Death Stranding 2

Play it on: PS5
Current goal: Give out “Likes” until I develop a wrist injury from all the rapid tapping

At about 16 hours in, I’d describe Death Stranding 2 as a game of highs and lows, literally and figuratively. I have some pretty serious concerns about the story, and the gameplay feels—thus far at least—safer, easier, less willing to introduce real challenge, friction, and frustration into your experience than its predecessor was. But I still love that distinctly Death Stranding moment you experience every so often when you’ve just overcome some pretty tricky terrain or successfully made your way through an area infested with BTs and suddenly a song begins to play, the game’s way of saying “It’s all downhill from here as you trek toward your destination, so just relax and enjoy the stroll.”

And for all of its unevenness, there have been a few audacious moments in DS2—like one involving Dollman and a catchy Japanese pop song—that I find exhilarating for their enthusiasm and originality. So this weekend, I’ll venture deeper into the Australian outback, hoping the game gets tougher and doling out Likes by the truckload to my fellow porters who have left a handy bridge for me to cross or a rope for me to climb. Right now, for some reason, I just like the idea of encouraging people to help build a better world for each other. — Carolyn Petit