To some, Death Stranding ( From Kojima Productions, 2019 ) is an aimless walking simulator. I’ve had conversations with people who call it boring, complaining about it’s arduous gameplay, inventory management, drawn out animations and confusing story.
I can’t argue with a lot of that ( walking sim insults aside — it isn’t, and even if it was, they’re fun too! ) but these criticisms are a big part of what makes me love Death Stranding and what earns it’s spot as one of my favourite games of all time. Let me explain.
Most deliveries will follow a basic structure. Sam Porter has to travel from one point to another, carrying cargo to someone in need. Before you set out, you’ll plan what you need to take on your journey. To do this you’d be wise to study the map, waypoint your route carefully to avoid bad terrain and mule camps. Since you’re loading up to 120 kilograms on your back — you’ll want to be careful on how you balance your cargo, and which tools you will take with you. Take too much, and moving Sam will become much more dangerous. This inventory management isn’t a barrier to the game, or something to be skipped through — it’s a core pillar of the loop. You’re forced to think ahead, make important decisions, almost like a strategy game.
That being said, despite your planning, at some point things will inevitably go wrong. You’ll fall, mules will try to take your cargo, or it’ll be ruined by BTs. There is combat in Death Stranding, but it’s not the focus. Combat is self defence, melee is imprecise and desperate — Sam’s not a soldier. The enemies are obstacles on your journey, and you’ve given a variety of options to avoid them, and fight back if you must.
Unlike most games, in which traversal is just a means to get to the next side quest location — in Death Stranding, the traversal IS the game. It asks that you take your time to study it’s landscape, and if you do you’ll be rewarded with an intimate knowledge of this stunning open world — you’ll lay out pathways for yourself and know the most efficient routes to follow.
A helpful bridge, or zipwire left behind by other players might be just what you need to get over a stretch of difficult ground. You may never see or meet these players who have aided you on journey, and they don’t get anything in return, besides your thanks ( the likes system is a nice way of showing appreciation, but is not a currency ). It’s great to see the kind of positive community spirit that Death Stranding fosters, you really get the sense that everyone is in this journey together, and this ties directly into the game’s story, which I could easily write a whole other article on.
Once you reach your destination, you’re greeted by the doomsday prepper who’s requested your services. These are all names and faces who you’ll grow to recognise as you make more deliveries. It adds a personal touch to the proceedings, and provides much needed heart, grounding the often insane imagination of the story and making this world believable. In Death Stranding, I’m never making a delivery to get upgrades, or resources — I’m doing it because I enjoy it, and the reactions of the preppers when you deliver their cargo feels more satisfying than any level up could. Don’t get me wrong, Death Stranding is a lonely game, but it’s these meetings with the people you’re helping — even in holographic form, that help you feel as though you have a purpose.
It’s likely that once the delivery is done, you’ll retire to your personal room, where Sam will sleep, take a shower and listen to Death Stranding’s excellent soundtrack. I loved this space as it lets you relax after a tough delivery, and seeing Sam’s exhaustion really helps to put into perspective the very literal blood sweat and tears that have been spent to complete the objective. After this brief rest, it’s back up the elevator and onto your next delivery.
For me this loop was addictive in a way I hadn’t felt in a while, and it wasn’t done through any traditional means. The satisfaction of slowly conquering this desolate landscape, of connecting the different shelters and distribution centres, and the sense of discovery as you unlock new technology to make the deliveries more efficient.
Death Stranding doesn’t play all of its’ cards at once. The gameplay experience at the end of the game is very different to the start and it is a gaming journey that I’ll never forget. Learning the mechanics, the rules of this world, how the different enemies behave and how to bypass them, makes for an incredibly unique experience. This is without talking about the impactful story and well crafted characters the game has to offer, which in the process of writing this, has got me itching to do a plot discussion article soon.
I got the platinum trophy for this game ( something that is very rare for me when a game is of this size ) and even came back for more on the release of the definitive edition. You’ve got to go into it with an open mind, but if you’re willing to slow down and see what Death Stranding has to offer, there are few games I’d recommend more.
