This is the first game from iconic game designer Hideo Kojima since his controversial publicbreakupwith Japanese publisher Konami.
Its his first ever independently produced title.
Which, it seems, turned out to be a double edged sword.
Turns out, its a game about delivering packages.
You play as Sam Porter Bridges, who is in turn played by Reedus.
A big part ofDeath Strandingis uncovering how this all fits together.
A wild convoluted trip, unlike anything youve ever seen before in a video game.
The actual gameplay inDeath Strandingis about as atypical as its story.
Kojima wasnt exaggerating when he said thatDeath Strandingdoesnt fit into a traditional genre.
Initially you only have those two aforementioned tools, which makes for a rough start.
The combination of these mechanics becomes frustrating at times.
Especially when its pouring Timefall, and you receive damage for every second you spend in the downpour.
Along with Timefall, come the Beached Things the main enemy youll encounter inDeath Stranding.
Fortunately, you get a ton of tools to deal with all these frustrating moments.
The most fun youll have inDeath Strandingis when you get those new tools.
All the challenges from the beginning of the game become trivial later on.
Single-handedly doesnt mean youre all alone though.
The social strand system is a great concept that works really well.
Its an interesting mechanic that fits neatly with the rest of the game.
The last third of the game is filled with a bunch of these missions, which is a bummer.
I had to put on a podcast to keep myself entertained, no bueno.
It took me over seventy hours to finishDeath Strandingand about twenty of those are not that enjoyable.
This is where you’re free to clearly see that Kojima needs an editor.
Even after 70 hours Im not entirely sure how I feel aboutDeath Stranding.
Its definitely not going to be for everyone.
But if youre willing to look past that, there is a game unlike any other.
And dont get me wrong, Ive thoroughly enjoyed the majority of it.
Conversely, those who are completely on board with whatever Kojima produces will love this game to death.
And judging by the hype for this title, thats going to be millions and millions of people.
Just take a look at the gamessubredditto see what I mean.
