I’ve been stunned time and time again by the sheer cliff faces in Death Stranding 2, with so much incredible terrain to traverse, and that big ol’ mountain staring at me for the last 50 hours or so. Visually, no other game has rocks that look as good as these rocks. ‘How much could one person talk about video game rocks?’, I hear you asking yourself. Well, we’re about to find out.
Attempting to create accurate tessellation and lighting reactivity and ending up with an ungodly amount of polygons in the process is a fascinating aspect of game development. But while Death Stranding 2 looks like a next-gen game in almost every way, those rocks are worthy of praise themselves.
Death Stranding 2’s Mountains Are Ridiculous
Here’s the thing: it’s no secret that the rocky terrain is easily the biggest technical achievement of Death Stranding 2. You know it, I know it, and Kojima knows it. The opening of the game draws us in with cinematic shots and the sounds of Minus Sixty One by Woodkid, before laying out a vast range of rocky hills right before us. This scenery is simple; it’s just rocks, but it’s exactly what we’re offered as the welcome to this colossal game. We all doubt that it’s actual gameplay, right up until we’re handed control and are let loose to explore that very same terrain.
But it’s not just a singular location set up for the opening. As you begin to explore Mexico, each rough patch of terrain, each hill to overcome, and each mountain will give you the same feelings, as the daunting terrain is as daunting as it could possibly be. You can’t help but stop and admire this scenery, because it almost looks too good.
Then, as you gradually explore Australia, you’ll be met with deserts, canyons, ash-covered land, forests, plains, and the colossal snowy peak itself. In each and every region, the rocks are the standouts. From the grains of sand to the towering cliffs, we’re witnessing the peak of environmental design and the technology used to achieve it, and it deserves as much praise as anything else.
The Game Awards 2025: Best Rocks Award, anyone?
Kojima Productions: Geology Simulator
The way Kojima Productions has pushed the boundaries of both the Decima Engine and graphical fidelity with Death Stranding 2 is a technical marvel and a wonderful step in game development that we get to witness. I’ve never been so honoured to witness rocks.
It might not be as exciting as the unveiling of 3D potential with Super Mario 64 or the first consoles that could bring arcade games to your home, but I assure you, this is a significant step for video games all the same. More rocks is good. Better rocks is good. 4K rocks? Wonderful.
