One of my favorite gaming experiences. The gameplay is engaging enough while not being too cumbersome with micromanaging. The story itself didn’t stick with me on an emotional level all that much, but the characters themselves did. Heartman, Deadman, Mama and Lockne, Diehardman. All bangers. Even Norman Reedus and Sam , while not giving the most extravagant performance, still resonated with me through his connection and bond with BB/Lou. Connection really is the central theme of the title. To an extent it’s hard to process. Everything from the story and objective of connecting the UCA, to the character and world designs, all the way down to the controller light matching Sam’s handcuff. Everything works in tandem to hammer home the idea of connection. In that way, Death Stranding really stood out to me and impacted the way I thought about a lot of things. And I just thing that’s sick.
Also, the tracks by Low Roar used throughout the game are some of my favorite moments from any title. It always feels so personal as you slow your pace and just take in the scenery with the beautiful vocals of Ryan Karazija. Rest in Peace man. Low Roar definitely became one of my favorite bands through Death Stranding , and I’ll remember it for that.