In more ways than one, the journey really is the destination in Death Stranding.

I would describe the game as a slow burn. The beginning is pretty top heavy with proper nouns and long cutscenes setting the stage, and I would say the entire introductory area is a bit of a slog to work through. That's not even really a criticism because I think it's all like this for a reason. I think part of the reason it felt slow at the beginning is it takes some time to adjust to what the game is doing. YOU need to slow down to its pace, and I think this might cause some people to bounce off the title but my recommendation is you see it through because once you get to the more open second area of the game, it really starts to all come together.

But even then it is slow, and you won't notice it. Eventually you meet the game where it's at. You start engaging with the mechanics that you might have felt seemed like busywork before but now you're min-maxing delivery load and what route should I take? This order takes me past several other locations, should I make stops along the way? This route has MULEs or BTs in its path, what if I took a slight detour and went around this mountain? Then you come across a structure another player has built and it opens up a new route possibility. You see things enough times you start doing mental calculus, what if I put a bridge there and there, then I could skip this huge detour. Pretty soon you are spending hours going back and forth, delivering cargo, improving your routing and methods so that the next delivery run goes smoother. You start thinking about how helpful it would be for the next guy if you took the time to set up that road or make that zipline. It takes actual work and time to do this stuff, it's not what I would traditionally call fun. But you find yourself doing it anyway because it's compelling. I'm earning likes from other players. I'm part of a wordless, cooperative community that's all in this together and we're all looking to make it easier for each other. Eventually you feel obligated to do SOMETHING, contribute your small piece. But then the positive feedback sucks you in, now I don't feel obligated, I feel motivated. You look up and it's 3AM on Monday morning, you have to go to work tomorrow but what if I just did one last delivery, or built that one last structure?

Needless to say I got sucked in hard. 55 hours over the course of 4 or 5 days. And notice how I haven't even mentioned the story yet.

The story is weird, definitely. It's not incomprehensible, though, if you're paying attention. To keep it short and sweet and to not potentially spoil anything, I will just describe my broad thoughts. As I said it starts slow and can be difficult to keep up with at first. Once you get into the groove, it starts to be more about unraveling the mystery of what's going on. That unraveling is very fun to experience. My biggest criticism of the story is that the ending falls a bit flat for me. Not insomuch that it is bad but that it is a bit anticlimactic and only really seems to complete one "arc" of Death Stranding's canon, a seeming origin story for our hero, Sam Bridges. Now that we have set the stage completely, now we can truly begin. But that's where the game ends. Knowing that a second game is coming mitigates this criticism somewhat, but as a singular package I found the end to be a bit disappointing. But as an "episode one", so to speak, it makes for a very compelling reason to tune in next time for episode two.

I'm going to keep it honest with everyone, this game is kinda annoying. I can only imagine how much more annoying it would have been in the original Gameboy version. Look, as always Zelda has fantastic music, and this is no different. In addition, I personally love the art style, I think beyond it being visually pleasing, it fits the story of the game perfectly. And speaking of the story, the dialogue, story and "vibes" are wonderfully melancholy. A strange mixture of joyous and also deeply sad. All of that being said, the game is just constantly a little annoying, whether it's strangely designed dungeons and bossfights or esoteric overworld quests that you just have to guess at. I still overall liked the game, but it would be a hard recommendation to most, and one with a number of caveats.

One of those games you really wish was better. The voice acting and motion performances are truly stellar, and the audio experience is very unique and was engaging/entertaining throughout. The story is a mixed bag, it depends on what you consider to be "the story". Much of the story happened before the game begins - you kinda piece it together. In terms of what actually happens during the course of the game, on paper it's not much. It's definitely intriguing but also somewhat confusing and short. The gameplay itself is definitely the weakest part of the game, it's not "bad" really but it is quite boring and repetitive, even within the game's short runtime (I beat the game in under 5 hours, the average playtime being more around 6-7 hours). Anyway, the parts of the game that are done right are done REALLY well, the rest is middling and mediocre. It will definitely be interesting to see what this team does with the sequel and how it improves upon this title.