Summary
Death Strandingis one of the most divisive games of the last decade, despite achieving significant success — enough to provoke a sequel. At the center of the dissension surrounding it was its emphasis on traversal and delivery, leading some to labelDeath Strandinga mere “walking simulator,“despite its thoroughly compelling narrative, stunning visuals, and impeccable worldbuilding. In response,Death Stranding 2: On the Beachaims to improve upon some of those criticisms with a game that leans into more engaging elements than traversal and exploration, and its Digital Deluxe Edition seems to hint at such improvements.
There are three editions ofDeath Stranding 2currently available for purchase: Standard, Digital Deluxe, and Collector’s. While the Standard Edition ofDeath Stranding 2offers the game alone, its Digital Deluxe Edition comes with a variety of bonuses that players should find helpful to their journey. Included in these bonuses are the Quokka, Chiral Cat, and Why Me? Patches, a Battle Skeleton: Gold, Boost Skeleton: Gold, and Bokka Skeleton: Gold, as well as 48 hours of early access to the game. There is yet another item, however, that points to the combat system thatDeath Stranding 2claims to have improved.
Death Stranding 2’s Digital Deluxe Edition Points to an Improved Combat System
Combat Took a Backseat to Traversal and Delivery in the First Death Stranding
One of the biggest criticisms of the firstDeath Strandingwas its preference for traversal and delivery over combat. The primary gameplay loop forDeath Strandingrevolved around Sam Porter Bridges making deliveries from one location to another in an effort to reconnect America, per the game’s main story. As such, combat largely took a backseat, especially given that killing anyone in the game was highly discouraged according toDeath Strandinglore.
InDeath Stranding, when a person is killed, it creates a major risk of a Voidout — a massive explosion that obliterates the surrounding area, leaving behind a huge crater and wiping out everything nearby. This is one ofDeath Stranding’s lore-based reasons for discouraging combat.
This inevitably resulted inDeath Stranding’s combatfeeling clunky and stiff in comparison to its traversal mechanics, with melee encounters lacking fluidity and gunplay feeling rather basic overall, with limited weapon variety and simplistic aiming and shooting mechanics. Of course, Kojima intentionally downplayed violence inDeath Strandingto emphasize connection, but that doesn’t change the fact that its combat felt tacked on and uninspired.
The Machine Gun in Death Stranding 2’s Digital Deluxe Edition Suggests More Diversity in Combat
That’s what makes the inclusion of a Machine Gun [MP] (Lv.1) inDeath Stranding 2’s Digital Deluxe Edition great news for those who are hoping the sequel will improve on the first game’s combat mechanics. Not only has what has been shown so far forDeath Stranding 2placed a greater emphasis on combatthan its predecessor did, but the fact that its Digital Deluxe Edition includes a Machine Gun suggests that some combat scenarios will be fast-paced enough to demand a weapon with a high rate of fire.
Additionally, it implies there will be even greater weapon diversity in the game, just as certain scenes inDeath Stranding 2’s pre-order trailerand State of Play trailer have hinted at. Needless to say, greater weapon diversity also means greater variety in combat scenarios as well, with some potentially being more chaotic and others requiring a bit less from players.
Not only has what has been shown so far forDeath Stranding 2placed a greater emphasis on combat than its predecessor did, but the fact that its Digital Deluxe Edition includes a Machine Gun suggests that some combat scenarios will be fast-paced enough to demand a weapon with a high rate of fire.
At the very least, the inclusion of a Machine Gun inDeath Stranding 2’s Digital Deluxe Editionshows that Kojima isn’t treating combat like an afterthought this time. Whether it’s faster-paced encounters, more enemy types, or just a more seamless flow between traversal and action, everything shown so far points to a sequel that wants to feel more complete while appealing to a broader audience this time around.
