Death Stranding

About Death Stranding

In the future, a mysterious event known as the Death Stranding has opened a doorway between the living and the dead, leading to grotesque creatures from the afterlife roaming the fallen world marred by a desolate society.

As Sam Bridges, your mission is to deliver hope to humanity by connecting the last survivors of a decimated America.

Can you reunite the shattered world, one step at a time?

Hideo Kojima

I’m a fan of Hideo Kojima and I have been since Metal Gear Solid on Playstation. I have played all of the main entries of Metal Gear Solid and I love them. The story is fantastic and I enjoy the gameplay. After all his years with Metal Gear, Kojima created P.T. (Playable Teaser) and I fell in love with it. I was devastated when Kojima canceled the project and let him go. I thought that was the end of Kojima. However, he made his comeback with Death Stranding.

The Cast

Death Stranding has quite a cast:

• Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges
• Mads Mikkelsen as Clifford Unger
• Lea Seydoix as Fragile
• Troy Baker as Higgs Monaghan
• Margaret Qualley as Mama / Lockne
• Tommie Earl Jenkins as Die-Hardman
• Guillermo del Toro (character model) & Jesse Corti (voice) as Deadman
• Lindsay Wagner as Bridget Strand
• Darren Jacobs as Hearman
• and more…

I don’t think there is much more to say after reading the names. The cast is phenomenal and they all do an outstanding job at playing their roles.

The Gameplay

Let’s get the elephant out of the room. You walk a lot in Death Stranding. There is no denying it. However, there are a few factors that break up the mundane process. There are things out there that want to kill you, the terrain is rough, you have a road to build, there are deliveries to make, and much more.

I want to add that you can use this time to reflect on the story. The story is deep with a lot to take in and dissect. If you don’t take the time to understand the story then I don’t think you will enjoy the entire experience. However, diving deep into the story is rewarding because I think it’s wonderful and has a great message.

You should kill people in Death Stranding. If you can’t get a body to an incinerator in time, you will cause a void out. A void out will create an explosion, leaving behind a crater, and give you a headache because you can no longer enter the area. I’ve never triggered a void out but I have seen a video or two.

The Atmosphere

It’s dark and gritty. Rain plays a large role in Death Stranding and rain always seems to be on the horizon. Most of the terrain is either grassy, rocky, or muddy. There are some flatlands but don’t expect to find too much of that. Most of the terrain is hard to travel. Streams, rivers, mountains, and snow are some of the elements that cover the land.

You spend a lot of time on your own. You’ll occasionally run into other porters that are A.I. controlled. Homo Gestalts, or M.U.L.E.’s, are hostile thieves that are obsessed with their profession and will do anything to steal cargo from you, including killing you. On the flip side, you will run into plenty of people along the way who are waiting for cargo deliveries. They are always happy to see a porter with healthy cargo.

The Music

The music is amazing. When you are walking around, you are in for a treat if a random piece of music decides to start playing. The music helps my mind sink further into the atmosphere around me. The majority of the music has an indie-rock vibe and it does wonders to help set the mood.

Low Roar dominates the soundtrack. They are a rock band that offers an indie vibe. You’ll find a few other artists as well. Most notable are Silent Poets and CHVURCHES. You can check out the entire soundtrack through most music streaming services. Press the button below to find the soundtrack on Spotify.

As I See It

Death Stranding is an anomaly. I really appreciate Kojima’s attempt at doing something different that is heavy on lore. There is a lot to take in and digest. There are times of solitude when you are simply attempting to get from point A to point B. At other times, you are running, or crawling, for your life.

I believe that gamers are going to either love it or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be room for anything in between. I’ve seen the game called a walking simulator many times. While there is some truth to that at times, there is so much more to take away from this game. You have to enjoy every aspect of Death Stranding in order to appreciate it.

There are a lot of surprises in Death Stranding and I purposefully leave out a lot of details. If you can place yourself into the world, you will love it.

As I see it, Death Stranding is a must for those of us who love a deep storyline that is not afraid to push the boundaries. However, I also recognize that this type of game is a niche and won’t be for everyone.

My Death Stranding Gameplay

I don’t have any gameplay at this time. I plan to add some in the future.