Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is now available on PS5, offering an expansive journey across Australia as Sam Porter Bridges works to link another continent to the Chiral Network. But how long does it take to complete? Below, we share the exact playtimes of various IGN team members who finished the main story, along with how they chose to spend their in-game hours.
Simon Cardy - Senior Editor
I completed Death Stranding 2’s main storyline in roughly 34 hours. To be fair, I was so engrossed by its twisting narrative that I stuck primarily to core missions, tackling only a handful of optional objectives along the way. Fortunately, this approach didn't make the journey significantly harder—while side missions do grant useful tools, the sequel streamlines many of the frustrations of the original, ensuring you're never too far from your goal. That's not to say it's without challenge; toward the end, certain combat sequences and lengthy deliveries required careful planning.
Since finishing the story, I've put in another ten hours, fully connecting both Australia and Mexico to the Chiral Network. Even so, I’m driven to raise every facility’s connection rating to five stars. As someone who hates leaving a task unfinished, I'll soon be back in Sam Porter Bridges’ boots, clearing every remaining mission this captivating game has to offer.
Matt Kim - Senior Feature Editor
It took me approximately 38 hours to complete Death Stranding 2’s main story and see the credits roll. And no—half of that time wasn't spent watching cutscenes. Hideo Kojima clearly aimed to use cinematics more intentionally this time around, trimming their length to keep players engaged with gameplay. And engaged I was: I focused almost entirely on main missions, dipping into side content just enough to add a couple of hours to my final time. There’s still plenty I haven’t explored, and I'm excited to return for a closer-to-100% run. Maybe I’ll even go for the platinum trophy—who knows?
How Does Death Stranding 2 Compare to Other Kojima Games?
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach delivers a lengthy, cross-continental trek—but how does its playtime stack up against the original and other Kojima classics? Using data from How Long to Beat, we’ve listed average story completion times for mainline Metal Gear Solid titles and Sam’s 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 the hidden corners of Mexico and Australia, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the soundtrack on my portable music player. Although I didn’t fully reconnect Australia, I linked most of the region to the Chiral Network—just a few stragglers remain, which I intend to wrap up soon. Much of my playtime went toward boosting my ratings with various Preppers by using gear and upgrades that fit my playstyle. Unlike the first game, Death Stranding 2 introduces far more unique side missions (based on my experience, at least), and I'm eager to dive into them. Keep on keeping on!
Are you planning to play Death Stranding 2? Do you intend to take it slow and complete every side delivery, or are you here for the story and aiming to finish as quickly as possible? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
