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[GymWolf]

20 hours in, and I just hit Port Knot City (I really spent too much time doing non-story stuff).

Hear me out, please. I’m going to say something that sounds negative, then something super-positive.

I don’t really find the gameplay fun beyond anything of a pleasant hum in doing my deliveries, navigating terrain well, etc. I took a very long time to say this, so I could be sure.

The really interesting question, is why am I so hooked, then? Why is this game under my skin in a way that no other game this year has been?

I think it’s because this game is genuinely more an experience than a game. If Metal Gear, a game derived from 80s game design, is based around the concepts of adrenaline and challenge that permeated that era, this feels like something new, crafted for the modern era, that isn’t so beholden to arcade-era design and it’s need for immediate, base satisfaction.

Essentially it’s free to be more of an interactive experience, than what we would traditionally define as a game.

That is where it excels. It feels like it’s you in the game world, going on this epic adventure, facing and overcoming these hardships, learning about the fascinating world/story, bringing happiness to people, and working together with other players to build a better world for everyone. Someone’s about to tell me that’s every game ever, but these concepts hit harder here.

I think this is the source of the divorce between people who like Death Stranding, and people who don’t. Some want that immediate satisfaction (and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that); others love the journey, the feeling of the whole.

More than any other mainstream game I’ve played, this feels like an art film. Not really intended to be a great time at the theater, but an experience that leaves you with something meaningful.

I’m really glad I took the chance on it.

What hooks me in the first 20 hours is more a gamey reason like the perfect equip progression.
I love to death when games have proper ability\equip progression.

You start with your bare foot and after 20 hours you have power legs, speed legs, bola gun, back to the future 2 hoverboard etc.

I'm just excited to see what other gadget i'm gonna unlock.

Plus the curiosity for the story and the well made cutscene of course.


For example i fucking hate zelda botw because you have the major gadgets in the first 5-10 hours and then you already are in your peak, with breakable weapon,useless armour, some health, some stamina and some seeds for the remaining 50 hours...(oh and yeah the non breakable master sword that you still have to wait for a fucking recharge every now and then lol)

 

[Tipton32]

Would anyone recommend just doing story missions for a first playthrough? I’m reading a lot about how people get burnt out after doing the side missions. I’ll defintely give them a chance of course but I’m just curious, I do want to play the story and see what it’s all about mostly.

 

[Jtibh]

What you guys girls think of the soundtrack?
I am a bit dissapointed there is not a single bjork track here.
Given the man traveled to iceland for the location and low roar he could not include bjork?

 

[Bryank75]

What you guys girls think of the soundtrack?
I am a bit dissapointed there is not a single bjork track here.
Given the man traveled to iceland for the location and low roar he could not include bjork?

He thought about including Bjork but after a little contemplation he said 'no, that's too crazy even for me!'.
jk

I really love the music, I got the mp3 with the game...so I'll be listening more in the next few weeks.

 

[DeepEnigma]

What you guys girls think of the soundtrack?
I am a bit dissapointed there is not a single bjork track here.
Given the man traveled to iceland for the location and low roar he could not include bjork?

The music is fantastic, and really draws you into the world more when it queues. Those moments are what could be described as, "art".

 

[Saruhashi]

What you guys girls think of the soundtrack?
I am a bit dissapointed there is not a single bjork track here.
Given the man traveled to iceland for the location and low roar he could not include bjork?

Yeah, it's one of those things where certain artists coming in would have blown it out of the park.

It's already got an awesome soundtrack but could you imagine this shit with a bit of Bjork? Sigur Ros maybe?
Maybe throw in a bit of Thom Yorke and Radiohead?

I am very hesitant to compare Kojima to Radiohead but there is a kind of "Kid A" sense to the game just with how it's being received critically, actually.

 

[Kagero]

I beat the game and am now doing stuff in the post-game. I really like it.

It goes without saying that production value is through the roof. It's a Kojima game, so of course it would be.

The gameplay is extremely fascinating, because I don't think there's any other open world adventure game that's this logistics-focused. You'd expect this kind of thing from a city building game or something. It took a while to realize, but the game's "challenge" comes not only from traveling over rough terrain, but also finding out how to streamline your routes for future deliveries. I feel like a lot of people complaining about "tedium" are probably those who never take any PCCs with them into new areas to build structures.

Hate BT encounters? You can literally skip them with ziplines or bridges. Hate going uphill? Ziplines. A wide river making vehicular travel impossible? Bridge (also, contribute to auto-pavers, you lazy bum). A big area with constant timefall fucking up your cargo? Shelter (you can stay under bridges too). Reach a prepper that's really far from the nearest distro center and you're low on health/stamina? Home base. Charging stations and postboxes are useful enough to be placed literally anywhere.

Death Stranding is basically an ambitious indie Kickstarter game that somehow got a $100 million budget and all-star cast.

Very thoughtful. Props

 

[Terce]

I'm only in chapter 2 so I don't need to be spoiled but I would like a yes/no on the following

Are the floating BT's and the things that make the hand prints on the ground the same thing?

• If yes is there any exposition on why they act differently?​
• If no do we ever find out about the differences and behaviors?​

Similar to the above

Spoiler: Chapter 1

is the giant BT that causes the void out and sucks up the world during that first "burn the body" quest in chapter 1 also a normal BT or is there something special going on there as well?

I guess these are really just lore related but I would love to know if they're eventually answered in game

 

[recklesscognition]

Not a fan of the Chapter 5 network stuff. There is no exploration left to the imagination. In the beginning, nothing would get unlocked until you made it to your destination. With all these places, the online stuff is already there when planning the route so you know exactly where to go.

Would anyone recommend just doing story missions for a first playthrough? I’m reading a lot about how people get burnt out after doing the side missions. I’ll defintely give them a chance of course but I’m just curious, I do want to play the story and see what it’s all about mostly.

I would recommend story because ziplines get unlocked and they are essential to leveling everything up without going insane.

 

[Roni]

Would anyone recommend just doing story missions for a first playthrough? I’m reading a lot about how people get burnt out after doing the side missions. I’ll defintely give them a chance of course but I’m just curious, I do want to play the story and see what it’s all about mostly.

Do as much Side stuff as you can handle, but remember cargo is just that: cargo. You're not the only porter in the world and someone else is out there willing to carry out this delivery. Learning to prioritize what you want over what you think you need is key here.

You should be determining where you'll go next and that should inform what cargo you pick up. Not the other way around.

 

[lifa-cobex]

I'm really not clicking with this game and I'm a big Kojima fan.

It feels like a game that is just side missions.
The story is interesting I guess but it feels like it would have been better on paper.
The Mules seem just tacked on. The're just such a random element that pose no real threat. I'm even playing this on hard.

For what Death Stranding does game play wise, it does well. It's mechanics are good but are getting old very fast.
The music and style are fantastic.

I'm only on chapter 3 so hopefully more challenges or game play elements get introduced later on.
But so far it feels somewhat pretentious for all the hype it received.

 

[Jtibh]

Yeah, it's one of those things where certain artists coming in would have blown it out of the park.

It's already got an awesome soundtrack but could you imagine this shit with a bit of Bjork? Sigur Ros maybe?
Maybe throw in a bit of Thom Yorke and Radiohead?

I am very hesitant to compare Kojima to Radiohead but there is a kind of "Kid A" sense to the game just with how it's being received critically, actually.

Yes good choices.
Its amazing how every time some of those artist or some melancolic songs plays on the radio i nstantly imagine walking around in the game while listening

Big bonus in this game would be massive attack.

 

[GymWolf]

I'm only in chapter 2 so I don't need to be spoiled but I would like a yes/no on the following

Are the floating BT's and the things that make the hand prints on the ground the same thing?

• If yes is there any exposition on why they act differently?​
• If no do we ever find out about the differences and behaviors?​

Similar to the above

Spoiler: Chapter 1

is the giant BT that causes the void out and sucks up the world during that first "burn the body" quest in chapter 1 also a normal BT or is there something special going on there as well?

I guess these are really just lore related but I would love to know if they're eventually answered in game

Yeah they are the same thing, they float when they don't sense movements or people, they left traces on the ground when they move and hunt for humans or animals.

Not really 100% sure about the other things, the mission you talk about is pretty contraddictory and confusing in some parts so i don't want to confuse you with my probably wromg theories.

 

[MiguelItUp]

If you dont focus on the story deliveries, you will get burned out fast. As many stated, you can come back later. There is just too much time to waste, trying to do all standard and retrieving deliveries first.

This is very true for myself as well, I'm sure quite a few others as well. But I know there are folks out there that can manage both, and kudos to them for that! Doing side quests on RDR2 is what almost made me burn out, but I pushed on into story content and fell in love with.

So, with DS I'm doing nothing but Sam Deliveries, and I figured I would come back to the other stuff later. As I definitely want to experience it, but I want the story and everything first.

I definitely agree with you though, with the size of the game and its vibe I feel like the potential for burnout is much higher. It's REALLY easy to get lost in the world and 30 minutes becomes 2 hours. So I'd definitely recommend the same. Especially for players that may not be SO into exploration, etc.

Honestly it's one of my biggest issues with open world games in general. Potential burnout, etc.

 

[Roni]

The're just such a random element that pose no real threat. I'm even playing this on hard.

Nothing is a threat to you in Death Stranding, you're immortal.

Approaching the game expecting something that will kick your teeth in and won't let you progress until you learn something new is unreasonable.

The idea of health in this game is the cargo. You're winning when you deliver an absurd amount of cargo in perfect condition, in the least amount of time possible. You're losing when something prevents you from doing that...

That's when the game starts.

Death Stranding doesn't prevent you from playing one cargo container at a time and avoiding everything. But that would probably get really old, really fast. You're supposed to push yourself to become the best porter you can be. In that process you're likely to make mistakes, and dealing with them is what Death Stranding's gameplay loop is all about.

No matter what happens, keep going.

 

[Wink]

Would anyone recommend just doing story missions for a first playthrough? I’m reading a lot about how people get burnt out after doing the side missions. I’ll defintely give them a chance of course but I’m just curious, I do want to play the story and see what it’s all about mostly.

You can do that. Lots of people did. You'll miss a lot though. I wouldn't recommend just doing sidecontent because you wanna complete a list, but I do highly recommend engaging with it a bit until it isn't satisfying anymore, then moving forward. Don't force yourself into activities that aren't fun for you, but give them a chance to show you what makes the gameplay loop and building compelling.

 

[lifa-cobex]

Nothing is a threat to you in Death Stranding, you're immortal.

Approaching the game expecting something that will kick your teeth in and won't let you progress until you learn something new is unreasonable.

The idea of health in this game is the cargo. You're winning when you deliver an absurd amount of cargo in perfect condition, in the least amount of time possible. You're losing when something prevents you from doing that...

That's when the game starts.

Death Stranding doesn't prevent you from playing one cargo container at a time and avoiding everything. But that would probably get really old, really fast. You're supposed to push yourself to become the best porter you can be. In that process you're likely to make mistakes, and dealing with them is what Death Stranding's gameplay loop is all about.

No matter what happens, keep going.

It's not so much that I expect them to kick my teeth in or prevent me from progress. But i was expecting them for me to shake up my tactics in some form.
I get that your immortal. Technically your immortal in all games in some fashion. It's just as a story narrative as in Dark Souls.

I guess I was expecting more of a emphasis on risk versus reward with the deliverys. Obviously your slower the more you take but if you know the path then it's just burning time.
I would have found it more interesting if a day/ night cycle was implemented. Night time having much higher risk as you can't see BT'S. Muels could be just a faint yellow glow.

I guess I'm just expecting a lot more from Kojima game play wise. Given all of MGS5's faults, I don't fault him on the game play mechanics.

But either way i'm going to finish it. I'm interested in the story one way or another.

 

[LaughingStock]

42 hours and i'm still in chaper 6. Damn.

 

[Roni]

It's not so much that I expect them to kick my teeth in or prevent me from progress. But i was expecting them for me to shake up my tactics in some form.

...

I guess I was expecting more of a emphasis on risk versus reward with the deliverys.

There's no easy way around that unfortunately. Like I said, you can just take the safest path there. That's in the game as a lifeline for new players and it's no simple task to make that aspect of the game somehow behave differently for people who are good at video games.

The game is built, however, to reward those who do take risks voluntarily. Try taking risks yourself to improve your delivery time, cargo volume and condition. Sure, you can just take the flat path there, but that's seldom the quickest one.

If the game's that easy for you, just make a point out of playing it on extreme: always max out your cargo, always B-line to the destination and deal with whatever presents itself. And, while doing all of that, go for that Legend of Legends rating.

 

[SLB1904]

collector done..

by the way if you take down the mules makes easier to drones delivery the stuff

 

[-Arcadia-]

you literally just finished the tutorial area.

Maybe so, and we’ll see if it changes, but that’s the way the game design guided me. Twenty hours is a lot, more than the length of a lot of games, and a fair amount of time to wait to judge.

 

[SLB1904]

nope

 

[MiguelItUp]

Yeah, about what I expected.
Love how he compares the game to someone sneezing into a tissue, throws it on the floor, says "This is art" and everyone goes "*gasp* It's amazing"!

Yes, some say it's amazing, some don't. The same goes for any form of entertainment, it's nothing new.

I really don't understand the following this guy has. Doesn't do anything for me. Found out about him and immediately couldn't care less after one of his misinformed DOOM Eternal videos.

 

[Psykodad]

Maybe so, and we’ll see if it changes, but that’s the way the game design guided me. Twenty hours is a lot, more than the length of a lot of games, and a fair amount of time to wait to judge.

Not really in this case.

 

[Wink]

I fully agree with him that if this game wasn't made by Kojima and didn't star Hollywood people, its ratings would be much, much, much worse across the board.

The oppsoite would happen. It's only because it's a Kojima game that people like that even care to tear it down. If this just came out without the hype, the expectations, the name, the Sony exclusive it would simply be an indie darling that is beloved by the people who care for what it offers and ignored by all the mainstream bullshittery around it.

 

[SLB1904]

Yes, some say it's amazing, some don't. The same goes for any form of entertainment, it's nothing new.

I really don't understand the following this guy has. Doesn't do anything for me. Found out about him and immediately couldn't care less after one of his misinformed DOOM Eternal videos.

don't feed the trolls.
just put on ignore and move on.
everyone here has the game is playing the game.
i think we are able to judge on our own.

trust me put these people on ignoring and you will have a better experience.

 

[DeepEnigma]

collector done..

by the way if you take down the mules makes easier to drones delivery the stuff

So you get more stars on the uni as you progress?

 

[SLB1904]

The oppsoite would happen. It's only because it's a Kojima game that people like that even care to tear it down. If this just came out without the hype, the expectations, the name, the Sony exclusive it would simply be an indie darling that is beloved by the people who care for what it offers and ignored by all the mainstream bullshittery around it.

''The problem with Death Stranding is that Hideo Kojima has become wholly self-indulgent, making something I’m sure he considers a masterpiece. Death Stranding is anything but, with its head so far up its own ass it’s almost funny. It has four title cards in total, popping up as you play, and will roll two complete sets of credits before you’ve finished. It goes on and on and on, thinking — falsely — that you’re enthralled in what’s occuring. If this is the type of project that Kojima insists to make, I suggest he move from games to TV shows or feature films. Being weird for the sake of weirdness isn’t enough''

that's an actually review.

but yeah if wasn't from Kojima this game will be shit lol

 

[SLB1904]

So you get more stars on the uni as you progress?

each prepper gives a star when you reach 6 stars.
after that i just don't bother with them i just move on to the next prepper

 

[Wink]

each prepper gives a star when you reach 6 stars.
after that i just don't bother with them i just move on to the next prepper

Fair approach, but don't just assume the star is the last thing you can ever get from a prepper.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Fair approach, but don't just assume the star is the last thing you can ever get from a prepper.

The preppers are the individual holograms at each station, correct? I thought there was 5 stars to fill up, but maybe I am misremembering.

 

[SLB1904]

Fair approach, but don't just assume the star is the last thing you can ever get from a prepper.

fuck

whats the last thing?

 

[TheSHEEEP]

Yes, some say it's amazing, some don't. The same goes for any form of entertainment, it's nothing new.

But game design is not only art. There are many craft aspects to it and just like you can tell what aspects of a car or a toaster or anything else isn't good - the same can be done with games.
Take the combat in this one. It just doesn't work. The enemies are entirely braindead, on every difficulty. Bosses just let you walk away and happily give you back your stuff, too.
What the hell?!

I'm not saying the entire game is crap - it certainly succeeds in a lot of things - but there are gameplay elements here that just don't work at all the way they were intended to.
But point that out and you get a bunch of nutjob fanboys on your back.

 

[Wink]

fuck

whats the last thing?

I've gotten various little presents. Sometimes they just give out consumables or materials. I wouldn't be completionist about it, just something I discovered that will make filling out all the side missions in the endgame a little more rewarding I think.

 

[SLB1904]

I've gotten various little presents. Sometimes they just give out consumables or materials. I wouldn't be completionist about it, just something I discovered that will make filling out all the side missions in the endgame a little more rewarding I think.

alright just an example. the collector gives you the backpack cover and colour to customise your backpack, and i got the level 2 cover and i thought once he gives the star thats it. what im missing here?

 

[The Snake]

This is very true for myself as well, I'm sure quite a few others as well. But I know there are folks out there that can manage both, and kudos to them for that! Doing side quests on RDR2 is what almost made me burn out, but I pushed on into story content and fell in love with.

So, with DS I'm doing nothing but Sam Deliveries, and I figured I would come back to the other stuff later. As I definitely want to experience it, but I want the story and everything first.

I definitely agree with you though, with the size of the game and its vibe I feel like the potential for burnout is much higher. It's REALLY easy to get lost in the world and 30 minutes becomes 2 hours. So I'd definitely recommend the same. Especially for players that may not be SO into exploration, etc.

Honestly it's one of my biggest issues with open world games in general. Potential burnout, etc.

Yeah, I've been doing side deliveries if they're on the way to my destination. That's been a pretty good approach.

 

[SLB1904]

Yeah, I've been doing side deliveries if they're on the way to my destination. That's been a pretty good approach.

That's the approach

 

[Wink]

alright just an example. the collector gives you the backpack cover and colour to customise your backpack, and i got the level 2 cover and i thought once he gives the star thats it. what im missing here?

Don't know in that example. But if he's like others I've encountered he might give you materials or grenades or maybe something else I'm not gonna spoil. I've not encountered anything major. Just saying that five stars is not the end of some kind of reward and I've not tested it enough to make specific claims beyond that.

 

[SLB1904]

Don't know in that example. But if he's like others I've encountered he might give you materials or grenades or maybe something else I'm not gonna spoil. I've not encountered anything major. Just saying that five stars is not the end of some kind of reward and I've not tested it enough to make specific claims beyond that.

oh yeah that.
yeah i figure
each prepper gives diffrent things. once you get 6 stars they are cool, but if you want to continue they will keep rewarding you.
i set myself a goal when i get the star i just use the drones to help them out

 

[Tiamat2san]

What you guys girls think of the soundtrack?
I am a bit dissapointed there is not a single bjork track here.
Given the man traveled to iceland for the location and low roar he could not include bjork?

I think the songs are deeply bland and boring.
It’s a kojima game and he must love some of this bands.
Good for him, not for me.
I would choose something more atmospheric plus some classical music.
Something dark and sinister for some moment.
And something hardcore (Métal) for others.

bjork would have been cool too.

 

[Wink]

Wait... did they just take my beer away just because I made that little bit of a minor mess?! Why am I stuck with Monster again

 

[Roni]

But game design is not only art. There are many craft aspects to it and just like you can tell what aspects of a car or a toaster or anything else isn't good - the same can be done with games.
Take the combat in this one. It just doesn't work. The enemies are entirely braindead, on every difficulty. Bosses just let you walk away and happily give you back your stuff, too.
What the hell?!

I'm not saying the entire game is crap - it certainly succeeds in a lot of things - but there are gameplay elements here that just don't work at all the way they were intended to.
But point that out and you get a bunch of nutjob fanboys on your back.

You can say you're looking forward to harder difficulties with a lot less words than that and most everyone is not gonna jump at you for that.

 

[Wink]

But game design is not only art. There are many craft aspects to it and just like you can tell what aspects of a car or a toaster or anything else isn't good - the same can be done with games.
Take the combat in this one. It just doesn't work. The enemies are entirely braindead, on every difficulty. Bosses just let you walk away and happily give you back your stuff, too.
What the hell?!

I'm not saying the entire game is crap - it certainly succeeds in a lot of things - but there are gameplay elements here that just don't work at all the way they were intended to.
But point that out and you get a bunch of nutjob fanboys on your back.

It has been pointed out a couple times now what's wrong with that approach. You're talking about game design but then single out elements of a much larger picture and view them separately. I don't care enough to make a long ass post about it again, just gonna say it's a bad way to analyse game design, because you completely ignore context and gameplay systems unique to this game in order to push your expectations of what enemy encampments and boss fights are supposed to be from other games.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I have these moments where I set out to do 1 simple task and I end up: Completely drained, lost, confused on where to go next, and the next objective is miles away. It feels like all hope is lost and I messed up the last 20 minutes of gametime. Then I go back, recharge all my stuff somewhere, and figure out what the actual mission is. The sensation in that moment, the one where everything clicks, is euphoric. I'm like a bat out of hell over the terrain.

I'm loving this game. I have not completed it yet. I'm sticking to the main story stuff. I realize you can do a complete circle, do all the side missions, focus on a single area, and the like. I'm doing that stuff while I prep for the next mission. I'm not exactly wanting to do the side stuff, but I don't think that's a bad thing either. I get somewhat jealous when I see someone already finished it, but I think that's because this game has such a payoff if you're willing to see it all the way through. From what I know, I'm over the half way mark.

 

[Jtibh]

I think the songs are deeply bland and boring.
It’s a kojima game and he must love some of this bands.
Good for him, not for me.
I would choose something more atmospheric plus some classical music.
Something dark and sinister for some moment.
And something hardcore (Métal) for others.

bjork would have been cool too.

I think given the lenght of the game we should be provided with the option to import our own songs.

 

[TheSHEEEP]

You can say you're looking forward to harder difficulties with a lot less words than that and most everyone is not gonna jump at you for that.

But the game doesn't have any hard difficulties. That's one of the criticisms.

It has been pointed out a couple times now what's wrong with that approach. You're talking about game design but then single out elements of a much larger picture and view them separately. I don't care enough to make a long ass post about it again, just gonna say it's a bad way to analyse game design, because you completely ignore context and gameplay systems unique to this game in order to push your expectations of what enemy encampments and boss fights are supposed to be from other games.

There is no context in which bad combat is not bad.
Expectations have nothing to do with something working or not - and other games doing it better doesn't mean they did it differently - no, they just did it better.
"Unique" doesn't make anything good or bad.

It looks like what you are saying is that people are supposed to just suck up and ignore all the bad parts of a game and pretend they aren't there, because the posivites of the game are more important or weigh more.

 

[Roni]

But the game doesn't have any hard difficulties. That's one of the criticisms.

And that's valid criticism. Isn't gonna change how the game's launched. But it's a valid desire. I'd play on harder difficulties if they were available.

 

[-Arcadia-]

For anyone lagging behind, I won’t spoil it, but the arrival at Port Knot City is...

Spoiler

...so utterly fantastic. Such a gorgeous, hopeful, rewarding view after such a struggle getting up there, and so much time spent in the first general area. I had to take some screenshots, because I instantly knew, in that moment, it was going to be a treasured gaming memory.

 

[DeepEnigma]

For anyone lagging behind, I won’t spoil it, but the arrival at Port Knot City is...

Spoiler

...so utterly fantastic. Such a gorgeous, hopeful, rewarding view after such a struggle getting up there, and so much time spent in the first general area. I had to take some screenshots, because I instantly knew, in that moment, it was going to be a treasured gaming memory.

And that descent with...

Spoiler

BB getting excited as you go barreling down the hill and music starts playing.

I experienced it for the first time last night.

 

[MightySquirrel]

Don't get all the hype for this.. will get once it hits ps hits for 15 just to try it out, maybe.