Should You Play Death Stranding 1 Before Death Stranding 2? Answered

Following his departure from Konami, video game designer Hideo Kojima founded his own studio, Kojima Productions. In 2019, he released a unique genre-defying video game, Death Stranding, on PlayStation consoles. The game sparked divisive reactions from gamers and critics. Over time, the game has won over fans and is now praised for its unique story and experience. The game’s sequel, Death Stranding: On the Beach, is releasing in a few hours.

And we are here to answer a crucial question: Should you play the original Death Stranding game, or can you jump straight into the sequel? In this post, we help you put an end to this dilemma and discuss whether playing Death Stranding 1 is important to understand the story of Death Stranding 2.

Should You Play Death Stranding 2 Without Playing the First Game?

Death Stranding is set in a post-apocalyptic United States where the world has been fractured by a cataclysmic event. As Sam Bridges, a porter, you embark on an adventurous journey to connect the disjointed society and make America one again. Now, the sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, is a direct continuation that’s set 11 months after the original game’s events. Sam and his BB, Lou, return for yet another porter journey that will redefine their lives.

Unlike any other game, Death Stranding features an extremely intricate story and characters that can’t be perceived in a recap. The sequel does have an option to watch the official Death Stranding 1 recap, but it doesn’t do justice to the exceptional story that unravels in the game.

So, it is clear that Death Stranding 1 is a must-play before you jump into Death Stranding: On the Beach and help Sam connect Mexico and Australia to the Chiral network.

If you have already enjoyed the porter life once, find out what you can look forward to in the sequel in our Death Stranding 2 review.

Many Death Stranding Adaptations Are Coming, But The Wait Is Long

If you have been keeping tabs on Kohima-san’s social and the Death Stranding franchise, you must have heard that we are officially getting a Death Stranding live-action film and an anime adaptation soon. If you’re setting your eyes on the adaptation instead of playing the first game, I’m afraid to say that you will have to wait a long time. Both the live-action movie and the anime adaptation have just begun production.

In addition to the video games, the only adaptation right now is the Death Stranding novels. It has been written by Kenji Yano, aka Hitori Nojima, the co-writer of the Death Stranding game and the author of the Metal Gear novels. If you’re someone who loves to read books, you can choose to read the novels instead of playing the original game.

However, remember that not all nuances and complexities of Death Stranding have been translated into the novels. Fans who have read the novels say that it is like reading a recap of the game’s main events.

All the story elements, characters, core gameplay, and more from Death Stranding 1 overlap with its sequel, which makes the original a must-play if you aim to get the best possible experience out of the Death Stranding universe. Besides, trying out the first game will help you find whether it’s your type of game, as Death Stranding is strictly not everyone’s cup of tea.

I finished the Death Stranding game recently to prepare for the sequel, and it instantly grew on me to become one of my favorite games. Since then, I’ve been recommending everyone to witness what Kojima’s vision looks like. It will take an average of 35-40 hours to beat the main story of the first Death Stranding video game. So, I recommend that you play Death Stranding 1 before you play the sequel and begin your journey to connect Mexico and Australia to the UCA via the Chiral network.

While recap videos will help most games out there, I’m sure watching a recap and heading to Death Stranding 2 will only dampen your experience. That said, are you planning to play Death Stranding (2019) before the sequel? Let us know in the comments below.