Compare The Last of Us Part II Remastered vs Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Reviewers praise the expanded accessibility suite, especially descriptive audio, speech-to-vibration support, and broader options that make the game easier to experience.

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

Evidence points to mature-only suitability: reviewers cite an M rating and warn that younger players or those without a strong stomach may not appreciate it.

Enemy behavior is praised for unpredictable patrols, strong aim, and AI that can swarm the player, especially in No Return encounters.

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

Aiming is helped by precise PC controls and performance modes, with one technical review emphasizing fast aiming precision and dodging.

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

Animation remains a major strength, with industry-best combat animation and varied contextual actions supporting the game's brutal presentation.

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.

The art direction is praised through scenic, atmospheric landscapes that reviewers repeatedly stop to admire.

The game maintains an oppressive, visceral atmosphere, with reviewers calling out its tension, revenge story, and masterclass sense of mood.

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

Boss encounters are supported mainly through No Return and Abby-focused PC coverage, with reviewers highlighting memorable boss fights and final-run showdowns.

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

Bug and stutter reports are limited but present in PC coverage, including texture glitches, foliage pop-in, and stutter entering dense areas.

Camera praise is mostly cinematic rather than mechanical, with reviewers noting strong camera shots rather than camera problems.

Character development is supported by reviews praising Abby's humanization, character arcs, and the emotional impact of the main cast.

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

No Return's playable roster is a major positive, bringing Ellie, Abby, Joel, Dina, Lev, Jesse, Tommy, and others into the mode with distinct traits.

The co-op experience is essentially absent; one review explicitly notes that the gameplay bones are there but the online infrastructure is not.

Combat is one of the strongest areas, repeatedly described as dynamic, brutal, satisfying, and mechanically solid in both campaign and No Return.

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

Community features are light but present through Daily Run-style shared challenges and leaderboard comparisons.

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

The remaster is praised for its extras: No Return, Lost Levels, commentary, guitar free play, skins, speedrun tools, and other options.

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

Controls are generally praised as responsive, smooth, and especially strong on PC mouse and keyboard.

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

The core loop is highly praised, especially the tight combat-survival rhythm and No Return's distilled version of the game's mechanics.

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

Crafting remains important, with reviewers tying it to survival, stealth, ammunition scarcity, and No Return upgrades.

Cross-save support is supported by a review noting that PS4 saves and achievements can be carried over.

Dialogue quality is split: one reviewer says no line is wasted, while another says some dialog exchanges stumble and bore.

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

Difficulty is framed as challenging but fair, with selectable difficulty helping players ease into No Return while preserving tension.

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.

Resource balance is a strength, with reviewers praising scarcity that makes ammo, crafting materials, and every shot feel meaningful.

Emotional impact is one of the strongest consensus areas; reviewers repeatedly describe the story as heavy, upsetting, and memorable.

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

Endgame value comes primarily from No Return's daily and custom runs, ongoing boss attempts, and reasons to return after the campaign.

Enemy variety is supported by No Return's randomized factions and the addition of new enemy types and infected encounters.

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

Environmental detail is consistently praised, from photorealistic detail to Seattle's scenery, overgrown environments, and accurate city recreation.

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

Exploration is mostly positive because it rewards searching and environmental storytelling, though PC Gamer finds it more constrained than combat.

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

Facial animation and capture are repeatedly praised as best-in-class or amazing, preserving the campaign's emotional delivery.

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

Faithfulness is mixed but positive: reviewers call it a fascinating, bold sequel that recontextualizes the first game rather than repeating it.

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

Family friendliness scores very low because reviewers emphasize the game's violence, mature tone, and need for a strong stomach.

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

Frame-rate impressions are mostly positive, especially on PS5, though PC coverage notes some scene-dependent or configuration-specific issues.

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

Fun factor is strongest in No Return, where reviewers repeatedly describe the mode as fun, addictive, and a strong reason to replay.

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

Gameplay mechanics are praised for fresh combat, stealth, top-notch play, and improved action systems over the original.

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

Graphics remain a major strength, with reviewers praising PS5 and PC visuals even when they call the upgrade modest.

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

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

Handheld suitability is supported by Steam Deck impressions, which describe playable performance and a fruitful handheld experience.

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

Haptic feedback is widely praised on PS5, especially weapon resistance, bows, subtle vibrations, and DualSense immersion, though one PC review says it feels weaker than PS5.

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

Horror tension is strong, with reviewers mentioning anxiety from headphones, clicker sounds, and overall atmosphere.

Immersion is helped by DualSense, 3D audio, haptics, and environmental presentation that reinforce the harsh world.

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

Innovation comes from the Lost Levels, developer commentary, and rare behind-the-scenes transparency more than from the unchanged campaign.

Learning curve is helped by selectable difficulty and clear No Return progression, though some automated hinting is described as blunt.

Level design is mixed: reviewers praise design explanations and training of expectations, but one PC review finds navigation unclear.

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

Live-service support is poor because the planned online or live-service multiplayer project is repeatedly referenced as canceled.

Load times are a clear improvement, with reviewers noting fast or seamless loading compared with older versions.

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

Loot systems matter in No Return through randomized shops, rewards, modifiers, and challenges, though this is not a traditional loot-heavy game.

Lore depth is supported by environmental storytelling and optional encounters that reveal wider stories without large exposition dumps.

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

Map and navigation design is mixed: No Return's route board is clear, but some campaign navigation is criticized as hard to read.

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

Menu usability is supported by the feature-rich extras menu and speedrun recap tools.

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

Mission design is strongest in No Return, where randomized encounters and changing objectives create short, focused challenges.

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

Mission variety is a No Return highlight, though a few reviewers say encounter types can eventually become samey.

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

Monetization is generally seen as fair because reviewers repeatedly accept or praise the $10 upgrade price.

Movement feel is praised for nimble combat, large arenas, smoother movement, and improved melee animation.

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

Multiplayer design is effectively absent because the Factions or live-service project was canceled.

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

Narrative quality remains the most divisive area: many reviewers call it profound or powerful, while others criticize cynicism, pacing, or its framing.

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

Onboarding is decent through difficulty settings and hint prompts, though some guidance can feel artificial.

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

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.

Originality is mixed: the core game remains singular, but No Return is described as fun without being a unique roguelike structure.

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

Pacing is the most repeated story concern, with reviewers citing excessive length, elongated sections, and short lost levels cut for pacing.

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

Performance optimization is generally good on PS5 and PC, but PC impressions vary with some stutter and texture-glitch caveats.

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

Platform-specific feature support is strong, spanning DualSense, 3D audio, VRR, FOV, ultrawide, HDR, PC options, and save carryover.

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

Polish is generally high, with reviewers citing Naughty Dog polish, top-notch PS5 optimization, and a strong PC definitive version.

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

Progression is praised in No Return through unlockable characters, cosmetics, bosses, modifiers, and an overarching progression track.

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

Protagonist appeal is mixed: Ellie is praised as carrying the sequel, but one reviewer says the character became harder to relate to.

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

Puzzle design appears mostly in Lost Levels and optional environmental sections, with reviewers calling out light or water-based puzzle elements.

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

Remaster quality is strong as a special edition, not a remake: reviewers praise the package while noting visual changes are modest.

Replay value improves through No Return, daily/custom runs, unlocks, and extras, though a few reviewers question long-term staying power.

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

Sandbox freedom is strongest in No Return, where custom runs, modifiers, and route choices let players tune combat scenarios.

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

Side character depth is supported by praise for supporting performances and scenes involving characters beyond Ellie and Abby.

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

Skill depth appears in No Return through supplements, upgrade trees, skills, and temporary build decisions rather than a deep RPG system.

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

Social features are limited but include friend comparisons on leaderboards for Daily Runs.

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

Sound design is a major strength, especially stealth audio, clicker/stalker cues, and anxiety-enhancing headphone play.

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

Soundtrack quality remains strong, with reviewers praising the score and music's emotional impact.

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

Stealth mechanics are praised as improved, tense, and central to both campaign and No Return.

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

Tutorial and guidance are present but mixed, with hints and commentary explaining scenes but some prompts feeling artificial.

Upgrade systems are praised within No Return through weapon upgrades, skills, recipes, and character unlocks.

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

UI is mixed: the Extras menu is feature-rich, but one PC review notes a mouse/UI frame-rate issue and guitar free play clunkiness.

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

Value for money is usually positive, especially at $10, though one review argues the package may not be worth every player's time.

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

Visual effects remain strong, with praise for lighting, scenery, pop-in improvements, and environmental effects.

Voice acting is consistently praised, with reviewers calling the cast superb and the performances central to the story.

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

Weapon balance is supported by scarcity and weapon tradeoffs, where having ammo for one weapon often means lacking it for another.

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

World-building is praised through Seattle's detail, environmental storytelling, and the expanded world of the sequel.

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

World interactivity appears in optional encounters, environmental clues, and small interactive moments that deepen the setting.

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

Writing quality is mixed but high-impact, with praise for intentional storytelling alongside criticism of some script choices.

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