Death Stranding – REVIEW – To Delivery and Beyond!
Raves
Rants
Death Stranding is an action game developed by Kojima Productions and directed by Hideo Kojima himself after he parted ways with Konami in 2015. It was published by Sony for the PlayStation 4 in November 2019 and is set to release on Windows by 505 Games in 2020. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic United States after the events of the Death Stranding, which caused mysterious and dangerous creatures known as “Beached Things” (BTs) from a realm between life and death called “Beach” to roam around the Earth.
STORY
The United States suffered the cataclysmic event known as the Death Stranding that caused rampant BTs to exist in the land of the living. BTs cause “voidouts” which are explosions upon consuming the dead and then produce “Timefall” which takes form as rain that rapidly ages and deteriorates whatever it hits. With these continuous destructive events, America’s remaining population has confined themselves to remote colonies known as “KNOTS” which form the remaining “United Cities of America” (UCA).
The protagonist of this narrative is “Sam Porter Bridges” a courier who works for the company “Bridges” tasked with delivering cargo of various types from necessities to vital items and equipment to different colonies. Sam has an affliction known as “DOOMS” which allows him to sense BTs and with the help of a “Bridge Baby” grants him sight at times making it easier to avoid contact or eliminate them.
[insert cutscene screenshot. With Sam]
The story begins with Sam transporting a cargo but was interrupted by Timefall and then later he meets a woman named “Fragile”. In these events, they both encounter and evaded a BT. Unseeable and peculiar events and mysteries start to unfold as the story progresses.
GAMEPLAY
Death Stranding is an action narrative-driven game set in an open-world environment. The player controls Sam and is tasked to deliver various types of cargo which lets him explore the post-apocalyptic United States. Delivery is the core of the game, however, it still offers a lot more variety when it comes to the overall experience, mechanics, and content within the game.
Balance is key when traversing when carrying packages, especially when on foot. Delivery Requests are taken upon by Sam with the terminal which shows the menu. Cargo arrangement is also one of the vital points in the game because it greatly affects Sam’s balance, stamina, and speed. Depending on the type of package to be delivered, certain types can only be carried by hand or certain orientations. The compass and the scanner prove to be a really helpful tool as well it shows different levels of the plane and item locations.
Traveling by foot is not the only option in the game. Various types of vehicles will be unlocked for creation while you progress through the game. At the start of the game, it’s shown that Sam will lose his Reverse Bike however, you will be given an old Reverse Bike early on in the game which makes deliveries a lot faster. Other modes of transportation are introduced later on.
BTs are not the only thing to be cautious about when delivering cargo and roaming around. A cult of rogue-like bandits known as MULEs are scattered throughout the map as well and have different areas of territory. These bandits will hunt you down upon sight using their arsenal.
The Online function of the game is one of its best features. Aside from providing a social aspect, players can help each other by creating structures from ladders to bridges while connected to the network, this would be visible for everyone connected to the internet. Signages, lost cargo, and even vehicles can be shared for their own usage.
Every delivery has evaluations from their customers. In the game, these are shown as ratings that are based on various categories like delivery time, package damage, and so on. Getting a high rank greatly affects Sam’s stats with his reputation as a porter. These career statistics mainly composed of Bridge Links, Delivery Time, Delivery Volume, Cargo Conditions, and Miscellaneous.
VISUALS & PERFORMANCE
Death Stranding is a moviesque, eerie, mysterious, and a post-apocalyptic visual masterpiece.
The Actors voice acting and performance were convincing, the sound design was amazing, the music score was spot on, and the artistic direction is stunning. All of these components are combined well in harmony.
Gameplay mechanics of the game is smooth and the motion controls when transporting cargo by foot felt natural and challenging, and somewhat realistic. However, directional control is sometimes a bit weird because it is based on the camera angle and not the actual command when traveling by vehicle but is not an issue.
VERDICT
Death Stranding bluntly is an advanced walking/ delivery simulator but has a lot more to offer. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game and will continue to do so. Hideo Kojima has provided a game unique on its own by creating an interesting and peculiar story combining with a concept and game mechanic that mixes the norm and the unusual. What makes the game a lot more enjoyable as well as the superb sound design, music, and the performance of the cast making it an overall movie and game experience. Death Stranding may not be or everyone but highly enjoyable for what it is. It’s one of a kind but can also get repetitive at times but overall a great experience.
[This review was done using a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher]