The early access for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has just begun, and it already has a score of 90 on Metacritic. But in a comedic turn of events, critics from France had a couple of “mixed” words to say about Death Stranding 2, with folks saying that it is a critical payback for the review of Clair Obscur from IGN Japan.
The long-awaited sequel to Death Stranding is finally here, in a way. The official release date of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is June 26, but those who preordered the Deluxe Edition can start playing the game two days earlier, ie, from June 24. The hype for Kojima’s next game is through the roof, with gamers already expecting it to be a strong contender for GOTY 2025. Now, the first critic reviews are in, and things are looking great. However, the critics from France are not that sold on Death Stranding 2, with people saying that it is on purpose, due to mixed review of Clair Obscur from Japan.
Coincidence or Critic Wars? Critics From France Shrug at Death Stranding 2 After Japan Shrugged at Clair Obscur
DS2 just got out, and the critics are sharing their thoughts on the game. Naturally, they are all compiled on Metacritic, and as of now, Death Stranding 2 has a score of exactly 90, giving it the “Universal Acclaim” mark. Of about 103 reviews, at the time of writing, 99 of them are positive, and only four of them are “mixed”. Of those four, the most notable one is from IGN France. They gave Death Stranding 2 a score of 6/10, saying:
“Death Stranding 2 isn’t a bad game. It’s a beautiful game. But it disappoints precisely where the first one was astonishing: by levelling out the difficulty, rendering the journey anodyne, watering down what made the original game a tough, unforgettable experience. Here, Kojima seems to have given in to the temptation of comfort and past criticism, delivering a game that is more accessible but less meaningful. Far from extending his vision, On the Beach seems to mark his running out of steam.”
Not the best review out there. However, some say that it is a payback for Clair Obscur. For the record, on June 23, IGN Japan gave Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a 7 out of 10, saying that the game is great, but the plot has some issues:
“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 mixes JRPG-like turn-based battles with real-time action. While I was hooked to this combat system, the story’s sudden plot twist felt forced. Although this was hard to ignore, it is undeniable that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an appealing game that delivers a strong message.”
Truth be told, the Japanese were a bit more lenient in their accusations. Anyway, both games are absolutely stunning on their own, so there is no need for picking sides. While funny, we do hope that this review ping-ponging is in good (or at least, “mixed”) spirits, with no hard feelings from either side, and that this won’t escalate into a problem.
