Death Stranding PC Review

Death Stranding is weird. Really weird. But it’s bizarre in that wonderful Kojima fashion. This time, however, it’s more than just super-aging a classic hero and having him bare-knuckle box his (and his clone-father’s) rival (who may or may not be possessed by the hand of the hero’s insane test-tube twin brother/super clone) on top of a nuclear-capable submarine. This time it’s much darker. Of course it was only to be expected after the haunting PT demo that broke the internet wide open and has had people clambering at the idea of a Kojima-del Toro horror mashup ever since, which new rumours once again seem to be pointing towards. The nightmarish aftermath of the afterlife, our world, and everything between smashing together is an interesting premise to start with but I believe few world-builders could have so caringly crafted the new, and often grotesque, laws of nature that follow the calamity. Allow me to demonstrate the first hour of the game; “Timefall?”, “What are these handprints?” “Is its presence speeding up time?”,  “Who’s this?”, “Ew, did she just eat a giant tardigrade?”, “Going necro?”, “BT?”, “Why does he have a baby in a bell jar?”, “What’s that spinning light thing?”, “Is it a warning device for the BTs?”, “Oh crap, what the HELL is going on?!”.

Being drip-fed the answers to these questions and so many more is almost entirely what kept me coming back. Every tiny drip of new information is incredibly tantalising and the story only builds on that curiosity, tempting and pulling the player throughout the entire experience. Well, actually, it feels more like dragging sometimes. As the PS4 version has been available for about 8 months at this time, I’m sure it shocks nobody to learn that the gameplay in Death Stranding is essentially nothing but fetch quests and the odd, fairly poor shoot-out. Whether it’s sneaking past a MULE camp: which consist of hostile humans in the form of package thieves (might want to consult Mark Rober on that one); avoiding BT’s: the creepy invisible ghost things that form into monstrous amalgamations, hiking up a snowy mountain, or driving across an expansive vista – it still all comes down to picking up and dropping off packages. And sometimes that’s great but, in reality, most of the time it’s simply not. It’s tedious, it’s frustrating, and it feeds on the player’s boredom by punishing them for trying to take shortcuts.

It’s very difficult to discuss even seemingly minor parts of Death Stranding without spoiling anything but basically, the protagonist, Norman Reedus Sam ‘Porter’ Bridges, is sent on a mission to connect the disjointed groups of people still scattered across America. To accomplish this, a comms grid needs to be established but many people just aren’t interested in joining the new ‘United Cities of America’ as terrorists have been causing targeted implosions with the use of BTs (and thermonuclear devices if that wasn’t enough) and they’d rather not have a target on their back. So, after first needing to physically reach these ‘preppers’, which most of the time is a task all on its own, it’s common to then need to make a few deliveries back and forth to garner their trust. This means a lot of walking and climbing – across rivers, rocky desert plains, and over rough mountain tops. Whilst there are a lot of tools to help with this, like ladders and the ability to straight up rebuild entire highways, the materials needed for these and everything else one might need to battle across such a virulent world must be carried, causing stamina to rapidly decline and poor Sam to stumble and fall like a toddler on ice.

It may not be immediately obvious but falling over is probably the worst thing that can happen and can range from inconveniently dropping a couple of things to being instantly sent back to the beginning of a delivery that could have taken close to an hour. Stamina management is imperative and yes, hardy ha, Sam can drink Monster Energy to recover some but that’s only a temporary fix. On top of that, vehicles and other electrical devices need charging and the assigned BB, also known as the baby in a tank that allows BTs to be detected, needs to rest too. Shoes fall apart, equipment wears down, and basically every fatigue system possible is present. It’s quite disenchanting to go from this amazing, confusing setting that Sam is desperately trying to figure out, along with his crack team of scientist and engineer friends he makes along the way, to falling over a rock and breaking a package. It’s jarring even. The story is so ‘out there’ but the gameplay is so mundane.

But then it happens.

After putting in all that much effort, after failing and being worn into submission, grinding through the logistics-based tasks without taking on too much extra cargo, making sure to keep a steady pace instead of running a risking a trip, and taking the long, boring way around dangerous territory – the first big reveal. It’s kind of perfect. It’s the longest trip yet, passing through a distant mountain pass that is loaded with BTs waiting to pounce. It’s quite the journey and as the other side closes in, music begins to replace the silent background that has become so normal, and an awe-inspiring view fills the screen. You have arrived. It’s the first major location and has been discussed nonstop. Now, it’s finally here, in reach. I’m not even entirely sure why but it was exceptionally powerful. Although, the wonder definitely diminishes with each subsequent one.

In truth, this constant mad flit between being an empty, slow grind and a genuinely outstanding experience, both in terms of the breathtaking graphics and these huge, complex moments, make it terribly difficult to evaluate. I understand that the juxtaposition of these two opposites is what allows those highs to be so impactful but the fact of the matter is that the core gameplay is just busy work. Forty hours of it. Even with the inclusion of many comprehensive mechanics, the main game loop is too much of a slog. There are a lot of scattered ideas but no satisfying core to attach them to, making it feel like an ostentatious grab-bag of highly detailed, but ultimately meaningless, additions. There’s the continuous onloading and shuffling of packages around Sam’s body, watching out for weight distribution and carry potential: that can both impose balancing risks and slow movement down to a snail’s pace; the crafting and management of structures, weapons, and vehicles: helping oneself and others online navigate across tricky terrain easier; and, yes, combat: which surprisingly early turns into nonchalantly taking out anything you may need to with guns and grenades, including the previously scary BTs and the monsters made out of them.

Come to think of it, though, there’s actually very little need to use a weapon at all, outside of forced story segments, as briskly walking away from even the greatest of abominations not only avoids the entire fight but also completely clears the area out, making purposefully getting caught by BTs the most efficient way of passing through dense areas of them. The bosses, whilst certainly very cool, do almost nothing to impede you stacking them full of bullets. The humans who dare to interfere can be just as easily done in, too. Non-lethally, even, to save a trip to the incinerator (can’t let them necrotize now, can we?). There’s a lot to be desired in the way of entertaining gameplay and by lacking any sort of real challenge, it begs the question – why is Death Stranding a game at all? Why not a movie or an animation project? Would it have worked the same? I can’t say for sure but I do think I would have preferred it. I loved learning about beaches and how they act as a kind of limbo or set of individual, entangled limbos. I jumped at the chance to interact with Heartman, possibly joint for my favourite character along with del Toro’s Deadman. As a fan of both existential writing and sci-fi fantasy, I just couldn’t consume the details quickly enough and have spent an embarrassing amount of time reading up on more lore after having seen the final credits roll. For me, the trekking was just a means to an end and I suspect many other players feel the same.

Can I recommend Death Stranding? Not really. I don’t think it can be directly labelled ‘good’. It’s a full price, full length, but all too frequently sluggish game. However, if you’re a Kojima fan, I don’t think you’ll want to miss out on this deranged roller coaster ride of an experience and that really elevates it for me. A piece of advice, though, if you do go ahead and make the voyage yourself – I would highly recommend finding a good podcast or the likes. I played the entire game with no secondary entertainment and I seriously regret it, especially because receiving an in-game call bafflingly rips you from whatever you were doing (hiking or driving across the map), instead of playing as you continue to make your way. I know it would have taken a lot more time and probably cost a lot more money, but I truly believe that having the messages, journals, logs, and audio calls play in the background would have made an astounding difference. Either way, it’s absolutely the most unique triple-A title in a long time and I wait on the edge of my seat to see what Hideo Kojima will bring us next.