“Can an absolute masterpiece really be so flawed?” This question has been shouted from the mountain-top in reviews at the world’s largest gaming sites, and whispered among friends on forum boards and over lunches. It has also persisted in my mind for the last 6 or so hours of “Death Stranding,” as the absolutely engrossing world I’d spent 34 hours in slipped away into self-indulgent and predictably unpredictable cut scenes.
When the dust settled, no amount of unnecessary, standing-around-and-talking exposition could rob me of the unforgettable adventure that was connecting America with the chiral network. “Death Stranding” is a master-class of VIDEO GAME design... Unlike writers in other storied franchises (like “The Last of Us”), Hideo Kojima never loses sight of his medium and he gives players an experience befitting of a master craftsmen.
The game stands out above any other in its meticulously planned world. Its most compelling elements are not the fantastical, but the mundane; in the game’s moment-to-moment gameplay, the primary antagonists are the terrain and weather systems. Experiencing my first white-out in the mountainous terrain, I could not help but set the controller down in awe at the power on display. In a counter-intuitive way, the digital world I inhabited gave me a far greater love and appreciation for the real world that lies hidden beneath our paved roads and wind-resistant architecture.
Once I stopped marveling at the world around me, I found myself marveling at the simple humanity on display in every character. Norman Reedus’ Sam Bridges communicates powerfully through physicality; Lea Seydoux’s Fragile is instantly engaging as a mysterious, omnipresent figure; Mikkelsen’s Cliff chews up every scene he is in; and Troy Baker’s Higgs is haunting. I could honestly highlight a scene for almost every major character that deserves full recognition for outstanding voice acting and motion capture.
To take the acting further, the game gives its characters some of the most human dialogue to work with among games I’ve played! This is a game unashamed to ask the big questions of human existence, and the answers it attempts to provide are delivered with tone and vocabulary I would use with friends in late night conversations—a welcome scripting decision in our 21st century world where waxing eloquent is valued over clear communication. Sure, I cannot accept every answer Kojima offers through his characters, but the boldness to wade into such human topics as death, despair, division, and divinity was refreshing.
The game falters most when it feels like other video games—when combat takes center stage. The gunplay competes with the best third-person shooters, but “Death Stranding” is special and unforgettable because it finds a way beyond the trappings so prevalent in the medium of video game to rely on guns and bullets for a cheaply earned “conflict.”
The game’s other major failing was its bigger story—the story revealed only in the final 5 chapters—that seems disconnected from the bulk of gameplay. During these final hours of the game, I could not follow several leaps due to unclear emotional cues.
I don’t think you need a long, clever conclusion to this review—just know this game is truly special!
When the dust settled, no amount of unnecessary, standing-around-and-talking exposition could rob me of the unforgettable adventure that was connecting America with the chiral network. “Death Stranding” is a master-class of VIDEO GAME design... Unlike writers in other storied franchises (like “The Last of Us”), Hideo Kojima never loses sight of his medium and he gives players an experience befitting of a master craftsmen.
The game stands out above any other in its meticulously planned world. Its most compelling elements are not the fantastical, but the mundane; in the game’s moment-to-moment gameplay, the primary antagonists are the terrain and weather systems. Experiencing my first white-out in the mountainous terrain, I could not help but set the controller down in awe at the power on display. In a counter-intuitive way, the digital world I inhabited gave me a far greater love and appreciation for the real world that lies hidden beneath our paved roads and wind-resistant architecture.
Once I stopped marveling at the world around me, I found myself marveling at the simple humanity on display in every character. Norman Reedus’ Sam Bridges communicates powerfully through physicality; Lea Seydoux’s Fragile is instantly engaging as a mysterious, omnipresent figure; Mikkelsen’s Cliff chews up every scene he is in; and Troy Baker’s Higgs is haunting. I could honestly highlight a scene for almost every major character that deserves full recognition for outstanding voice acting and motion capture.
To take the acting further, the game gives its characters some of the most human dialogue to work with among games I’ve played! This is a game unashamed to ask the big questions of human existence, and the answers it attempts to provide are delivered with tone and vocabulary I would use with friends in late night conversations—a welcome scripting decision in our 21st century world where waxing eloquent is valued over clear communication. Sure, I cannot accept every answer Kojima offers through his characters, but the boldness to wade into such human topics as death, despair, division, and divinity was refreshing.
The game falters most when it feels like other video games—when combat takes center stage. The gunplay competes with the best third-person shooters, but “Death Stranding” is special and unforgettable because it finds a way beyond the trappings so prevalent in the medium of video game to rely on guns and bullets for a cheaply earned “conflict.”
The game’s other major failing was its bigger story—the story revealed only in the final 5 chapters—that seems disconnected from the bulk of gameplay. During these final hours of the game, I could not follow several leaps due to unclear emotional cues.
I don’t think you need a long, clever conclusion to this review—just know this game is truly special!