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Death Stranding Review Thread

TheSHEEEP

Gold Member
That really is not a fair comparison, you are trying to say something that took no effort and has no actual meaning is equivalent to a game that took years to make, has easily 45 hours of content in just the main story and probably over 100 to complete everything. A game that may start off slow but has epic boss battles, excellent acting, some poignant and touching moments and excellent topography, graphics and gameplay.
First of all, I didn't say that, the reviewer did.
Second, you really didn't get the comparison. At all.
It's just an elaborate way of saying the game is pretentious as hell. The Emperor's New Clothes rings very true for this title.

"Epic boss battles" - Nothing that easy can be epic. You know, when you beat Midir in DS3 after a long battle and countless deaths -that is epic. This game just looks epic, but really is a cakewalk.
"Excellent acting, topography & graphics" - Yes, and I don't think anyone denies any of that. Neither did the reviewer.
"Excellent gameplay" - Parts of it achieve what they set out to achieve very well, like the whole stranding mechanic (with the other players) or how the light RPG systems influence everything. But other parts are just bad. Plain bad. Just look at how many people complain about the unskippable BT cutscenes...

The problem with "touching moments" is that they need to be embedded in something that works for the player.
But if everything about the game already pisses you off due to the gameplay, no "touching moments" will work. Gameplay is king for games, hence they are called such, and not movies.

fucking minecraft is easy to, the game does not necessarily wants to be very hard, its not its intention.
Then why have the kind of gameplay that wants to be challenging, but utterly fails at it (combat)? Except if you want to tell me that someone made the AI braindead and your own weapons exceedingly overpowered on purpose. These people you are taking out in droves are supposed to be more or less as strong as you are (setting-wise).
I would argue the game would be better if it had no combat against humans at all and instead maybe even more environmental challenges. It is entirely possible they put the combat there as an afterthought, after noticing the game might not seem very appealing to anyone without pewpew.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
RT shits on the game




Oh dear, I generally like what Sophia has to say, but this is pretty cringe-worthy.

For a start-off. Acceptance of arty concepts is a different cultural trope to "loving guns". So taking offence at that is a kinda stupid reaction, especially when what was said has gone through several layers of translation.

Talking about a subject's narcissism is kinda ironic too in a editorial-style piece that cites one of the writers own tweets as part of its text! Or is that just being deceptive in trying to present a self-expressed belief as part of a more general public reaction. Whichever, it looks bad. Real bad.


The main takeaway for me though is that if you think American culture is representative of the world, even just the English speaking world, you are spending far too much time on the internet. Get out, and travel, because in so doing you'll quickly realize that the "American gaze" is a very real thing in the media, but beyond that not nearly so much.
 
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Bryank75

Banned
First of all, I didn't say that, the reviewer did.
Second, you really didn't get the comparison. At all.
It's just an elaborate way of saying the game is pretentious as hell. The Emperor's New Clothes rings very true for this title.

"Epic boss battles" - Nothing that easy can be epic. You know, when you beat Midir in DS3 after a long battle and countless deaths -that is epic. This game just looks epic, but really is a cakewalk.
"Excellent acting, topography & graphics" - Yes, and I don't think anyone denies any of that. Neither did the reviewer.
"Excellent gameplay" - Parts of it achieve what they set out to achieve very well, like the whole stranding mechanic (with the other players) or how the light RPG systems influence everything. But other parts are just bad. Plain bad. Just look at how many people complain about the unskippable BT cutscenes...

The problem with "touching moments" is that they need to be embedded in something that works for the player.
But if everything about the game already pisses you off due to the gameplay, no "touching moments" will work. Gameplay is king for games, hence they are called such, and not movies.


Then why have the kind of gameplay that wants to be challenging, but utterly fails at it (combat)? Except if you want to tell me that someone made the AI braindead and your own weapons exceedingly overpowered on purpose. These people you are taking out in droves are supposed to be more or less as strong as you are (setting-wise).
I would argue the game would be better if it had no combat against humans at all and instead maybe even more environmental challenges. It is entirely possible they put the combat there as an afterthought, after noticing the game might not seem very appealing to anyone without pewpew.

By calling the game pretentious, you already start out from a highly negative position, nomatter what the game presented you most likely would have panned.

For instance arbitrary annoyances like the animation when you encounter BT's is almost the exact same thing I felt during BOTW when I entered a Shrine, there were about three short cutscenes and sometimes text to scroll through.

Also BOTW had very little voice acting, necessitating reading and a lot of scrolling.

Difficulty could have been increased a bit but who knows if there will be a new game + added with that... you initially play the game for the experience, it was never marketed as a Souls like and being like a Souls game does not add merit by default.

AI has always been an issue in games that I hope will improve next generation but don't pretend that the AI in MGS was much better.... and I rather enjoyed going in with my full arsenal later in the game and being so unstoppable. The animation for when you knock them out with a headshot or shotgun round is super satisfying IMO.

The game has a lot more merit than something like Fallen Jedi, which has parts lifted straight out of Uncharted 2... which is a 10 year old game.... yet IGN and others gave that a 90... which is laughable.
 

FranXico

Member
PlaystationTrophies gave it an 80/100: https://www.playstationtrophies.org/game/death-stranding/review/

Nice, balanced review.
Put it all together and Death Stranding not only stands as one-of-a-kind, but it's also the best delivery game since Paperboy.
[...]
Odd, compelling, and ultimately engrossing, Death Stranding is a genre mash-up with more than a few ideas of its own. Not quite a work of genius, it's nonetheless something that once again demonstrates the madness and brilliance of Hideo Kojima.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Hideo neve had subtelty. In Your face and 4th wall breaking is his thing.
Story telling is creative and unique. I was very interested through. True that some story beats tend to "beat" You over and over about some facts but overall I've enjoyed the story
 

scalman

Member
its really something else of a game, even after weird MGS5 this is like next level wierd and strange but same time it start to make sense, i know mountains are boring but i want to go there and see what is next. its weird feeling, its not game for all , not game for many , it can be not game for MGS fans even , its can be very slow and very empty, as world is empty really, its not much to do there. i was expecting more but im not dissapointed still. i will continue my journey.
 

Bryank75

Banned
You must get some kick out of hating on this game.... did Kojima run over your cat or dog or something?
Why do you HATE a game so much that you've never played?

Gamecritics are a bunch of idiots, they gave GOW 75, which was the lowest review it got.........
They are so out of touch, they have no idea about games, gamers or gaming. Just a bunch of contrarians sniffing their own farts.
 
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Bryank75

Banned
Even with the troll reviews, it beat the hell out of everything else.
Just like Days Gone sold like hotcakes despite some bad reviews....

Fq2RuWk.png
 

KOMANI

KOMANI
You must get some kick out of hating on this game.... did Kojima run over your cat or dog or something?
Why do you HATE a game so much that you've never played?

Gamecritics are a bunch of idiots, they gave GOW 75, which was the lowest review it got.........
They are so out of touch, they have no idea about games, gamers or gaming. Just a bunch of contrarians sniffing their own farts.
You must like reading into things that aren’t there.
 

FranXico

Member
You must get some kick out of hating on this game.... did Kojima run over your cat or dog or something?
Why do you HATE a game so much that you've never played?

Gamecritics are a bunch of idiots, they gave GOW 75, which was the lowest review it got.........
They are so out of touch, they have no idea about games, gamers or gaming. Just a bunch of contrarians sniffing their own farts.

Not this time... this time, it's personal.
It’s almost as if Kojima spends so much time drilling ideas into our heads because he thinks we’re just not as smart as he is — or maybe I just find it too “difficult to understand” because I’m an American who only likes shooty-shooty bang-bang.
 

Bryank75

Banned
Not this time... this time, it's personal.
They have always hated everything on PlayStation, they gave Horizon a 65, GOW a 75, Bloodborne 70, Uncharted 4 .... 50.

It's basically just a troll site for giving low scores to Playstation games.

DS is just the latest in a long line, they would have given a low score no matter what the game was....
 

FranXico

Member
They have always hated everything on PlayStation, they gave Horizon a 65, GOW a 75, Bloodborne 70, Uncharted 4 .... 50.

It's basically just a troll site for giving low scores to Playstation games.

DS is just the latest in a long line, they would have given a low score no matter what the game was....
Ok, that 70 for Bloodborne is ridiculous indeed. Fanboy website then.
 

June

Member
They have always hated everything on PlayStation, they gave Horizon a 65, GOW a 75, Bloodborne 70, Uncharted 4 .... 50.

It's basically just a troll site for giving low scores to Playstation games.

DS is just the latest in a long line, they would have given a low score no matter what the game was....

"hate on everything Plastation" yet they haven't even given a below average score to any the games you mention?

And they gave DS a 6.5/10 which you consider a "low score"?

Lmao some video games fans are so petty about scores that they think anything below 80 must be the work of some nefarious troll
 

KOMANI

KOMANI
"hate on everything Plastation" yet they haven't even given a below average score to any the games you mention?

And they gave DS a 6.5/10 which you consider a "low score"?

Lmao some video games fans are so petty about scores that they think anything below 80 must be the work of some nefarious troll
And that’s the thing, Gamers don’t really care. Video Game Fans take things seriously.
 

June

Member
And that’s the thing, Gamers don’t really care. Video Game Fans take things seriously.

I don't know about that. It seems to be a thing with video games in general.
When it comes to film I see much more diversity in the scoring-of and reception-of low scores. People seem much more open in accepting that peoples diferent tastes and attitudes will justify their low scores. Whereas with games people seem to think if a game does X technical thing right then there's no way possible way to justify a <7 or <8 score.
 
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Bryank75

Banned
"hate on everything Plastation" yet they haven't even given a below average score to any the games you mention?

And they gave DS a 6.5/10 which you consider a "low score"?

Lmao some video games fans are so petty about scores that they think anything below 80 must be the work of some nefarious troll

They rated Bloodborne a 70, yet Dark Souls a 90?????

I am not talking about the abstract concept of what a low score is..... I am saying that they are consistently the lowest scores on PlayStation games when put on a curve.
 
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rofif

Can’t Git Gud
"hate on everything Plastation" yet they haven't even given a below average score to any the games you mention?

And they gave DS a 6.5/10 which you consider a "low score"?

Lmao some video games fans are so petty about scores that they think anything below 80 must be the work of some nefarious troll
6.5 is a low score. In ideal world 5 would be mediocre, 7 good, 9 great etc.... But aaa games range from 7 to 10. Don't lie to yourself it's not like this
 

Kagero

Member
Fffffffaaackkk!!!! Just beat the game! Wow! One of Kojima’s best! Now that I have a base to formulate an opinion, I would like to criticize critics. No fucking way this game is under an 8! You’re brain dead, please go home. It’s a damn crime! So glad a game like this exists.
 

June

Member
They rated Bloodborne a 70, yet Dark Souls a 90?????

They explained in their BB review why they preferred DS. Something about they found BB more punishing and offering less defensive playstyles than DS.

Also they gave Spiderman & Until Dawn 8.5 and Nioh 9.5, but that doesn't fit your "would have given any sony game a low score" disposition so I can see why you didnt mention those games
 

Bryank75

Banned
They explained in their BB review why they preferred DS. Something about they found BB more punishing and offering less defensive playstyles than DS.

Also they gave Spiderman & Until Dawn 8.5 and Nioh 9.5, but that doesn't fit your "would have given any sony game a low score" disposition so I can see why you didnt mention those games
Well none of those were part of WWS at the time.... I am sure there is a motive behind that. I have the Hardy Boys and the Famous Five on it as we speak!
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Even with the troll reviews, it beat the hell out of everything else.
Just like Days Gone sold like hotcakes despite some bad reviews....

I wonder about those sales. A Dutch gamestore is now selling DS for 44 euros.. I suspect we will see DS for an even lower price when Black Friday arrives.
 

Roni

Member
I wonder about those sales. A Dutch gamestore is now selling DS for 44 euros.. I suspect we will see DS for an even lower price when Black Friday arrives.

If the PS trophies are anything to go by, the game has a massive gate between Chapter 2-4. Most people drop the game before ever reaching Chapter 4, if I recall correctly.

Shame, 'cause the game gets even better right around that time.
 
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mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
If the PS trophies are anything to go by, the game has a massive gate between Chapter 2-4. Most people drop the game before ever reaching Chapter 4, if I recall correctly.

Shame, 'cause the game gets even better right around that time.

I'm halfway through Chapter 2 and I can start to feel the reason why people are dropping off. Keep in mind I'm liking what I'm doing, but the pacing has really slowed down alot. I'm glad to read that I have to "get through" Chapter 3 and then things heat up again.
 

Rien

Jelly Belly
I'm halfway through Chapter 2 and I can start to feel the reason why people are dropping off. Keep in mind I'm liking what I'm doing, but the pacing has really slowed down alot. I'm glad to read that I have to "get through" Chapter 3 and then things heat up again.

Chapter 3 is the chapter where it
opens up. For me I was hooked since the first second.
But I am extremely intelligent so this game was just right for my IQ.
 

Roni

Member
I'm halfway through Chapter 2 and I can start to feel the reason why people are dropping off. Keep in mind I'm liking what I'm doing, but the pacing has really slowed down alot. I'm glad to read that I have to "get through" Chapter 3 and then things heat up again.

Chapter 3 is already a lot better, that's the actual start of the game. Chapters 1 & 2 are both linear tutorials, in a sense.
 

imsosleepy

Member
Chapter 3 is already a lot better, that's the actual start of the game. Chapters 1 & 2 are both linear tutorials, in a sense.
yea especially because things like walking slowly or constantly having to lean left or right can be annoying. How ever once u hit chapter 3, a lot of tasks become much more fun and easy. And u wil start to get stuff to deal with Bt's as well. curious what you think when u progress into chapter 3. let us know :)
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Chapter 3 is the chapter where it
opens up. For me I was hooked since the first second.
But I am extremely intelligent so this game was just right for my IQ.
Chapter 3 is already a lot better, that's the actual start of the game. Chapters 1 & 2 are both linear tutorials, in a sense.

Thanks so much for the feedback. Now I can't wait to slug through the rest of Chapter 2. Chapter 1 felt like atoms smashing together and popcorn exploding in a microwave. It was different, new, amazing, and fresh. But Chapter 2 is literally like walking in mud. Beautiful mud, but slow none the less.

yea especially because things like walking slowly or constantly having to lean left or right can be annoying. How ever once u hit chapter 3, a lot of tasks become much more fun and easy. And u wil start to get stuff to deal with Bt's as well. curious what you think when u progress into chapter 3. let us know :)

Will do.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
I wonder about those sales. A Dutch gamestore is now selling DS for 44 euros.. I suspect we will see DS for an even lower price when Black Friday arrives.
I've finished it on first few days and got 26k likes for online interactions.
Then went with ps4 and ds to a friend and he played the game (started this weekend so over a week after relese) and he got over 60k likes in first hours for the same stuff that I did. It feels like A LOT more people are playing now than in first few days
 

imsosleepy

Member
holy shit
I just had a massive backtrack quest
Go to this one place where I had to steal stuf from a big ass mule camp. Failed 3 times. Then I had to travel a really long part in chapter 3. Bottom of that map to the top and then back AGAIN.
Now I can imagine if ur a reviewer and u get this u think ''fuck this shit, shit, shit game'' lol
but well.. My server had highways build and bikes everywhere so I just cruised along and it was no biggy lol.
The further I get the more I realise this game must have been annoying as fuck to play when all the reviewers started out and everyone just wanted to finish it.

The online component in this game is extremly important to really enjoy it, it gives you such a different experience and in that part kojima really succeeded. Its so wel thought out!!
 

zeorhymer

Member
I've finished it on first few days and got 26k likes for online interactions.
Then went with ps4 and ds to a friend and he played the game (started this weekend so over a week after relese) and he got over 60k likes in first hours for the same stuff that I did. It feels like A LOT more people are playing now than in first few days
Maybe this is Kojima's secret message about how gaining "likes" is beneficial to society and we should all make things so that we all can be "liked" and "subscribed" to a crumbling world!
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
I've finished it on first few days and got 26k likes for online interactions.
Then went with ps4 and ds to a friend and he played the game (started this weekend so over a week after relese) and he got over 60k likes in first hours for the same stuff that I did. It feels like A LOT more people are playing now than in first few days

How do you find out how many "likes" your stuff gets?
 

ethomaz

Banned
How do you find out how many "likes" your stuff gets?
You can either see it when you get close to your stuff or find the stuff on the US map and show it stats.

There is an overall like count that you can see near your name in some places on menu or when you do a delivery in the result screen.
 
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Ironic since getting or not getting likes on Facebook or other social media is the number one cause of depression in people today

Giddy up

Yeah exactly, if Kojima truly believes that "likes" are in any way, shape or form beneficial to society then he's a fucking imbecile. Maybe it's wishful thinking, like how social media approval could be used in an actual productive way in an alternate dimension. Maybe it's used as a sign of the times kind of thing, this is just how we live now and shit. I hope it's one of these because if he actually thinks that the real life like hunting culture is healthy then just WOW.
 

June

Member
holy shit
I just had a massive backtrack quest
Go to this one place where I had to steal stuf from a big ass mule camp. Failed 3 times. Then I had to travel a really long part in chapter 3. Bottom of that map to the top and then back AGAIN.
Now I can imagine if ur a reviewer and u get this u think ''fuck this shit, shit, shit game'' lol
but well.. My server had highways build and bikes everywhere so I just cruised along and it was no biggy lol.
The further I get the more I realise this game must have been annoying as fuck to play when all the reviewers started out and everyone just wanted to finish it.

The online component in this game is extremly important to really enjoy it, it gives you such a different experience and in that part kojima really succeeded. Its so wel thought out!!

So the game's fun is reliant on online strangers doing stuff that enables you to essentially skip past the game's map design?

Doesn't sound great tbh.
 
So the game's fun is reliant on online strangers doing stuff that enables you to essentially skip past the game's map design?

Doesn't sound great tbh.

Funny how dude thought he was defending the game when in actuality he just posted what is the overall consensus about it. You could say that the idea is great and there's plenty of potential there in what he created, but it's not perfectly executed. Therefore it's not a total success in what it sets out to do and the scores are somewhat fair for the experience it presents. Would you look at that.
 

Bryank75

Banned
Funny how dude thought he was defending the game when in actuality he just posted what is the overall consensus about it. You could say that the idea is great and there's plenty of potential there in what he created, but it's not perfectly executed. Therefore it's not a total success in what it sets out to do and the scores are somewhat fair for the experience it presents. Would you look at that.
No, I think you are misrepresenting him and people who enjoyed the game. Conquering the landscape is very satisfying in the sense of getting from A to B but then the next layer is taming the land.... which is even more satisfying as we are programmed by evolution to get a huge kick out of it.
 
No, I think you are misrepresenting him and people who enjoyed the game. Conquering the landscape is very satisfying in the sense of getting from A to B but then the next layer is taming the land.... which is even more satisfying as we are programmed by evolution to get a huge kick out of it.

When you consider that said appraisal began with what sounded like a complaint, and considering what June June posted as well, I mean it's pretty clear again that there are some really great ideas and the industry needs games that are as unique as this one, it just didn't fully click and maybe the execution will be better on the sequel.
 

Bryank75

Banned
When you consider that said appraisal began with what sounded like a complaint, and considering what June June posted as well, I mean it's pretty clear again that there are some really great ideas and the industry needs games that are as unique as this one, it just didn't fully click and maybe the execution will be better on the sequel.
It clicked with many, there were people that it didn't but I was one of the people that didn't really like the latest Doom game. So, different strokes...

Would be cool to get a sequel but who knows, he might depend on sales etc for financing.
 

GooseMan69

Member
No, I think you are misrepresenting him and people who enjoyed the game. Conquering the landscape is very satisfying in the sense of getting from A to B but then the next layer is taming the land.... which is even more satisfying as we are programmed by evolution to get a huge kick out of it.

Yes, exactly. The game is structured in a way where you’re essentially on your own if the chiral network is offline in an area, which means braving the terrain on your own, with no player built structures. Once you bring the chiral network online, THEN you start utilizing the online features to optimize your routes before moving on to the next area. It’s balanced very well. The online features help you just enough to feel connected and appreciative of other players, but not so helpful that it feels like you’re bypassing the game.

It’s a really satisfying gameplay loop, broken up by more action/stealth oriented bits.
 
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imsosleepy

Member
No, I think you are misrepresenting him and people who enjoyed the game. Conquering the landscape is very satisfying in the sense of getting from A to B but then the next layer is taming the land.... which is even more satisfying as we are programmed by evolution to get a huge kick out of it.

Yea for the most parts doing long hikes and conquering the terain yourself is alot of fun, but in this case I had to do a really long backtrack quest and if I had to do that one witouth the roads and bridges there were build.. that would have been annoying and I can see how some reviewers hated that, because their worlds were not build out. And I'm pretty sure they also did not take the time thesmelfs to help with building the road when u first enter chapter 3
 
You'll prolly get a feel how reviewers felt when you hit later parts in the game. Mountain Knot and everything around it is pretty much dead in my game. Roads aren't being built, ziplines which should be built everywhere are hardly to be seen... and the mountains are extremely challenging because you can't run through the thick snow, you can't use a transporter or bike up there and especially when you have to do a few deliveries
without BB... fucking BTs catching you a few times, you losing all cargo and having to fight an apparition on top of that
.

The experience I had in the mountains could be described as tedious and annoying, or just really challenging.

I still enjoy the game, but it's obvious that people drop out after or during chapter 3, or they take ages to progress (I spent a good 20 hours in the first area of chapter 3). I had to built the road between South Knot and the distribution center myself and the road from the craftsman to Mountain Knot isn't built either.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
The game's not been out that long, and is really time consuming to play. Unless you've been literally playing it all night, every night since it came out, there's a very good chance you wont have finished it yet.
 

Lanrutcon

Member
Yeah exactly, if Kojima truly believes that "likes" are in any way, shape or form beneficial to society then he's a fucking imbecile. Maybe it's wishful thinking, like how social media approval could be used in an actual productive way in an alternate dimension. Maybe it's used as a sign of the times kind of thing, this is just how we live now and shit. I hope it's one of these because if he actually thinks that the real life like hunting culture is healthy then just WOW.

I think it's interesting, because in the game you're not getting likes for sitting on your ass. You're getting likes for actually stuff that's directly beneficial to society. The main character in the game is actually making a difference, and risking his life to do so. Compare that to reality, where someone posts a picture of a cat burping and gets a million likes.
 
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