Following director Hideo Kojima’s recent radio interview, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’s new update has been officially outlined ahead of the PC version’s launch. However, the PlayStation Blog also confirmed that PC players can benefit from ray tracing with reflections and ambient occlusion.
The ray-traced reflections won’t just apply to water surfaces, making sections like the battle against Neil all the more stunning, but also to tar. And thanks to ray traced ambient occlusion, you can expect “more realistic shadows in crevices, corners, and between objects.” So while the Very High setting should offer ample fidelity, ray tracing allows for going further beyond (though Kojima Productions notes that it isn’t factored into the system requirements).
As for the new update, its new difficulty, “To The Wilder,” will push “your porter skills to the extreme in merciless environments filled with deadly enemies, and completing orders will require every ounce of ingenuity you can muster.” While it doesn’t go into specifics – because why ruin the surprise – you can’t change the difficulty once it’s selected, and there’s no reward locked behind its completion (aside from a “truly priceless” sense of satisfaction).
And while it doesn’t specifically mention the ability to rematch other bosses, the new VR training area, “Trapped in a Strange Realm,” lets you relive those fights against Neil. Completing these will unlock new bandanas for Sam, and we’re already getting flashbacks to Metal Gear Solid’s infinite ammo cheat. The Chiral Feline will also occasionally visit the private room, but feel free to take pictures with it in the wild courtesy of Photo Mode’s new features.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches on March 19th for PC, with the update going live on the same day for PS5. Head here for more details on what you should expect from the PC version. You can also watch the PC launch trailer below, though beware of spoilers.
