Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima’s latest game, is getting review bombed by Metacritic users right on release day. It is a weird game, and everyone’s opinions about the game seem to differ wildly, from the “this is the best of the best” to “literally unplayable”. Since the reveal of the game back in 2016, the fans have been really confused about what the story is about, as according to actors who are employed in making the game, they don’t even understand what this story would be about. In this article, we would answer some of the common questions that you might have about the game and what the players would do in Death Stranding.
The nature of the gameplay is rather simple, as “walking” is probably the major part of the game that players would spend most of their time doing. Step inside the shoes of a futuristic delivery man, players would have to navigate, fight against the elements, terrains, and enemies, to get to their destinations. Moving between major cities and waystations on foot with a back full of deliveries, Death Stranding is a walking simulator, however, it is the most absorbing one out there in the market. Traveling around is the core aspect of this game, just like most open-world games out there, from Skyrim to Witcher or Grand Theft Auto. In your delivery road, you would face various obstacles, from natural occurrences, bandit group called MULES, or even supernatural entities called B.Ts. Players would have to juggle between options, as plotting out a trip can be pretty complex.
Firstly, they would have to decide on how much to carry and what gear they would need to get to the finish line. This is crucial, as progress could be slowed down to a crawl if you are overweight or forgot something major. Against those previously mentioned enemies and obstacles, players might be forced to change their route on the go, as sometimes the challenge could be too much for them to handle. Secondly, they would have to consider the state of the cargo they are carrying and how much time they have left. One of the more important factors is the unborn baby that you have seen from all the trailers, as he is your only means of detecting supernatural ghosts that are scattered all over post-apocalyptic America. When the baby is calm, you would be able to see the ghost and deal with them.
The core mechanic of the game explained above is rather peculiar, and to some people, that’s not enough to carry through a 50 hours game. However, if you enjoy the journey more than the destination, there should be plenty of content for you to work with.
The social aspect in Death Stranding is rather similar to how multiplayer works in Dark Souls. You and other players are not in the same game together, however, you can see the messages that other people left behind, along with whatever items and structures they might have left. The random items that people leave behind can be very useful if you are in a bind. Currently, it seems that people haven’t found out a way to troll each other yet, however, it is just a matter of time.
About the story of Death Stranding, well, it is rather hard to explain without spoiling anything. The general idea of the campaign is that you would embark on a quest to connect a shattered post-apocalyptic America by linking them back into a single network. This is probably a metaphor about the world today, with the connection between people relying too much on the internet and social media. It can be pretty weird seeing famous actors in this game, playing as various characters, however, the only thing that you could do is to appreciate it, as the fame of Kojima has brought them together in the same project.
While the plot can’t be explained without spoiling any details, there are a few things that you should pay more attention to if you want to know the true nature of this game. There is a limbo world called the Beach that connects the worlds of the living and the dead. It's one of the most macabre locations in the game, as there are thousands of dead whales just lying on that location. The creation of that world was part of the apocalypse, in which the Voidouts happen. Voidouts are an explosion that happened after a person dies in Death Stranding, which creates a ghost that’s “stranded” between the world of the living and the dead. The event of the game occurred after the first wave of Voidouts destabilized the world.
What is so special about the protagonist? Well, Sam’s first ability is to sense the ghosts a.k.a B.T, which is crucial if you want to explore the outside world. His second ability, Repatriate, made him the perfect candidate to be the connector, as he can return to the living world after his death. Overall, there are a ton of peculiar details in Death Stranding that you would need quite some time to fully explain. Even the rain is special, as they would make both people and inanimate objects age faster.
The community of Death Stranding, due to the nature of the game, would have a crucial role in the game’s future, as their actions would affect the world at large. Players who are playing the game now would be able to begin their adventure in a world already full of roads, tools, and structures ready for them to use, while people who picked up this game later would be in for a much more solemn experience.
Kojima is an enigma, and even the people who are very close to the project such as the actors can’t understand the story he is trying to tell. However, the guy managed to turn a walking sim into something entertaining, and that is not an easy feat. Death Stranding will be released on PC in Summer 2020 and is available on the PS4 now.
Interested in more of our updates related to this game? Please check out this post for the promo trailer of the game.