2022-02-15 | Thoughts on Death Stranding

Recommended?

Absolutely one hundred percent "Yes!" but only if you've played a walking simulator through to completion. It's listed on Wikipedia as an action game but I think that makes it seem more action-packed than it actually is. I would recommend going in as blind as possible for maximum effect.

Summary

Salutations. That word really sums up the game. It's nice to feel wanted and to receive thanks for your efforts and the game provides plenty of that, if you don't mind it coming from a machine. The graphics are pretty and it is mechanically satisfying too. It provides a high level of synchronicity and a variety of storytelling opportunities through its gameplay and themes.

Gameplay

The bulk of the gameplay (so far) is travelling between the world's various bunkers, most of which are identical in appearance. It's not a game for somebody who enjoys variety of gameplay in all honesty. There are some combat sections that did serve a purpose for storytelling at least for me. There were times early on when I thought they shouldn't have been included and considering the previous summary of the gameplay that's kinda big. It shouldn't be as interesting to play as it is but the more you put in the more you get out plain and simple. If combat is what interests you there is a slightly subpar selection of weapons but the real variety is in the emergent situations and the contents of the packages which you deliver from location to location. The online mechanics are like a lighter yet more serious version of Dark Souls. Messages are replaced with icons that carry no text but instead have different effects such as restoring your stamina. Structures you build around the map like charging stations can be shared between players but there is no Coop or PvP. Since the bulk of the gameplay is traversal the 'walking' mechanics are suitably geared up. You won't be simply holding forward for an hour while carrying the most packages possible (even if it looks like you are). That said the movement can seem clunky. If I had to stick up for it- and I feel that I should- it helps to ground you into the moment rather than skating over the ground. You guide Sam rather than control him.

Graphics

The graphics are good. Side characters honestly look a little 'Half-Life 2'-ish (so much so that it could almost be intentional). Main characters look great and the mocap is good too, as should be expected from Kojima. The foliage looks great and the ground is very nice (it reminds me of Star Wars: Battlefront which also used photogrammetry). There are lots of other cool graphical effects that show up at different points. From a visual standpoint it looks great during gameplay and story cutscenes.

Introspection

There are plenty of opportunities for coincidental synchronicity. The most interesting being the cargo you deliver and the locations you travel between. Assigning them meanings in my head allowed for many moments that reflected my real life. The story itself, however, was rather low in strong synchronicity. The director's vison and messages really come on strong through the dialog. It is a very thought-provoking game. The themes presented in the extra-narrative content such as emails or interviews unlock new layers to the gameplay and story while exploring the concept of death and the afterlife. It might be worth reading up on Egyptian spirituality before you begin but it stands on its own.

Technical

Near the beginning of the game I experienced a strange graphical issue where Sam had glowing hair. I also had some issues with framerate at various points, specifically stuttering with an otherwise stable FPS. I lowered the resolution and the game still looks great (plus the issue seemed to go away even after raising the resolution).

Spoiler-Zone

I killed BTs (hostile ghosts that inhabit the world of Death Stranding). At first I was following orders but later I felt I had to in order to survive and safely make it past groups of them. Later, however, when confronted with them they didn't approach me, instead circling around at a distance, and some even waved. At points they offer you equipment, though it's debatable whether they were doing so with the intention that you use it. This made me feel rather bad about killing them as it is usually possible to bypass them even if it takes much longer. I'd be so conditioned by games played prior that I didn't see any option but to kill those that stood in my path. This wasn't helped by the fact that the first time I met a fellow delivery guy in the wild they gave me an anti-BT weapon as if just to rub it in. This could parallel with the battle scenes as I'm sure many soldiers may have felt the same way transitioning from following orders to survival and to guilt later on. I should really have learned from Spec Ops: The Line.

A moment I found frustrating was when you are tasked with crossing a tar lake. If you've played the game you probably know what I'm talking about and honestly when I caved and looked up the answer I felt both ashamed that I had not been able to figure it out and impressed that they had thought of not only one solution but two which both interweave with the story and gameplay. If I could replay a game with no memory of it Death Stranding would probably rank highly and this puzzle is an important part of that. I really wish I had waited at least for the final hint which was apparently on the way.

The part where you are tasked with delivering a bomb feels like a missed opportunity. I think that given the destructive consequences of falling prey to BTs in the wild there could have been similar consequences within the story too, though the initial task of connecting the remnants of society perhaps would have been too incompatible with such a direction. I guess I want to see a big game with seriously diverging paths.

Conclusion

It's good, I'm going to play it some more.