How Long to Beat Death Stranding 2: On The Beach? Answered

TL;DR

  • Death Stranding 2 offers 35-40 hours for main story completion
  • Full experience with side content requires 55-65 hours of gameplay
  • Completionist runs demand 90-100 hours for Platinum trophy
  • Strategic planning can significantly reduce playtime through efficient routing
  • Social Strand System multiplayer adds substantial replay value beyond main content

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach represents Hideo Kojima’s continued evolution of his unique genre-blending vision, building upon the foundation established in the original 2019 masterpiece. Players resume the journey as Sam Bridges, tasked with establishing Chiral Network connectivity across expansive territories spanning Mexico to Australia. The core gameplay loop maintains its distinctive focus on strategic cargo delivery while unraveling profound narrative mysteries surrounding the protagonist’s origins and purpose.

Available exclusively on PlayStation 5, the sequel adopts an episodic presentation format that enhances storytelling depth. With 17 distinct episodes comprising the campaign, Death Stranding 2 expands the narrative scope beyond its predecessor’s structure. This episodic approach allows for more focused character development and plot progression while maintaining the open-world exploration that defined the original experience.

The game world has undergone significant expansion, offering porters substantially more diverse environments and logistical challenges. Our comprehensive testing involved thorough exploration of both primary objectives and optional content to provide accurate time estimates for various playstyles. The enhanced terrain complexity and environmental hazards require more strategic planning than the first installment, directly impacting completion times.

Sam Bridges with a kid
Image Credit: Kojima Productions (via X/@KojiPro2015_EN)

Here is a complete overview of how long it will take to beat Death Stranding 2 based on different playthrough approaches:

Story Type Time to Beat
Main Story around 40 hours
Main Story + Side Missions 55-65 hours
Completionist Run 90-100 hours

Our focused main story completion required approximately 40 hours of dedicated gameplay in Death Stranding: On the Beach. This duration incorporated selective side mission engagement during exploration of Mexican regions. For players concentrating exclusively on primary narrative objectives while minimizing optional content, reaching the concluding credits becomes achievable within a concentrated 35-hour timeframe, maintaining consistency with the original game’s pacing.

When incorporating the extensive secondary content and optional deliveries, the gameplay experience expands significantly to 55-65 hours for a comprehensive playthrough. This represents our actual verified playtime documented in the Death Stranding 2 review process. While we haven’t yet secured the Platinum trophy through completionist methodology, dedicated players should anticipate investing 90-100 hours to accomplish this ultimate goal.

The time investment variance between playstyles reflects the substantial additional content available beyond the central narrative. Side missions not only extend gameplay duration but often provide crucial character backstory, equipment upgrades, and network expansion benefits that enhance the overall experience.

Strategic players can optimize their approach by focusing on infrastructure development early, which significantly reduces travel time during later missions. Building zip-line networks, road systems, and safe houses during initial exploration phases creates efficient transportation corridors that pay substantial time dividends throughout the entire playthrough.

The acclaimed asynchronous multiplayer framework, Social Strand System, returns with enhanced functionality in this sequel. This innovative system naturally extends engagement duration as players collaboratively construct transportation infrastructure and establish support systems for the porter community. The shared world elements create emergent gameplay opportunities that weren’t present in the original release.

Currently, information remains unavailable regarding potential Director’s Cut editions featuring supplementary content. However, based on Kojima Productions’ historical patterns, such expanded versions typically introduce additional missions, equipment, and gameplay mechanics that could further extend total playtime by 15-20 hours.

Efficiency Strategy: Prioritize constructing zip-line networks between distribution centers during early episodes. This infrastructure investment dramatically reduces traversal time for subsequent missions, potentially saving 10-15 hours over a complete playthrough. Additionally, focus on unlocking advanced exoskeleton upgrades before undertaking long-distance deliveries through challenging terrain.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: Many players underestimate the time required for environmental navigation and cargo management. Avoid attempting multiple complex deliveries simultaneously without proper equipment preparation. Plan routes considering weather patterns and Timefall forecasts to minimize damage and maintenance time.

For those interested in broader military strategy games, our Battlefield 6 Complete Guide offers similar strategic depth analysis for different gameplay approaches.

The $70 retail pricing for Death Stranding 2 represents appropriate value given the substantial gameplay duration and content density comparable to the original title. The expanded episode structure and enhanced multiplayer systems provide excellent replay value beyond the initial completion.

Players should consider their gaming preferences when determining their approach. Are you primarily interested in experiencing Kojima’s narrative vision through focused story progression, or do you aspire to achieve complete mastery through Platinum trophy acquisition? Understanding your goals will help you maximize enjoyment while managing time investment expectations.

Similar to how different playstyles affect completion time in tactical shooters, your approach to Death Stranding 2 significantly impacts the required investment. For comparison, our BF6 Weapons Unlock Guide demonstrates how weapon progression systems can extend engagement in other genres.

The community aspect through the Social Strand System creates ongoing engagement beyond traditional single-player metrics. Helping other players by constructing shared infrastructure and leaving useful equipment creates a persistent gameplay loop that many find rewarding beyond standard completion metrics.

Just as class selection impacts strategy in military games, your equipment choices and development priorities in Death Stranding 2 dramatically affect efficiency. Our BF6 Class Selection Guide explores similar strategic decision-making processes in a different gaming context.

Action Checklist

  • Plan main story focus (35-40 hours) or comprehensive completion (55-65 hours)
  • Build zip-line networks between distribution centers in early episodes
  • Prioritize exoskeleton upgrades before long-distance deliveries
  • Check Timefall forecasts and plan routes accordingly to minimize cargo damage
  • Engage with Social Strand System for infrastructure collaboration
  • Complete side missions that offer permanent upgrades or network expansion

No reproduction without permission:Tsp Game Club » How Long to Beat Death Stranding 2: On The Beach? Answered Complete Death Stranding 2 playtime guide with strategies for main story, completionist runs, and multiplayer