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[DenchDeckard]

It's a fucking masterpiece.

A bit of a background on this game.

I consider myself a Kojima fan....Not like a loon....but I do enjoy a whiff of his farts on occasion!

So, I pre ordered the ps4 pro Ltd console for this game. Such a gorgeous design of a machine. Also, it used a figure 8 power plug. Not a kettle lead like my og pro that ruined my gaming experiences from the noise.

Anyway, at the time I played for about 3 hours and it didn't grab me for whatever reason.

Then I started reading the silly online posts about how weird it is and shit writing in some places...kojima hot boxing his farts inside a custom built capsule while listening to low roar.

Anyway, I noped out and watched some YouTube videos of the cutscenes and I just thought it was bollox...kojimas lost the plot. I now feel like this was my own attitude mentally that had been shaped by online discourse.

So, fast forward to last year when it stealth dropped on xbox. I already own the game on ps5 but as this was Xbox play anywhere I thought. I can support the game and play across all my devices; Xbox, pc, rog ally and gaming laptop.

Basically, I genuinely whole heartedly believe this is one if the greatest games ever made. If I look at a director/writer/game designer creating a vision and delivering on it. I feel it is more or less perfection.

The gameplay loop is incredible. It delivers a steady drip feed of progression where you regularly receive upgrades and or better equipment to assist you.

You overcome and adapt and the core design/thought process of strands. Connections. Etc is fascinating.

I will add. I suffered multiple strokes in 2021 and my outlook on life has changed considerably, after the near death experience from it. I accept i look at the world differently and am considerably more spiritual than I used to be. I only bring this up as I ask myself what has changed since I tried the game before? As I am trying to identify why I love this game so much.

I want to add a short piece before I sign off and open the discussion. I think the writing of ALLLLLLLlllll the interview pieces and emails etc. The world is so fleshed out and if ypu allow your mind to be open the theories are wild but do seem plausible in the world Kojima has created.

So, as I ramble through the terrain to get the last few people to 5 star rank i think of the journey, the job and desire to "keep on, keeping on" for reasons I do not know, but human desire to push on, I guess?

I am level 80 porter and rank 349....closing in on 200 hours of playtime....

I didn't want to make this thread until I had completed the story, I haven't quite done that yet. I have been told I must get myself one last time to the east.

I felt compelled to make this thread....please tell me that I can wrap up my deliveries once the story is over!

Shout out to my fellow porters that assisted with zip lines etc.....Bridges, baby!

 

[NeonGhost]

I wish they would fix the ps5 version it’s been broken since the release of the iOS version every person you interact with is says their name is unknown

 

[DenchDeckard]

I wish they would fix the ps5 version it’s been broken since the release of the iOS version every person you interact with is says their name is unknown

Oh, that is a shame. I loved seeing my regular dudes stuff on my map. Smashing yhe likes for them as we co op through this madness together, but in different strands.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

So basically there are no great games until they're on Xbox . . . jk . . . kinda

 

[Magic Carpet]

I fell asleep just reading the title 'Death Stranding'. YaaaaAAAwwwn!

 

[Bond007]

As a fellow Kojima glazer (MGS1 is my fav game of all time) i will admit the initial reviews and mixed reception pushed me off on this day one. (UPS simulator did not sound enticing)
Played it on PSplus trial for about an hour a year ago- meh, didnt stick.
Finally decided to give it a proper go earlier this year and push past the intro atleast. Im sure glad i did- beat the game last week and loved 99% of it. The characters/villain all took me back to the days of MGS and how this world almost feels part of that one. Higgs is ripped straight out of MGS imo.

Anyway, its one of my favorite games in the past few years. I can understand the UPS comment- but go figure, its so well done it didn't feel repetitive i actually enjoyed the traversal. Its such a fresh new experience.

 

[PaddyOCanager]

It was my game of the year when it came out.

It reminded me of a time when AAA games pushed the industry in new directions and took risks. Nowadays AAA just means tired gameplay and a "safe" story backed by a huge budget. Every AAA is effectively a remake these days.

The whole time I was playing Death Stranding, I kept thinking "I can't believe this game exists in current times". It was the same feeling I got watching Blade Runner 2049 - like, how the hell did this get made?

Death Stranding is like someone took quaint idea for an indie game and went completely over the top with it. I can't point to any AAA title in the last 10+ years that had a unique, uncompromising vision like this game. Hate it or love it, the industry would be in a better place if we had more AAA games like Death Stranding.

 

[DenchDeckard]

It was my game of the year when it came out.

It reminded me of a time when AAA games pushed the industry in new directions and took risks. Nowadays AAA just means tired gameplay and a "safe" story backed by a huge budget. Every AAA is effectively a remake these days.

The whole time I was playing Death Stranding, I kept thinking "I can't believe this game exists in current times". It was the same feeling I got watching Blade Runner 2049 - like, how the hell did this get made?

Death Stranding is like someone took quaint idea for an indie game and went completely over the top with it. I can't point to any AAA title in the last 10+ years that had a unique, uncompromising vision like this game. Hate it or love it, the industry would be in a better place if we had more AAA games like Death Stranding.

I completely agree. This game is a miracle in a way. Purely an Indy game that expanded into a full AAA game.

I actually thought of blade runner 2049 too. A film that should have never been made in Hollywood theory.

This game feels, and with the lore and writing, that it is a bat shit insane science fiction novel that has been adapted into a video game with a crazy budget.

Amazing.

 

[Certinty]

It’s so weird because it’s one of the most repetitive games i’ve ever played yet I had a great time with it from start to finish. I can’t even explain it, the game was just so… interesting and addictive?

 

[DenchDeckard]

It’s so weird because it’s one of the most repetitive games i’ve ever played yet I had a great time with it from start to finish. I can’t even explain it, the game was just so… interesting and addictive?

I think that's what can't be conveyed through verbal communication of the game.

People say "you walk around delivering parcels for 100 hours" and when I heard that it put me off from my 3 hours first attempt.

But, once it grabbed me. It was something else. I genuinely felt a part of the world and wanted to just keep on linking with people and doing a good job. It's literally a job simulator.

 

[FoxMcChief]

It’s a pretty good bad game. I might be able to finish it some day.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Shout out to my fellow porters that assisted with zip lines etc.....Bridges, baby!

It’s definitely an underrated masterpiece and one of the highlights of the ps4 generation

I’ve known plenty of people that dismissed the game as a “walking sim” only to come back, give it a dedicated try for longer than a few hours, and have come back and said it’s one of the most unique AAA experiences ever made that had a profound emotional impact on them as well.

Glad you came around to it, hopefully not just because it was released on a green box.

Now you know why ps5 fans are so excited for DS2 to be a top GOTY contender

 

[Three]

I wish they would fix the ps5 version it’s been broken since the release of the iOS version every person you interact with is says their name is unknown

Directors cut? Seems to work fine here.

 

[Evolved1]

I bounced off of it for two reasons... I personally thought the story and cutscenes were.... dumb. But I think the main reason is that I was late to the game, and the world was already full of equipment and stuff from other players. Stuff I didn't even know about or have a chance to discover for myself. I really hate that type of shit.

 

[Guerilla Munch]

Damn OP you just made me re-download it on my PS5 to play on my Portal. I also played for a few hours when it launched. My life has also taken some crazy turns since then so I'm curious to see if I find a new appreciation for the game like you did.

 

[MAX PAYMENT]

Despite being a big MGS fan, I just do not get it. I've tried to like it, but I just can't. Ive played the opening handful of hours a few times now just to drop it.

 

[Pedro Motta]

I'ts a masterpiece like there are few nowadays. I've been playing it once a year since it came out. I keep finding new stuff, new details, new ways to do things. It's incredible.

 

[poppabk]

Maybe I will try it again someday but it just didn't really grab me.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

I wish I liked it more than I did, but I found the gameplay boring, I see what it's going for, but it was just not compelling to me.

And while the story is pretty good, it also feels like a bunch of random ideas Kojima had slapped together that don't quite gel into a cohesive whole, Metal Gear Solid has a bunch of random stuff too, but since it all revolves around the core theme of military stuff it manages to gel well (at least, at the best of times), everything weird in MGS is jumping off from the basic idea of "you're a soldier guy fighting enemies", Death Stranding feels like Kojima had a bunch of images in his head, then worked his way backwards to explain why they were happening, it never doesn't feel like what it is, a bunch of random stuff slapped together.

 

[Ashamam]

A meditative masterpiece. The batshit crazy elements (exposition portion not gameplay) on the whole detracted from the game though, messed with the pacing imho. But the rest was amazing.

 

[rofif]

It's an incredible game.
NEW, ORIGINAL, UNIQUE.
Not the same shit everyone else does.
I need to finally replay it

 

[Judge Magister]

I love almost every game Kojima did at Konami.
I don't like Death Stranding at all. Hyper repetitive/boring and characters/story i don't care.

 

[EverythingsOverrated]

Great game. My biggest piece of advice when people first start playing is don't be afraid to experiment, especially as new tools and equipment become available.

A meditative masterpiece. The batshit crazy elements (exposition portion not gameplay) on the whole detracted from the game though, messed with the pacing imho. But the rest was amazing.

The games biggest flaw is the pacing the first 5-6 hours. It's pretty easy to see why a lot of people didn't get much further than that. The first 5 hours probably has about 2.5 hours worth of cut scenes. Kojima hopefully is able to spread things out a bit more evenly for DS2. Other than the early pacing issues, one of my favorite games of last gen.

 

[Shaki12345]

Played 20 hours and then stopped playing for a month, came back and I couldn't get to grips with the mechanics and the world anymore. It was all too vague and unclear. No real tutorials to get back into the game again.

There was just so much specific gameplay that I couldn't wing it. Didn't want to do it all again but I saw the appeal for sure. Wish the game had better tutorials and manuals for situations like mine.

 

[Moses85]

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

It reminded me of a time when AAA games pushed the industry in new directions and took risks.

i even felt like i was taking a risk playing it (risk of wasting my time)
didnt think itd be very fun

ended up loving it

It was all too vague and unclear. No real tutorials to get back into the game again.

There was just so much specific gameplay that I couldn't wing it.

step 1. get package
step 2. deliver package

thats really it. everything else is secondary, and you can figure it out at your own pace.
then eventually... the secondary stuff becomes the main stuff if you allow it.

 

[Tarin02543]

Installed it today to test it with DLSS 4, definitely more enjoyable with mouse and keyboard and 100 fps. The Transformer model is fantastic

 

[Ge Os]

Must have been the strokes.

/jk

Jokes aside, I'm glad you gave it a try. This is the most difficult game to recomend to people who don't wanna experience something new and unique.
Ending made me cry like a bitch and I loved it.

 

[Schmendrick]

it certainly was ...different.
Ultimately rather boring though. I made it to the zipline and highways tech-level...but seriously, if I want to build stuff something like Anno or Satisfactory is so much better than DS.

 

[NeonGhost]

Directors cut? Seems to work fine here.

It doesn’t everyone who has logging in since the iOS release shows up as unknown it’s all over Reddit

 

[DenchDeckard]

Despite being a big MGS fan, I just do not get it. I've tried to like it, but I just can't. Ive played the opening handful of hours a few times now just to drop it.

I hate to be that guy but I think it really clicks after around 10 hours or so.

 

[bender]

I respect it but didn’t enjoy it. It’s more interesting than it is good.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Will try it again eventually but I did recently on my PS5 after the Xbox version came out and everyone was talking about it again. Just couldn’t do it.

Is it Pro enhanced? Unlikely.

 

[Humdinger]

Interesting. Thanks for the OP, Dench. I tried Death Stranding once but couldn't get past the cut scenes in the beginning. They just seemed way too long and drawn out for me. This is part of why I get impatient with Kojima - he so clearly wants to be a film director. I didn't persist long enough to get into the gameplay, only about 3 hours.

I might give it another try someday. I do like the outdoor wandering. It's a beautiful landscape. I play unplugged from the internet, so I wouldn't get the benefit of the other players' help/feedback. Hopefully it's still an enjoyable game solo.

Great that you had an NDE. I've been reading about them for years. Fascinating stuff. Hope you had a good one.

 

[DeepSpace5D]

Basically my thoughts on Death Stranding as well. I have around 170 ish hours in it across the original version and the Director’s Cut. It has such a satisfying gameplay loop when you really get into it, upgrading your gear and getting more efficient with all the tools on display, planning your routes more efficiently. I spent so much time just trying to perfect the most optimal zipline system so I can get max stars on those time-sensitive deliveries.

Shout out to the world map as well, it’s one of my favorite designed maps in a game. I love how you can see the topography so you can plan the routes around very steep and treacherous areas, and you can also see previous routes you’ve taken that have proved successful.

The online system is so unique and positive with everyone helping each other out, handing out “likes”, contributing resources to repair the roads, making bridges, ladders, ropes for others to use. It gives a sense of not playing alone without having any direct multiplayer co-op which I think is a brilliant touch.

The story is nuts but like you said, the lore is actually quite deep and fleshed out if you take the time to read all the emails and whatnot. Some truly heartfelt moments towards the end of the game as well.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it after giving it another go. I’ve had that happen with games I’ve dropped as well. Hopefully there won’t be much more of a wait for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach!

 

[xanaum]

A masterpiece with a unique story, mechanics I never imagined, a gorgeous setting, and top-tier design, but it deserved better combat mechanics and more ways to approach action

I feel like the second part will deliver on those things.

 

[Shift!]

Death Stranding is the pinnacle of game design.

The absolute summit.

 

[DelireMan7]

It's a unique game for sure.

But I couldn't stand the gameplay. Overall it felt like a annoying life simulator.
Need to pee and shit, shower, check you shoes, balance your loading, pick all your stuff if ypu fall, watch your step, avoid the rain...
At first I planned my trip but realize you could just go straight line and it works. You can run past everything.
Building stuff is so long and annoying that I don't see the point.


Dropped the game after 15h. Maybe I'll go back to it once.
Story really intrigued me but I couldn't stand the gameplay. I am kind of a Kojima fan boy (at least I was during the MGS era but I still respect his creativity and work)

 

[nemiroff]

Nice post, thumbs up for that.

It's an interesting game. I kinda enjoyed the story and cutscenes.

But there were so many things that made me dislike it.

Inventory maintenance
Infrastructure maintenance / degradation
Offline regression
Gunplay / mechanics
The overall grindyness
Base camp chores / the life sim
UX / UI

Oh well, just imo
...

 

[Elog]

Amazing game. One of the more memorable games for me the last generation. And it just grew and grew on me the more I played. Masterpiece.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Interesting. Thanks for the OP, Dench. I tried Death Stranding once but couldn't get past the cut scenes in the beginning. They just seemed way too long and drawn out for me. This is part of why I get impatient with Kojima - he so clearly wants to be a film director. I didn't persist long enough to get into the gameplay, only about 3 hours.

I might give it another try someday. I do like the outdoor wandering. It's a beautiful landscape. I play unplugged from the internet, so I wouldn't get the benefit of the other players' help/feedback. Hopefully it's still an enjoyable game solo.

Great that you had an NDE. I've been reading about them for years. Fascinating stuff. Hope you had a good one.

Oh, it is clearly a film. Like his other projects. But it's so bat shit loopy, it's more like a high end adaptation of a novel into a tv series, maybe?

its got everything a movie looks for in plot and pacing when you break it down. The final few cutscenes are just like a movie....with tv quality writing.

I admit I was so involved, and in love with the project that he could have motion captured Sam having a shit for 5 minutes...squeezing one out on the beach and I would still love it. Haha.

I found the gameplay mesmerising. I don't know what it is, but everything about this game clicked for me personally. To the point I may even attend an anniversary event if they have one. So I can meet fellow porters.

I do feel this games pull is to be played connected. The premise of the game is connection. How we feel without connection and what it means to make quality bonds with others.

on the NDE it was scary for a short time and then everything went warm and calm...I lost all feeling of my body and I felt so comfortable...like everything was OK and I was just going to drift off. Then the thought of my kids and leaving them without me pulled me back. But it was an incredible experience to have. I no longer fear death. (Sorry to go deep fellow users but I just felt to add)

Good to know everything js going to be fine when the time comes.

Nice post, thumbs up for that.

It's an interesting game. I kinda enjoyed the story and cutscenes.

But there were so many things that made me dislike it.

Inventory maintenance
Infrastructure maintenance / degradation
Offline regression
Gunplay / mechanics
The overall grindyness
Base camp chores / the life sim
UX / UI

Oh well, just imo
...

I found the pace in which I played the game. (Very methodically) the plann9ng etc all became second nature. I got 5 stars on all outposts in the first area with minimal equipment but I actually enjoyed that and didn't think...I wish I'd done this after I had all my gear and zip lines.

Just me, my trike and a load of parcels.

It allowed me to get to grips with low level management and step up with the upgrades.

I feel this game will not be for everyone, but I had a wonderful lasting experience with it which I will remember, and bring up in all conversations about my personal best games of all time.

This game is up there with half life and others for me.

 

[GymWolf]

A cringe masterpiece of turdiness.

 

[Toots]

kojima hot boxing his favorite hollywood directors* farts inside a custom built capsule while listening to low roar.

A very apt description.
I played it until the end.
I went very close to asphyxiation a few time, but i managed to see it through.
Ultimately it was much ado about nothing, someone should have been there to tell kojima to calm down with the stupid ideas and retarded symbolism. It's the same problem with druckmann's lou2. No one was there to control them and they pumped their stories full of their stupid fetishes and made a huge mess of something that might have been great otherwise.

Special mention to troy baker being his usual unsufferable theater kid self

"Im da Joker baby"

 

[Mr Reasonable]

I got as far as (and this is very not far, might just be the intro)

Spoiler

Disposing of the character's mother's body

And honestly, found it pretty boring. If it hasn't revealed anything I find enticing already am I a lost cause or will it get much better soon?

 

[Pedro Motta]

A cringe masterpiece of turdiness.

 

[GymWolf]

Yeah that was my reaction at the princess beach line, spot on.

 

[Pedro Motta]

Yeah that was my reaction at the princess beach line, spot on.

That's right at the ending of the game, there is at least 60 hours of gameplay before that. Don't be a smoothie brain.

 

[GymWolf]

That's right at the ending of the game, there is at least 60 hours of gameplay before that. Don't be a smoothie brain.

Yeah because before that moment the writing before was chef kiss

Smoothie brain was paying full price and playing this turd for 40 hours because i thought kojima still had something in him.

Boy i was wrong.

P.s. don't waste your time trying to explain why the game is so great, i had enough back and forth in the past about this game

 

[Shubh_C63]

I wanted to like the game for the story but ended up liking for the walking simulator gameplay.

Having not played any Kojima game before I understood why people says his games felt more advanced for their time. The guy knows how to make a game.

 

[Pedro Motta]

Yeah because before that moment the writing before was chef kiss

Smoothie brain was paying full price and playing this turd for 40 hours because i thought kojima still had something in him.

Boy i was wrong.

P.s. don't waste your time trying to explain why the game is so great, i had enough back and forth in the past about this game