duck_sauce
Member
I came to Death Stranding very late. The game had been sitting in my library for years, collecting dust, while I always told myself I will get to it somday. That day finally came with the PS5 Pro and honestly, I am glad I waited.
What struck me first wasnt the story or even the mechanics but the mood. That overwhelming sense of loneliness creeps in the moment you step out onto the open terrain. Hills stretch endlessly and the rain beat down without mercy. It's not a cinematic emptiness, it is a living emptiness. Few games manage to make walking feel like a a game in itsself but Death Stranding pulls it off with confidence. This is not simply a walking simulator. I think it is a very unfair description oft he game. And when the silence becomes unbearable or even a bit boring something happens. You stumble across a ladder or a bridge spanning a river that would have been a nightmare to cross. Those moments hit with surprising emotional weight.
The comparison to Dark Souls signs is impossible to ignore form me. But where those signs in Dark Souls usually carry a mix of trolling and trickery in Death Stranding the intent feels almost hopeful. These little traces remind you that others are struggling through the same game leaving behind just enough to make the game a little easier. Brilliant.
The community aspect runs even deeper for me with crafting and construction. Building a road, contributing resources to a timesaving zipline or even placing a simple postbox feels less about personal gain and more about adding to a common goal. The act of creating something useful carries weight because you know it might change someone elses journey. That design choice transforms what could have been another survival grind into a strangely uplifting cycle of give and take. Form me there is a subtle joy in realizing the world grows less hostile not through conquest but through cooperation.
For me story that lingers long after i put down the controller. I only played about 30 hours but the story already catched me. Yes it is nonsensical at times but for me it is peak storytelling.. It doesn't hold your hand, nor does it shower you with constant rewards. Instead, it teaches you to appreciate every delivery and making it over a mountain without collapsing or finding shelter before soemthing destroys your cargo, spotting that rope at the exact right moment. Those small succeses build a rhythm, a kind of meditative flow that makes me forget the hours slip away.
Playing it on PS5 Pro is great In quality mode, the game looks gorgeous in motion with sharp details and smooth performance. those wide vistas stretching out with crisp clarity. Itis one of those titles where you pause just to take in the scenery, and the hardware finally feels like it's doing justice to Kojimas vision.
I get why so many reviews praised it back in the day and also why it is so controversial. Death Stranding is not for everyone, but it doesnt need to be. It is for people willing to slow down and to sit with silence and embrace the idea that connection doesnt always come from conversation or combat. sometimes itis just a ladder left behind by someone you will never meet.
For me that makes for a great game.
What struck me first wasnt the story or even the mechanics but the mood. That overwhelming sense of loneliness creeps in the moment you step out onto the open terrain. Hills stretch endlessly and the rain beat down without mercy. It's not a cinematic emptiness, it is a living emptiness. Few games manage to make walking feel like a a game in itsself but Death Stranding pulls it off with confidence. This is not simply a walking simulator. I think it is a very unfair description oft he game. And when the silence becomes unbearable or even a bit boring something happens. You stumble across a ladder or a bridge spanning a river that would have been a nightmare to cross. Those moments hit with surprising emotional weight.
The comparison to Dark Souls signs is impossible to ignore form me. But where those signs in Dark Souls usually carry a mix of trolling and trickery in Death Stranding the intent feels almost hopeful. These little traces remind you that others are struggling through the same game leaving behind just enough to make the game a little easier. Brilliant.
The community aspect runs even deeper for me with crafting and construction. Building a road, contributing resources to a timesaving zipline or even placing a simple postbox feels less about personal gain and more about adding to a common goal. The act of creating something useful carries weight because you know it might change someone elses journey. That design choice transforms what could have been another survival grind into a strangely uplifting cycle of give and take. Form me there is a subtle joy in realizing the world grows less hostile not through conquest but through cooperation.
For me story that lingers long after i put down the controller. I only played about 30 hours but the story already catched me. Yes it is nonsensical at times but for me it is peak storytelling.. It doesn't hold your hand, nor does it shower you with constant rewards. Instead, it teaches you to appreciate every delivery and making it over a mountain without collapsing or finding shelter before soemthing destroys your cargo, spotting that rope at the exact right moment. Those small succeses build a rhythm, a kind of meditative flow that makes me forget the hours slip away.
Playing it on PS5 Pro is great In quality mode, the game looks gorgeous in motion with sharp details and smooth performance. those wide vistas stretching out with crisp clarity. Itis one of those titles where you pause just to take in the scenery, and the hardware finally feels like it's doing justice to Kojimas vision.
I get why so many reviews praised it back in the day and also why it is so controversial. Death Stranding is not for everyone, but it doesnt need to be. It is for people willing to slow down and to sit with silence and embrace the idea that connection doesnt always come from conversation or combat. sometimes itis just a ladder left behind by someone you will never meet.
For me that makes for a great game.
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