The embargo on reviews for Hideo Kojima’s latest work, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, has now lifted. The game is set for official release on June 26, and players who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition or higher will gain early access starting on June 24.

When the original Death Stranding launched in 2019, its concept of “delivery” across the entirety of the United States presented a refreshingly novel style of gameplay to many of us. Even critics—who had eagerly awaited Kojima, the director who practically invented the “stealth-action” genre—found themselves unaccustomed to this unfamiliar approach at first.

However, now that everyone understands what Death Stranding is all about, the response to its sequel has been markedly different. Unlike the more mixed reactions that characterized the original, media—including major international outlets—have responded very enthusiastically to Death Stranding 2.

Outlets awarding high scores have unanimously praised the game’s far more evolved gameplay compared to its predecessor. Conversely, the more critical voices largely cite “not much difference from the previous game” as their chief complaint.

“Critic Score” is a column that condenses and organizes major outlets’ assessments of global new releases. We gather critic scores and summary comments from 15 outlets so that gamers can more quickly and easily grasp the market’s reception and overall sentiment toward a title.