Primarily, this is a game about delivering packages. On the surface, that sounds pretty boring. At least, you may think, there are also some combat encounters that bring some spice into an otherwise bland gameplay loop.
But what if I told you, that those encounters are literally the worst parts of the game? Not awful, but also certainly not great.
So what is it about this game then, that makes so many people hold it in such high regard? It's literally walking from point A to point B with some cargo strapped to your back! Are people stupid?
No. You're the problem. You just don't get it. But that's fine, you haven't played the game yet! And I'm here to hopefully give you an idea about what makes this game so great, even though it has one of the lamest core gameplay ideas ever.
First of all, this game is completely absurd. It has the most original post-apocalyptic setting I've ever seen coupled with a lot of 'immersive' mechanics, that combine to give you truly unique and memorable moments. I'll give you an example which includes minor spoilers:
First of all, in this game, you need to pee. And you also have a stamina bar. Now, if your stamina bar is low enough, due to exhaustion or something (I don't know I'm not a doctor) you will get hematuria, meaning you'll pee blood. Now there are also the so called BT's. Souls of the dead that have failed to move on from the world of the living and are now stuck there. Because the protagonist Sam is a repatriate, meaning he'll get revived once he dies, the BT's react adversely to his blood. You probably see where I'm going with this.
Instead of pulling out your good old blood guns and blood grenades, you can simply whip out your willy and let loose! The BT's will run away in horror! Kojima truly is a genius...
Moments like these are pretty cool, but on their own they are not enough to make a great game. That is achieved by it's core gameplay. I know it sounds stupid, but travelling from point A to point B in this game actually kind of rocks.
In part, this is due to the immaculate atmosphere of the game world.
It looks beautiful, it sounds great, and sometimes, to top it all off, an amazing song kicks in. Being on the home stretch to your destination after a long and tiring journey, with a wonderful song carrying you to safety, nothing like it...
The other part is the online cooperation aspect of this game. Essentially, signs and structures built by other players can show up in other worlds to aid you on your journey. Likewise, the things you build can help other players. You and other players can also share ressources either by outright putting them into public lockers, or donating them to structures, which then can be upgraded. No one delivery man can gather enough resources to build the gadgets, roads and structures necessary for successfully traversing the post-apocalyptic wasteland, but together, everyone can help everyone else make their journies a lot easier. It gives a nice sense of community to an otherwise pretty lonely game.
These two things together make the on the surface pretty boring task of delivering cargo actually enjoyable.
I also think the story is pretty cool and the diverse range of tools, structures and vehicles at your disposal to make deliveries make for engaging gameplay.
But what if I told you, that those encounters are literally the worst parts of the game? Not awful, but also certainly not great.
So what is it about this game then, that makes so many people hold it in such high regard? It's literally walking from point A to point B with some cargo strapped to your back! Are people stupid?
No. You're the problem. You just don't get it. But that's fine, you haven't played the game yet! And I'm here to hopefully give you an idea about what makes this game so great, even though it has one of the lamest core gameplay ideas ever.
First of all, this game is completely absurd. It has the most original post-apocalyptic setting I've ever seen coupled with a lot of 'immersive' mechanics, that combine to give you truly unique and memorable moments. I'll give you an example which includes minor spoilers:
First of all, in this game, you need to pee. And you also have a stamina bar. Now, if your stamina bar is low enough, due to exhaustion or something (I don't know I'm not a doctor) you will get hematuria, meaning you'll pee blood. Now there are also the so called BT's. Souls of the dead that have failed to move on from the world of the living and are now stuck there. Because the protagonist Sam is a repatriate, meaning he'll get revived once he dies, the BT's react adversely to his blood. You probably see where I'm going with this.
Instead of pulling out your good old blood guns and blood grenades, you can simply whip out your willy and let loose! The BT's will run away in horror! Kojima truly is a genius...
Moments like these are pretty cool, but on their own they are not enough to make a great game. That is achieved by it's core gameplay. I know it sounds stupid, but travelling from point A to point B in this game actually kind of rocks.
In part, this is due to the immaculate atmosphere of the game world.
It looks beautiful, it sounds great, and sometimes, to top it all off, an amazing song kicks in. Being on the home stretch to your destination after a long and tiring journey, with a wonderful song carrying you to safety, nothing like it...
The other part is the online cooperation aspect of this game. Essentially, signs and structures built by other players can show up in other worlds to aid you on your journey. Likewise, the things you build can help other players. You and other players can also share ressources either by outright putting them into public lockers, or donating them to structures, which then can be upgraded. No one delivery man can gather enough resources to build the gadgets, roads and structures necessary for successfully traversing the post-apocalyptic wasteland, but together, everyone can help everyone else make their journies a lot easier. It gives a nice sense of community to an otherwise pretty lonely game.
These two things together make the on the surface pretty boring task of delivering cargo actually enjoyable.
I also think the story is pretty cool and the diverse range of tools, structures and vehicles at your disposal to make deliveries make for engaging gameplay.