Geoff Keighley is anticipating one of the biggest releases of 2025, and you can now play the first game in its series via PlayStation Plus. Keighley, a game journalist and founder of The Game Awards, has become one of the most prominent voices in the gaming industry today. His voice is primarily that of a hype man for developers — Keighley always seems to dig up the newest and most exciting upcoming games, whether they come from well-established AAA studios or newly founded indies.
And Geoff Keighley has already made a major pitch for what could be the greatest game of 2025. While it’s not out quite yet, you can currently play its predecessor for no additional cost if you’re already subscribed to a certain tier of PS Plus. Whether you’re anticipating the sequel yourself, or you’re just looking for something different to play, it’s worth checking out.
Geoff Keighley Says Death Stranding 2 Is "One Of The Best Games"
A Career High For Kojima?
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Geoff Keighley calls the upcoming Death Stranding 2 «one of the best games of [Hideo Kojima]’s career.» That puts it high in the running for greatest game of all time; Kojima, best known as the creator of Metal Gear, has several «greatest game of all time» contenders under his belt. I’d draw the ire of several subsections of the Metal Gear fandom if I tried to name my own personal pick, so I’ll just say that Metal Gear Solid 1 through 3 all have their claims to the title, depending on who you ask.
Keighley shares this opinion alongside several new screenshots and some video footage from Death Stranding 2, all of which look excellent. He notes that the sequel appears to have developed and refined many of the core gameplay concepts introduced in the first game, while also adding more gunplay and big, «MGS-like action set pieces.»
Death Stranding & The Director's Cut Are On PS Plus Extra & Premium
Catch Up Before The Sequel
If you want to catch up before the sequel comes out (June 26), you have a limited time to do so. Thankfully, if you’re subscribed to the Extra or Premium tiers of PlayStation Plus, you don’t have to wait for a sale: Death Stranding is available as part of PS Plus Extra’s game catalog at no additional fee. You can download and play it today, if you like — the game will be yours for as long as you stay subscribed to the service. Since DS2‘s story will inevitably be closely connected to the first game’s, you should definitely play through the original Death Stranding before diving into the sequel.
Geoff Keighley and Hideo Kojima have a long-standing friendship, and Keighley made a cameo in the first Death Stranding as the Ludens Fan.
For what it’s worth, I’d recommend playing the Director’s Cut of Death Stranding, which is also available on both of the higher PS Plus tiers. It includes some new content, including exclusive weapons, vehicles, construction options, and quite a bit more. It also has full support for the PS5’s DualSense controller, as well as an updated suite of graphical options to ensure it looks its best. Still, you’ll get everything you need to understand the sequel out of either edition.
Will Death Stranding 2 Live Up To The Original Game's Legacy?
Death Stranding Divided Critics
The original Death Stranding is hailed today as a modern classic, but it wasn’t always seen that way. When it was first released, Death Stranding was divisive: some critics saw it as ambitious and original, while others found it repetitive and boring. Still, reception towards it definitely warmed up over time; it’s generally acknowledged today as a modern classic.
It’s hard to say how audiences and critics will respond to its sequel. On the one hand, it looks a lot more lively, with its new action-oriented gameplay and its Metal Gear-style over-the-top absurdity. But on the other, it’s building on a very complicated legacy, and has some big shoes to fill. Only time will tell whether Geoff Keighley’s praise holds true when the full Death Stranding 2 is released this summer.
