← Blog

Death Stranding 2 on PC at max settings: a journey to savor, step by step

Yafeet Master · · Video games · 5 views

Vast landscapes, fog, snow and the new monorail: this is how Death Stranding 2: On the Beach looks and feels on PC with everything maxed out.

Some games you play, and some games you travel through. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is the second kind. I played it on PC with every graphics setting maxed out, and here's what it was like, with screenshots I took myself in photo mode. Spoiler: I spent more time staring at the scenery than delivering packages.

The first summit: canyons all the way to the horizon and a city in the distance.

A world that begs to be looked at

With everything maxed out, the first thing that hits you is the draw distance. From the top of a peak you can see entire mountain ranges in full detail, the sea beyond them and even a city lost on the horizon. The rock has texture, the light shifts with the time of day and the sky feels enormous. It's the kind of game where you climb a mountain just to see what's on the other side.

Rocks floating in the fog: one of the strangest (and most beautiful) places of the whole journey.

Fog, water and rain are the other stars of the show. On high settings the fog has layers and depth, the puddles reflect the sky and the colors of the flowers pop against the gray rock. It's one of those places where you stop just to look.

New ways to get around

Getting around is more varied than in the first game. The monorail runs along the coast, hanging over the sea, and lets you haul heavy cargo without fighting the terrain, while the vehicles, with their blue lights, feel heavy and solid as they climb the sand or roll down the black beach.

After many hours, this is what I loved most about playing it maxed out:

  • The detail of the terrain: every rock, every puddle and every footprint.
  • The sunset light between the canyons.
  • The monorail, for moving heavy cargo without suffering.
  • The snow, which completely changes the way you move.
  • Photo mode, which can keep you busy for hours.

It's not a game for running: it's a game for arriving.

Yafeet

Snow and every step

Riding up the mountain: in deep snow, every meter is a struggle.

Snow is another story. The bike sinks, the cargo weighs you down and you have to read the slope before climbing. With the settings maxed out you notice it in every detail: the trail the wheel leaves behind, the sun glinting off the ice and mountains that look real.

And yes, just like in the first one, feet matter here. Sam carries almost everything on foot, the boots wear out and the game makes you feel every step on rock, sand or snow. It's a game about walking, and here that makes perfect sense.

Is it worth it on PC?

For me, yes. On PC you can push everything to the max, and the work of Kojima Productions shines the way it deserves: the draw distance, the sunset light, the water and the fog turn every delivery into a scenic walk too.

If your rig can handle it, max everything out, put your phone away and let yourself get lost. And if you play it, tell me what you thought: did you also end up staring at the scenery?