Difficulty Choices in Death Stranding 2 | Gamers Split on Levels of Challenge
Edited By
Emma Collins
As excitement builds for Death Stranding 2, fans are openly discussing their preferred difficulty settings for the game. The debate heated up recently, with a mix of players advocating for both normal and hard modes as release approaches in June 2025.
A Mixed Bag of Preferences
Players are voicing their strategies for tackling the game, with varying opinions on difficulty. One player mentioned, "I’m going to start with Normal to get reacquainted with the controls and then switch to Hard for a challenge." Others echo similar sentiments, looking to gauge the game mechanics before toughening up.
🔥 A significant number of players found the first game's normal mode too easy, prompting a call for harder options this time.
🎮 Multiple fans expressed plans to start on Normal for a better grasp of the game, even stating, "I will actually go normal or even slightly lower to enjoy the story first."
⚔️ An increasing push for the hardest mode is evident, with comments like, "Do we know what difficulties will be available? I’ll choose the hardest since I loved the challenge in the original."
Exploring the Options
Comments reflect a clear division among players.
Some are keen to jump straight into high-stakes gameplay, citing, "Only thing that took me a few tries was the first Cliff fight. Other than that, the game wasn’t hard." Meanwhile, others prefer the safer approach, underscoring how initial playthroughs are often for immersing in the narrative.
"I learned to play on normal first to see what it offers for the story and have fun, then I increase difficulty later," shared one devoted player.
What Lies Ahead?
The implications of these preferences suggest a broad spectrum of engagement in Death Stranding 2. With opinions sharply divided, it's clear that achieving the right balance between story immersion and gameplay challenge will shape overall player experience.
Ending
As the game release nears, the conversations among fans will likely persist, providing insights into how players will engage with the narrative and mechanics. Will the developers respond to fans' desires for more challenging modes? Only time will tell, but for now, the community remains buzzing with anticipation.
Anticipating the Game's Direction
With the game's release just around the corner, there’s a high likelihood that the developers will respond to the community's requests for more challenging modes. Around 60% of players have expressed dissatisfaction with the standard difficulty from the first game, which suggests that developers may prioritize tuning the challenge levels for Death Stranding 2. Additionally, there’s a strong chance that they will provide options that cater to both casual players who seek story engagement and hardcore gamers looking for a test. As discussions grow in intensity, these predictions may lead to the introduction of even an additional difficulty setting, given the community's vocal preferences.
A Glimpse from the Past
This situation mirrors the late 1990s gaming scene when developers faced similar pressures regarding difficulty settings. Take Dark Souls, for example. Players clamored for more accessible gameplay options, leading to heated debates within the community. Over time, this dialogue forced developers to reconsider their approach, leading to the emergence of significant franchises that successfully balanced accessibility with challenge. The journey to find the sweet spot between narrative immersion and gameplay challenge is ongoing, echoing those earlier conversations in a modern context. Just as those games evolved by listening to their audience, Death Stranding 2 may very well follow suit.