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You might wonder if you should play Death Stranding 1 before diving into Death Stranding 2, and this article provides a definitive answer.
![Death Stranding 2: Whether to play DS1 before? [Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment]](https://static.deltiasgaming.com/2025/06/Death-Stranding-2.jpg)
Yes, you need to play Death Stranding 1 before you play Death Stranding 2 to properly understand and appreciate what is going on in the sequel. This is not to discourage you from trying out DS2 before circling back to DS1. The sequel is currently out on early access for anyone who had pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe or Collector’s Edition variants. As such, any new player might give in to the hype and dive into this cryptic world.
You might be able to play Death Stranding 2 as a standalone title, but you will miss out on a majority of the connections. To truly understand and appreciate what Kojima Productions has done in these two titles, you will need to experience Death Stranding 1, preferably before Death Stranding 2.
Why Should You Try Out Death Stranding 1 Before Death Stranding 2?
Death Stranding 2 continues where the story ended in the first title, with familiar characters like Sam, Lou, Fragile, Deadman, Heartman, and Higgs all appearing in the sequel. Without prior acquaintance with these characters and their motivations, you may not be able to appreciate the nuances of their behaviors, dialogues, personalities, and actions.
While a story recap (the sequel does provide one) will give you the broader gist or strands of what happened in Death Stranding 1, it will barely do justice to actually experiencing the game. You will not know the foundation of Sam’s connection with Lou, Deadman, or Fragile, or the motivation that drives Higgs. Unlike a title like Red Dead Redemption 2, where the story is a prequel to its predecessor, DS2 directly continues from where the first game left off.
You will not have any hiccups from a gameplay perspective, though. Death Stranding 2 will give you hints and tips about both basic and advanced mechanics in-game. It is only when we consider the story that you will feel a lack if you jump directly into the sequel. With DS2 being a story-heavy and story-driven game, there’s just no workaround for it.
How Long Is Death Stranding 1?
The main story of Death Stranding 1 will take you roughly 40 to 42 hours to complete. Meaning, you can definitely complete it this weekend before launch if you push through it. A completionist run will go about 120 hours, depending on difficulty.
Death Stranding 2 has a similar completion time, and you will likely need around 40 hours to completely beat the game.
We provide the latest news and create guides for Death Stranding 2. Meanwhile, you can check out the following Death Stranding 2 articles or catch us playing games on YouTube:
