Compare Death Stranding 2: On the Beach vs Forza Horizon 6

Reviewers described the sequel as more understandable and more accessible, with lore and design changes that reduce friction for more players.

The reviews specifically mention assist-style options such as autosteering that should make Horizon 6 easier for a broader range of players to enjoy.

Enemy AI was a rare weak spot, with one review saying it was not especially sharp even as combat remained playful.

Aiming drew a small caveat because one reviewer wanted gyroscopic aiming despite the stronger focus on ranged weapons.

Animation and motion capture were praised as elite, with reviewers pointing to fantastic performance capture and some of the best motion work they had seen.

Reviewers praise the Japanese setting’s visual identity, saying the locales capture iconic aesthetics with real care and precision.

The atmosphere was consistently praised for haunting landscapes, calm-chaos contrast, and strange moments that made the world linger.

The setting is often described as vivid and alive, though one review says Tokyo can still feel too empty in preview footage.

Boss fights were broadly improved and visually striking, though several reviewers said they could be simple, optional, or less challenging than expected.

Character arcs landed unevenly: some reviewers warmed to the cast and late-game moments, while others felt arcs happened away from Sam.

One preview highlights roster rebalancing aimed at making vehicle classes more evenly competitive instead of funneling players into a few dominant builds.

Combat was widely seen as improved, snappier, and more flexible, though a few reviewers found it clunky, overemphasized, or easier to avoid.

The community layer was a highlight, with reviewers praising the sense of shared infrastructure and collaborative help across the world.

Car Meets appear to deepen the car culture angle by letting players browse shared designs and even buy pink slips from appealing builds.

Weather, hazards, floods, earthquakes, fires, and other systems made the world and deliveries feel more varied and reactive.

Previews point to a huge roster of cars and a broad mix of things to do beyond standard races, from collecting to open-world activities.

Controls were generally praised as refined and smoother, including PC input options and better feel compared with the first game.

Wheel impressions say Horizon 6 responds accurately, with steering going where the player expects rather than fighting inputs.

The delivery loop remained central but was described as tighter, more addictive, and more player-friendly across several reviews.

The loop is still built around driving, exploring, and naturally stumbling into activities instead of focusing only on structured race wins.

Dialogue drew a mild caveat from one reviewer who found some cutscenes too long, even while praising the cast overall.

Difficulty was mixed: reviewers noted optional harder settings and late-game challenge, but many felt vehicles, weapons, or BT changes made parts too easy.

Vehicles were one of the biggest improvements, arriving earlier and handling better, though some reviewers felt they trivialized traversal.

Driving stays approachable and Horizon-like, but at least one preview finds the controller handling twitchy and overly prone to oversteer.

Early hands-on coverage suggests credits come in quickly enough to support experimenting with upgrades and swaps without much friction.

Many reviewers found the final hours, sincere human stories, and emotional stakes powerful, while one review felt comparatively unmoved.

Enemy variety was praised for making combat more engaging, especially with better-equipped bandits, BT variants, and Ghost Mechs.

The Australia and Mexico environments were repeatedly praised for variety, vistas, textures, weather, and visual detail.

Japan’s map is repeatedly described as dense and richly detailed, even by critics who still want more city life and traffic.

Exploration was praised for making the next horizon feel exciting and for encouraging movement through a striking world.

Exploration is one of the strongest themes in the reviews, with multiple writers saying the world constantly tempts them to keep roaming.

Facial capture and character work were strongly praised, with reviewers calling the faces and cutscene direction exceptional.

Reviewers agreed the sequel keeps Death Stranding’s identity but debated whether the stronger Metal Gear-style action sands away some original friction.

At least one outlet frames Horizon 6 as a return to form that preserves Horizon’s identity while improving where Horizon 5 felt weaker.

Fast travel through the Magellan and key waypoints was useful, though some reviewers noted scoring tradeoffs or occasional restrictions.

Player houses doubling as fast travel points should make moving around the large map much easier once they are unlocked.

Performance notes were positive, with reviewers citing 60fps on PS5 and high, steady PC frame rates.

Preview players repeatedly describe the available quality mode as stable and locked in rather than inconsistent.

Despite its strangeness and length, reviewers often found the sequel more fun, more gripping, or never boring.

Across previews, Horizon 6 is repeatedly described as playful, approachable driving fun, especially when the handling and event design line up.

The mechanics were broadly praised as a major sequel upgrade, with richer delivery tools, stronger systems, and more approachable play.

The underlying mechanics remain rooted in Horizon’s familiar open-world racing formula: explore freely, enter events, and customize cars.

Visuals were one of the strongest consensus points, with repeated praise for stunning landscapes, fidelity, faces, and next-gen presentation.

The Japan setting is widely described as the best-looking Horizon yet, with multiple previews calling it a clear visual step up.

One reviewer specifically noted that the game can be played at a relaxed pace without needing to grind it out.

The PC review found Steam Deck and handheld play workable, though at a fairly low resolution on Steam Deck.

One PC-focused review argues the modest minimum requirements make handheld play on Steam Deck-class devices look plausible.

DualSense haptics were singled out as excellent, bringing surfaces, weather, gear, and action details into the controller.

New awareness tools like the proximity radar and optional leaderboard elements are praised for adding information without forcing clutter.

Immersion was praised through the world’s quiet storytelling and lingering human moments.

The best previews say the map sells a convincing Japanese driving fantasy, though some footage still feels less lived-in than it should.

Reviewers see meaningful additions such as Time Attack circuits and Car Meets, but not a full reinvention of the Horizon template.

Sensitive handling and car-specific tuning mean some players will need time to adapt before the driving fully clicks.

The new continent was praised for a far greater variety of locations and terrain challenges.

Load times received a rare explicit rave, with one review saying transitions from menu to play were almost instant.

The Corpus lore tracker was noted as a helpful way to manage the sequel’s dense terminology and story context.

Route planning and the 3D map were praised as important, clearer tools for planning long deliveries.

The GPS and road layout are described as clear and useful, helping the giant map feel easy to traverse instead of cumbersome.

Menus were viewed as improved overall, though at least one reviewer still found inventory and menu handling fiddly.

Mission design was praised for moreish delivery structure and some fun, weird orders, though the core remains delivery-focused.

The race events sound reliable and on-brand for Horizon, even if previews have not yet shown radically new event structure.

Reviewers praised more varied cargo conditions, hazards, objectives, and mission setups that kept deliveries fresher.

The early build already shows a wide spread of event types, including circuit races, drag races, rally events, stunts, and cross-country play.

Movement on foot was described as smoother, more responsive, and still satisfyingly weighty when hiking mattered.

Input feel earns good marks on a wheel, but controller-based handling impressions are more mixed because of the extra twitchiness.

The asynchronous multiplayer remained a signature strength, praised for paths, structures, likes, and indirect collaboration.

Preview coverage points to flexible social racing options, with events and spaces that support solo play, competitive play, and shared-session activity.

Narrative response was mixed-positive: many reviewers praised the story and themes, while others found it opaque, messy, or oddly paced.

The sequel was seen as more welcoming and quicker to grab players, especially compared with the first game’s slow start.

The opening tourist setup and guided intro appear welcoming, giving players an easy way into the setting and early progression systems.

One review encountered servers going down before launch, making this the only direct stability caveat in the review set.

One mixed review still called it a strong open-world sandbox checklist game, even while missing the first game’s sparer approach.

The map is the consensus standout, with repeated praise for its size, density, variety, and how rewarding it is to simply drive around.

Originality remained a strength, with one review calling the sequel exciting and original despite its imperfections.

Japan makes the package feel fresher, but several reviews also say the broader Horizon structure remains very familiar.

Pacing was one of the most divided attributes: many reviews praised improvements, while others criticized slow burns, filler, or poorly paced story delivery.

Reviews praise how travel, exploration, and progression flow together, making even the space between events feel worthwhile.

Performance was strongly praised on PS5 Pro and PC, with several reviewers reporting flawless or dreamlike optimization.

Early PC-focused coverage is optimistic that Horizon 6 is being built with strong optimization in mind rather than punishing requirements.

PC and controller support were praised for deep options, upscaling support, and broad input compatibility.

Wheel support receives explicit attention, and early impressions suggest Horizon 6 is taking steering-wheel play more seriously than before.

Polish was frequently praised through streamlined tasks, quality-of-life upgrades, tighter design, and a more focused sequel structure.

Multiple previews say the overall presentation feels more polished than previous entries, especially visually.

Progression was praised for APAS, RPG-like upgrades, freely swapped perks, and systems that reward how players approach deliveries.

The return of gated wristbands and slower unlock pacing is broadly seen as a more purposeful and satisfying progression structure.

Sam drew a mixed note from one review that still found him emotionally hard to connect with despite more range.

Quest design was mixed, with some reviewers finding filler or insufficient challenge despite the stronger overall delivery structure.

Replay value was split between extensive remaining missions and one reviewer saying they would not replay from scratch.

Several reviewers kept roaming long after the guided preview content ended, which suggests strong short-term replay pull.

One reviewer praised the sandbox for giving players broad choice across traversal, combat, and stealth.

A major appeal is the freedom to drive almost anywhere, pick your own activities, and set your own pace.

Seasonal changes are described as more dramatic and meaningful than before, especially in Japan’s contrasting regions.

Side characters were a major strength for several reviewers, though some felt the new cast was underused or less forceful.

The APAS and skill systems were described as useful and flexible without being overly bloated.

Social features were praised for ziplines, shared structures, likes, and infrastructure that made helping others satisfying.

Permanent Car Meets and related shared-world hooks are positioned as stronger social anchors than past Horizon games offered.

Sound design was praised as immaculate or immersive, including 3D audio, voice work, and soundscape details.

Previews mention improved weather audio, engine sounds, and surface detail that help the world and cars feel more tactile.

The soundtrack was strongly praised for licensed music, original tracks, and emotional placement during key moments.

One preview specifically praises the Japanese radio vibe and says the music brings back classic Horizon energy.

Stealth was broadly improved through more tools, better combat integration, and added tactical options, though not always as deep as Metal Gear.

The upgrade system was praised because unlocked tools felt useful and rewarding during deliveries.

Tuning, garage customization, and more impactful upgrades are all highlighted as meaningful parts of the experience.

UI and UX were praised in one review for making objectives clearer and loadout handling smoother.

Reviewers like the cleaner map presentation and the extra control over UI elements such as split times and radar placement.

Value was supported by the long runtime and substantial post-credits content, with the caveat that it asks for a major time commitment.

Weather, lighting, and screenshot-friendly presentation are repeatedly singled out as strengths.

Voice acting and performances were widely praised, especially Troy Baker and the broader ensemble cast.

Weapon balance was mixed, with reviewers noting a large arsenal but also saying it could overpower enemies or trivialize friction.

World-building was praised for being unique, expanded, bizarre, and richly thought out, though sometimes delivered through dense exposition.

The setting sells a strong sense of place through biomes, landmarks, and a more distinct regional identity than prior maps.

World interactivity was praised through player-built structures that improve both the user’s route and other players’ journeys.

This is a recurring weak spot, with reviews noting that traffic and the city still react very little to the player.

Writing quality landed mostly positive but not unanimous, with praise for Kojima’s charm and story highs alongside some criticism of nonsense or opacity.