Players are already impressed by the incredibly fast loading times in Death Stranding 2, which only proves the power of the PS5 console, as well as Guerrilla Games’ Decima game engine used by Kojima Productions.
Ahead of the game’s release tomorrow, players with advanced access are already sharing their thoughts.
One player posted a video to reddit, stating “Death Stranding 2 has the fastest loading time I’ve ever seen in a video game”. The video itself shows the game impressively loading from menu to gameplay in a split second.
When the PS5 launched, Sony touted the fast loading of the console’s SSD as a major selling point. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart – though it released months after launch – was seen as a key example of this technology. What’s more, the Decima Engine was created by Horizon Zero Dawn studio Guerrilla Games and used for its games since PS4 release Killzone: Shadow Fall, yielding impressive results.
Yet Kojima Productions has clearly worked some magic with Death Stranding 2 – its load times really are astonishing. Take a look for yourself:
Death Stranding 2 has the fastest loading time I’ve EVER seen in a video game.
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Digital Foundry gave its tech verdict on Death Stranding 2 earlier this week and was particularly impressed by the Decima Engine’s ability to create “truly outstanding dynamic landscapes”, as well as its lighting, weather, and other environmental effects.
“The first key improvement here stems from fine detail, with rock formations, vegetation and other natural elements holding up under closer scrutiny,” wrote John Linneman. “The game opens in a gorgeous mountain range with a level of detail reminiscent of Epic’s Nanite virtualised geometry demos, without relying on such tech.”
If you’re playing on PS5 Pro in particular, Linneman recommends opting for the 60fps performance mode as on Sony’s more powerful console, quality and performance modes are so similar in terms of image quality.
“Thankfully, both versions also feature lightning-fast loading times with virtually zero waiting,” said Linneman. “Moving from the load screen to a save game is nearly instant and you basically never actually encounter anything resembling a loading screen during the game – it’s seamless.”
There’s one particular sequence I was able to play when I previewed the game in May, which was breathtaking in its use of lighting and particles. But I won’t spoil it here.
In short, Death Stranding 2 is an exceptional technical achievement that truly shows the power of Sony’s PS5 consoles, as well as the Decima game engine.
“A busier, louder, and more emotionally resplendent take on this singular hiking sim,” reads our full Death Stranding 2 review.