I picked up Death Stranding on Steam recently for €24, not knowing what to expect. All I knew was that it was an extremely polarizing walking simulator with Mads Mikkelsen. I was kind of getting burned out by the type of games I usually play, being action-adventure, JRPG and Metroidvanias. So while I knew it was a gamble, I decided to pull the trigger. I've only played it for about 13 hours so far, but I have no intention of quitting.
I don't really want to review the game, but here are some of my thoughts and experiences with it thus far.
The overall tone and atmosphere of the game are astounding. The setting is beautiful, and I love the Iceland-inspired environments. There's a constant melancholy and lonely, yet optimistic feeling, which is exactly what I loved about games like Breath of the Wild. The best moments have been when timefall finally stops and a relaxing song from Low Roar comes on - that's when I can finally breathe easy and admire the stunning landscapes.
I also love how mysterious everything is. Extremely cryptic writing and storytelling can often get annoying, but I find myself wanting to learn more and pay attention to the story (I even have a notebook to keep track of terms like BT, timefall and the beach haha). I've hardly grasped the story yet, but it seems really promising. The chiral network mechanic is also really neat, even though it often means that the beautiful world gets cluttered up by an overabundance of icons.
The decision to use traditional actors instead of voice-actors felt strange to me at first, but it's clear how talented they are, and it also makes the motion-capture and lip-syncing perfect. And as a dane, I can't help but feel honored to have to have both Nicolas Winding Refn and Mads Mikkelsen be a part of the cast:)
One thing I don't like, however, is the product placement. You could make the argument that chugging a monster energy drink or seeing an ad for Norman Reedus' biking show are nothing more than jokes or a part of Kojima's stable. But call it what you will, it's still advertising, and it's still unfortunate in my opinion.
As for the gameplay, it's so unlike anything I've ever experienced, yet strangely addicting. On paper, it seems like something I'd normally dislike, but it's honestly not bad. It can both be intense and relaxing, and is also very closely integrated into the story - I really feel like I'm in Sam's shoes while walking. It can, admittedly, feel like work sometimes, but not in a bad way. I can only imagine that it gets better as I progress with the game.
So all in all, I'm very happy that I picked up Death Stranding. As far as I can tell, it's the kind of game one either hates or loves, and so far, I'd place myself into the latter camp. I can't wait to see how the story unfolds!
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