Death Stranding 2 was my Game of the Year for 2025, and it's coming to PC with a major discount, too

I cried. I laughed. I fell over far too many times when I miscalculated my route. Death Stranding 2 is everything a sequel to the first should be, and after playing it on PS5 last year and having it as my personal Game of the Year, I'm looking forward to giving it a go on PC when it finally releases. After months of waiting for that confirmation, it's launching next month, and fortunately, we don't need to pay full price to get it, as Fanatical already has it on a big discount before release.

As someone who had the typical upbringing of "you're a man, don't cry", I sure did cry a lot at Death Stranding 2. Honest and unashamed, it had me in a chokehold from start to finish. Once again, you play as Sam Porter Bridges, who has retired with his adopted daughter, Lou, but is brought back for a small job connecting the chiral network terminals in Mexico. However, after a sudden tragedy, Sam is tasked with boarding the DHV Magellan, using the tar currents to travel to Australia and once again connect the chiral network in the new continent.

Much like the first game, your job is to connect the entire country to the chiral network, taking on jobs as you traverse the terrain, from flammable forests ready to be set ablaze to icy mountaintops. As you gain more confidence in your courier abilities, you'll earn new vehicles and upgrades to make more daring deliveries, as well as equipment that makes the process a lot easier. Death Stranding 2 is also a far more action-focused game than the first, with plenty of weapons to unlock and use against enemy camps or during pivotal story moments. Also, you can catch BTs and use them a la Pokémon, so that's fun too.

It's honestly an emotionally strong narrative that, in familiar Kojima fashion, manages to tiptoe a line between strange, confusing, bizarre cutscenes and absolutely tear-jerking breakdowns. You'll be frustrated making that long trek across the wilderness, before being confused, scratching your head, then laughing or crying. I had an absolute rollercoaster of a time, which was worth every penny I spent on it.

If you've been waiting for the sequel to arrive on PC, or you prefer an action-heavy experience but with the core gameplay of its predecessor (there's a handy recap of the first game's story), you can grab Death Stranding 2 for just $59.49 / £59.49 at Fanatical when using the code 'FANATICAL15' at checkout. That's a 15% discount on the game before its release, and as someone who bought it at full price on PS5, it is well worth the money.

Perhaps it'll be my personal Game of the Year again when I finally play the PC version. As someone who has fallen in love with Death Stranding's post-apocalyptic world, I'm excited to play it once again on PC, making sure to turn on all those high-quality graphics for an immersive experience.