Death Stranding review

Death Stranding is a game that seems to struggle at every turn, whether it's clunky menus or mindless dialogue. It can be downright boring, but there is also beauty and heart to be discovered if you can resist.

Death Stranding is a game that has no regard for your time. As with most titles from famed developer Hideo Kojima, you spend large portions of the game setting up the controller and watching a few minutes of gameplay footage. In fact, the game’s two hours are almost entirely filmed, with maybe 15 minutes of actual gameplay spread out over it.

But the films tell a wonderfully cinematic story about connection in the midst of isolation and the bonds we form with those around us that transcend life and death. It’s a shame that such an artfully crafted story is put in the service of a frustrating and boring gaming experience. Without giving too much away, the game is set ten years after a catastrophe called Death Stranding, which wiped out most of civilization and connected the worlds of the living and the dead.

Sam works as a porter for the organization of bridges, transporting goods from one settlement to another. Sam is assigned by the President of the United Cities of America to rebuild the country’s destroyed infrastructure. For this purpose, he must travel the entire continent, bringing together the scattered settlements and putting them back into operation one by one.

About

Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: 505 Games, PlayStation Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release date: 8 November 2019
Price: $39.99

System Requirements

Requires: 64-bit processor and operating system
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-3470 or AMD Ryzen™ 3 1200
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 1050 4 GB or AMD Radeon™ RX 560 4 GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 80 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX compatible
Additional Notes: AVX instruction set required

Gameplay

We entered Death Stranding knowing that the gameplay would revolve heavily around running, which raised my expectations and in many ways led to a more enjoyable experience. The player spends much of the game running from outpost to outpost, carrying and balancing heavy backpacks and supplies to support maneuverability through the game’s unforgiving terrain, which can mean long and extended periods of up to an hour of uninterrupted walking in a straight line. as the player reaches their next objective and advances the story.

To make matters worse, the player is lucky not to encounter an enemy camp or an invasion of BT, the spirits that have crossed the world of the living and turn the game style into slow and methodical elements. These encounters can prolong the journey or interrupt it for a longer time, depending on how well equipped the player is and whether he has the courage to overcome these obstacles while fighting through hostile terrain.

Graphics

Watching Death Stranding during gameplay was a pure pleasure. The futuristic approach to artistic design combined with the stunningly realistic graphics on the PS5 amazed us with how consistently the game’s graphics quality remained throughout the game; even during intense scenes and boss fights that could have caused a dip in graphics quality or frame rate, which we never experienced.

Seeing a clearing and a safety opportunity in a shelter was nothing but awe-inspiring after climbing treacherous mountains or trudging through oceans of sticky tar sprouted from BT enemies. Somehow the simpler concepts in a game like grass were able to sound jaw-dropping and meticulously designed.

Sound

We noticed that the soundtrack is missing in the overworld and is rarely heard. Some might consider this a careful design decision to emphasize the feelings that the player and character would share in isolation in a destroyed America. But at times we grew tired of the ambient sounds of grass and rain and the annoying, frustrating sounds of Sam’s equipment and beeps.

In contrast, the decision to use the soundtrack sparingly is incredibly effective as the player sees their destination on the horizon and soothing but triumphant music slowly creeps in, giving the player an overwhelming sense of relief knowing they can rest and successfully complete a mission.

There were some highlights from the soundtrack that we really enjoyed and still listen to well over a year after my first playthrough, such as the eponymous song by Chvrches, “Death Stranding,” and the alternate song by Missio. “Goodbye. “, just to name a few. When the game’s soundtrack is playing, it’s incredibly powerful and can evoke a range of emotions that enrich the game’s world.

Final Words

Death Stranding remains an ambivalent game 2 years after its release. For us, it’s an incredible experience with a lot of depth, emphasizing the sense of community and also defying the traditional formula of most AAA games. For many others, however, Death Stranding was a huge disappointment and a “walking simulator” that didn’t live up to the same expectations as Metal Gear Solid V. Ultimately, Death Stranding is a unique game whose themes and world are incredibly present in today’s society since the pandemic.

Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams, a prominent content writer at Bollyinside, renowned for his expertise in hardware products. Specializing in list-based articles, Jonathan simplifies intricate tech details about laptops, phones, tablets, and accessories, making them accessible to readers. Off-duty, he indulges his passion for fiction and tech sci-fi, exploring new realms of creativity.

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Death Stranding remains an ambivalent game 2 years after its release. For us, it is an incredible experience with great depth, emphasizing a sense of community and challenging the traditional formula of most AAA games.Death Stranding review