custom graphics options and additional upscaling technologies. Death Stranding 2 also supports ultra-wide (21:9) and super-ultra-wide monitors (32:9). The additional ray tracing options, which provide even better lighting and reflections, are also PC exclusives. All features of the DualSense controller are also available on PC.
Since Death Stranding 2 achieves a stable 30 fps in Quality mode and 60 fps in Performance mode on the PS5, it isn’t surprising that the game performs well on PC too. With an RTX 5090 and an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, I reached around 70 fps with 2160p resolution and maximum details. If I activate DLSS on the Quality level, it hits over 90 fps. My Steam Deck, on the other hand, only achieves just over 20 fps, even with the highest upscaling and minimum details.
Death Stranding 2 is available for PS5 and will come to PC on 19 March. The PC version was provided to me by Sony.
In a nutshell
Better, yet less fascinating
At 36 hours, I almost speed-ran Death Stranding 2. You can easily invest twice as much time in the game, there’s more than enough to do. Thanks to the asynchronous multiplayer as well as the much more accessible transport system, I was able to get around so much quicker. However, Death Stranding 2 no longer inspires the same fascination as the first game. Many story elements are too repetitive, and the gameplay no longer exudes the same originality as it did in 2019, despite the new transportation options.
Nevertheless, the experience was unique, including a completely over-the-top and almost indescribable ending. Once again, the multiplayer stands out. To me, it makes Death Stranding 2 one of the best co-op games ever. And I didn’t even have to talk to other people.
Pro
- Impressive graphics
- Motivating courier system
- Asynchronous multiplayer promotes teamwork
- More accessible than its predecessor
Contra
- Somewhat repetitive over time
- Fewer «Wow!» moments than in the original
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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