It's not even remotely for everyone but it's designed in a way only AAA games are and I love that about it.

It's a reflective experience that relies on the mundane nature of it's loop combined with it's ethereal apocalypse. I love a lot about this game in much the same way I love Team Ico's trilogy of games. It knows what it is and it indulges without regret.

Unfortunately, while I liked the story a lot, Kojima is really bad at pacing it and controlling himself. The game is backloaded with VERY LONG exposition dumps. I was actually disappointed I didn't have any questions left at the end because nothing is left ambiguous.

Thankfully while it may not always stick those landings, it has some absolutely beautiful and heart felt moments and those have stuck with me months later.

Unlike anything I've ever experienced in any medium (film, TV, literature, and definitely gaming) in almost all positive ways. My biggest complaint is some of the exposition and pacing, which usually kind of feed into one another. In the latter half of the game, it just keeps pounding on you with plot, and even after the credits role, there's another hour of game left and it just made my feelings towards the wrap-up jump all over the place. Thankfully the game ends on it's strongest and most emotionally poignant note.

But other than that? This is extraordinary. A game about connection, reconnecting the world, and extinction would be done so generically by anyone other than Kojima. And for Kojima to take this simple idea and build one of the most mesmerizing, cinematic and enrapturing game worlds to convey this idea in is remarkable. The world-building, the concepts, the characters, the enemies, it's all completely unique and inventive. There are so many details that just add so much fucking personality to this thing, it's insane (the timefall, the tar and creatures that surface when BTs attack, Heartman's 21 minutes of life, the BBs, Monster Energy, the Beach). It's this wholly original science fiction experience that could easily go toe to toe with some of the best science fiction out there.

All of the technical aspects are remarkable. The textures, the world, the landscapes, the physics are all just as impressive as anything Rockstar has done. The sound design, the score, the motion capture (!!!), the visuals. All impeccable. I played a portion of this on a giant screen in a basement and it was unlike anything I'd ever played. And the multiplayer elements that are implemented feel like the next logical step off of something like Dark Souls ground messages. Death Stranding starts and from the get-go just feels completely daunting, like just you naked in a field versus a fucking army. But as the game progresses and you start connecting the UCA and structures begin to show up and vehicles, it becomes less of a task and feels quite relieving. Finding bridges and ladders and zip lines (I fucking ABUSED the zip lines lol) was just a gift in and of itself.

I loved the story, as well. Some of the most distinctive characters occupying one of the most distinctive science fiction worlds working in tandem to tell a grandiose story that feels insanely timely in a genuinely scary way. Admittedly, the game took me over a month to beat because I had to be in the right mood to enjoy my playtime, but when I was, I would settle into this for hours and would be happy doing so.

He's done it again.

The Mad Man


Satisfying exploration with the occasional less fun combat encounter, doesn't ruin the game, it's just not my favourite part of it.

Death Stranding is one of the greatest games to be released on the current console generation.

Hideo Kojima once again proves himself as a masterful director. The narrative and atmosphere of Death Stranding is nothing short of beautiful. The slow drip of story you are fed throughout the game keeps you wanted more ever E-Mail, interview, cutscene, and delivery.

Speaking of cutscenes, despite their length, I never once found myself bored while watching Mads Mikkelsen interact with Norman Reedus for over an hour. Or watching Deadman explain an elaborate Sci-Fi idea based on science that sounds right enough to believe.

Mechanically, Death Stranding is incredibly tight. I've never felt more satisfied while walking in an empty field. The environments are gorgeous and filled with environmental hazards that rarely become frustrating.

The Narrative is almost entirely about connecting with your peers and building relationships. Throughout the entire game your main goal is to effectively build connections and help those around you. While combat is a part of the game it never forces you to end a life, the majority of the game is spent helping people who actually take the time to thank you.

If you want a game with a beautiful narrative, gorgeous environments, engaging gameplay, and a story that keeps you wanting more well after you put the controller down then Death Stranding is an excellent purchase

Look: it's pretty, the Soundtrack is great and I had fun playing it.

But the amount of cutscenes are not for me and I'm not THAT interested in the gameplay that I'll finish the game.

But I get why people like it. I also get why others don't.

Anyway, thanks for introducing me to "Low Roar", I really like his stuff.

Ok, so this is solid proof that Kojima still has it in my opinion. This game was absolutely masterful from start to finish, and I will gladly tell you why I think so. First of all, the level design is probably the best I've ever seen. It feels like every rock, cliff and river is placed there with care, and therefore almost every mission feels absolutely amazing to play, with its own peaks and valleys, but in this case literal peaks and valleys. It literally feels like every option has been given thought, so no matter what route you take, it ends up feeling like a true journey. Now, secondly, controlling Sam feels absolutely incredible. It took a few hours to get used to, but after that I was hooked on controlling him! You truly have to treat the ground like a puzzle in this game, navigating around rocks all the time while simultaneously controlling Sam's balance and speed so you don't go too quickly or fall over, dropping all your packages. And finally, we get to the story, which felt like a beautiful rollercoaster ride of emotions. I have almost nothing bad to say about it, and it ends wonderfully on some moments that make you recontextualize a lot of things that have happened in this game. It has so much lore too, and most of it is very well developed and makes sense within the logic of the world. I feel really bad for people who didn't like this game, becuase I fear that they simply played it the wrong way. I've noticed that people who dislike this game in reviews and stuff are mostly people who try to speed through everything, where as I liked to take it slow and had a blast with just about every second of the way through. It's a shame, because I really think some of those reviewers would like this game a lot more if they just got through the first three chapters, because everything beyond those is top of the damn class in my opinion. One of the best games of the last decade, and a true masterpiece in my opinion!

Death Stranding is without a doubt my personal “Game of the Year” and one of the best new releases of recent time, right there next to Red Dead Redemption 2. It was destined to be a divisive game amongst players simply because Hideo Kojima wanted to go somewhere no video game went before. The game is unique without a doubt, but I would actually push back on some of that talk in that with Death Stranding, Kojima essentially created a new genre or genre-less type of game. I say, at its core, Death Stranding is still very much akin to other massive open world single player games. I don’t make that comparison in any attempt towards negativity, but rather to explain to any hesitant potential players out there to give the game a try.

—-RANT WARNING: Addressing the undeserved hate some of the gaming community is lodging in Death Stranding’s direction in the following paragraphs. Skip until it’s over, if you prefer to just read about why the game is so wonderful rather than witnessing me defend it to death.—–

To elaborate further on that topic and address some of the unwarranted criticisms that they game has received, I will break down some of the game’s mechanics without going into any spoiler territory. As in most open world RPG type games, there are quests, side quests, etc., and the goal of the majority of the time boils down to some sort of retrieve and deliver item, just decorated differently depending on the game’s lore. Think of quests in Skyrim, to retrieve some relic in a massive dungeon crawl with enemies to eventually return the relic to the quest giver. The above example is simply a vague one I made up but it still expands on the fact that the entire idea of retrieval and deliver tasks exist in almost the majority if not all of these types of video games, (open world, single player, RPG). What Death Stranding did was take that type of mission task and made it the game’s core component and did not dress up the fact. In that regard, some have criticized the main character Sam played by Norman Reedus as being a glorified mailman. While that criticism breaks down the profession to its simplest terms, they are not taking into consideration the context of the in game world. Porters (the in game profession name) are actually very revered and legendary, because of the danger and risk they undertake and the importance of their job in delivering supplies to the different settlements. They are essentially the life force that keeps these separated communities going. So Sam, is so much more than your average mailman.

Another criticism I have to address, is people calling this a “walking simulator”, which is 100% false. I get that their intent might be to imply there isn’t much to do in the game besides walk, but that is also not true, nor does it fit what is widely defined as a walking simulator. The term “walking simulator” is fairly new and as of my knowledge has not been officially used by any game developers in describing their games, however that hasn’t stopped it from taking on a life of its own and laying claim to a new genre of gaming. What makes a game a walking simulator is when the only gameplay function available in a game is to walk and explore (interacting with various objects), that’s it. Mostly they are story driven, hence why the gameplay is so minimal. When you think of walking simulators, think of games like “What Remains of Edith Finch”, “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture”, “Gone Home”, “Firewatch”, etc. Death Stranding is not among them. In fact, once the player reaches episode 3 in the game (which isn’t too long of a wait, depending on how much “standard orders” {side quests} you do), you really don’t have to walk again. The world of Death Stranding really opens up at the point, and bikes, trucks, and zip lines become available, making traveling much easier, but still with enough obstacles to make deciding on how to make the journey a thought provoking challenge. What I mean by challenge, is the different types of terrain you will encounter as well as enemies. While the game is not a shooter, another aspect that differentiates it from the walking simulator genre, is your ability to engage said enemies. There is a whole arsenal of weapons available in the game, and you can take on enemies head on or in stealth which is a Kojima specialty.

—-There is a lot more to this game than meets the eye of these naysayers. But that will be the end of my rant against some of the criticisms of the game for the time being.—–END OF RANT

Back to a more positive note, Death Stranding comes equipped with an impeccable graphic design, with luscious landscapes, photorealistic captures of the actors, and just all around gorgeous visuals. Sound design is also noteworthy, not only for the non diegetic variety (like a sound track that introduced me to a band featured prominently in the game, Low Roar), but also in game sound from BB’s lovely baby laughs, and uplifting voices of automation trying their best to encourage you in a world of humanity separated (“Keep on, Keeping on”). The game also has great humor and a lot of little Easter eggs to it as well. For instance, there is so many fourth wall breaks between the player and Norman Reedus in his private room that can be activated by things you interact with or where you are pointing the in game camera. As far as game mechanics and the game’s HUD, it seems similarly designed to Kojima’s parting game with Konami, MGSV Phantom Pain. The performance and control of the gameplay is even similar to Phantom Pain in terms of combat, movement, etc. One last note, this is a cinephile’s game, from one appreciating art form to another. The crossover of mediums is quite apparent, not only given the fact that Kojima himself is a film buff who is known for his long cinematic cut scenes, but of who he chose to be apart of this game. There are two prolific film directors that play really hefty and significant roles in the game in Guillermo Del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn. Then you have the formidable Mads Mikkelsen alongside Norman Reedus, and the great Léa Seydoux of “Blue is the Warmest Color” fame. It’s pure star power galore, and they all do such excellent jobs at breathing life into these characters.

Stepping away from the fundamentals of the game’s design among other things and wrapping up this review, I want to talk about the story of Death Stranding as best that I can without divulging any spoiler information. Death Stranding is full of various themes. At front and center, it is simply about reconnecting humanity in a disconnected world. Both metaphorically and physically since given the events of Death Stranding (the apocalyptic disaster that the game is named after), humanity is scattered across the country in small communities without communication or connection. There is definitely something to be said of Kojima’s use of reconnecting to our fellow man in contrast to today’s political climate as well. A catch phrase of “Make America Whole Again” is even used, which is a direct connotation to Trump’s own slogan as well as his politics of dividing people including building walls rather than in the game, the goal is to build bridges instead.

Which, if I am to get sidetracked for a moment, I should interject here at this point how great the online aspect of the game is, with building that same sense of community and connection among players. So while Death Stranding is not a MMO to where you can visibly see other players in action, you instead “connect” between worlds and see the structures and items they leave behind. It really fulfills the game’s theme of hope and being in this together, especially as so many in the game’s community have already commented on how vital it has been in utilizing other online player’s vehicles, gear, structures, etc., to get out of a bind. As if it was there meant for us all along, a good deed in the right place at the right time. The same goes for the structures that you lay down, as you get the sense of helping out others. The game makes you feel like a pioneer in this sense, venturing out into uncharted lands, carving the way for the next person to follow.

Back to the story, and definitely on an ending note here, the themes in the game go far beyond just reconnecting society. There is also a great deal of metaphysical material as well, exploring life and death, as well as the meaning of each. There is not really anything theological about the game and instead a lot of the supernatural elements are explained via pseudo science, which served its purpose but I’ll admit it was my least favorite aspect in the story. However, the talk of “beaches” (sort of like everyone’s personal landscape in the afterlife, like your own private heaven) and BB’s “Bridge Babies” (existing between life and death) really becomes fascinating with the lore that Kojima builds around it. With each passing episode, the story becomes more intense, and the player more invested. It is definitely a story with a well built arc narrative, and rising to a brilliant climax. The ending literally left me in tears, and I know that is just some obligatory response to display how emotional attached I became with the game but it was true. The characters all had well written progression and fully fleshed out to the max, even little BB kind of became the star of the show for me. The game was an experience unlike any other and is certainly cemented itself a spot on my list of favorites.

https://themadnessofdionysus.wordpress.com/2019/12/17/death-stranding-2019/

Oh I would walk 500 miles

And I would walk 500 more

Just to be the man who walked 500 miles

to be there at Guillermo's door.

Einfache aber sehr in Detail verliebte Spielmechanik mit umfangreicher Story und vielen bekannten Gesichtern. Wunderschöne Landschaften mit passender Musik untermalt. Sound und Synchro perfekt. Menüsteuerung am Anfang sehr ungewohnt. Hat man da den Dreh raus, ist das aber kein Problem mehr.
Die "Multiplayer" Komponente hält einem bei Laune.
Generell muss man sich auf dieses Spiel einlassen, da es schon in der Form sehr speziell ist.
Hab hauptsächlich mit Controller gespielt, weiß also nicht wie gut es mit Maus / Tastatur klappt.
Probleme mit dem Spiel gab es, bis auf ein paar kleinere Bugs, nicht.
Von mir gibt es eine klare Empfehlung, wenn man mal was anderes abseits vom "Mainstream" spielen möchte.
Kleiner Tipp, Straßen sind am Anfang wichtig, in den Bergen die Seilrutschen. Man spart dadurch verdammt viel Zeit und kann somit längere "Durststrecken" abkürzen.