Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is now available on PS5, offering an expansive journey across Australia as Sam Porter Bridges works to connect another continent to the Chiral Network. But just how long does it take to complete? Here, we’ll share the exact playtimes of different IGN team members who finished the main story, along with how they chose to spend their time.
Simon Cardy - Senior Editor
I completed Death Stranding 2’s story in just over 34 hours. I was so captivated by its twisting narrative that I stayed focused on the main missions, tackling only a dozen or so optional objectives along the way. Fortunately, this approach didn’t make the journey much harder—while side orders do reward you with useful tools, Death Stranding 2 significantly reduces friction compared to the original, so reaching your destination is rarely too challenging. That doesn’t mean it’s a breeze, though. Toward the end, several combat encounters and long-distance deliveries gave me plenty to think about.
Since then, I’ve put in another ten hours and fully integrated both Australia and Mexico into the Chiral Network. Still, I can’t resist the urge to raise every facility connection to five stars. As someone who hates leaving tasks unfinished, I’ll soon be stepping back into Sam’s boots to wrap up each of the game’s engaging remaining missions.
Matt Kim - Senior Feature Editor
It took me roughly 38 hours to complete Death Stranding 2’s main story and reach the credits. And no, half of that time wasn’t spent watching cutscenes. Hideo Kojima clearly aimed for more intentional pacing in this sequel, trimming cinematic runtimes so players could focus more on gameplay. And focus I did—largely sticking to the main campaign missions. I did finish a few side quests, which likely added a few extra hours, but there’s still so much I haven’t explored. I’m excited to jump back in for a more complete, near-100% run. Maybe I’ll even aim for the platinum trophy—who knows?
How Does Death Stranding 2 Compare to Other Kojima Games?
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is an epic, continent-spanning adventure, but how does its length stack up against the original and Kojima’s other titles? We checked How Long to Beat for average main story completion times across the mainline Metal Gear Solid games, as well as Sam Porter Bridges’ first outing.
Metal Gear Solid - 11 ½ HoursMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - 13 hoursMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - 16 hoursMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - 18 ½ hoursMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain - 45 ½ hoursDeath Stranding - 40 ½ hoursDeath Stranding 2: On the Beach - 37 ⅔ hours (IGN average)Nick Limon - Executive Producer
I finished Death Stranding 2 after 41 hours. I took my time, exploring every corner of Mexico and Australia, soaking in the sights and sounds, and enjoying the tunes from my portable music player. Although I didn’t reconnect all of Australia, I linked most of the region to the Chiral Network. Only a few outposts remain, which I plan to take care of soon. Much of my time was spent improving my standing with Preppers by using items and upgrades that caught my eye and matched my playstyle. Compared to the first game, Death Stranding 2 offers far more tailored side content—at least from my experience, since I didn’t play much of the original’s Director’s Cut—and I can’t wait to dive into it further. Keep on keeping on!
Are you planning to play Death Stranding 2? Do you intend to take your time and complete every side delivery, or are you here for the story and aiming to finish as quickly as possible? Let us know in the comments below!
