Here we are with the Death Stranding review, not an easy deal. The first work of the sacred monster Hideo Kojima, far from Konami, came after a very long series of trailers and news that so much hinted but never really revealed anything. What do we think of this video game? The answer in this review!
Death Stranding carries with it an important burden. After the great Metal Gear saga, finally a new IP from the infamous game designer Hideo Kojima. Pleasing gamers has never been easy, but in this historical moment it is even less so. Large productions, almost unlimited budgets and fierce competition mean that making mistakes is not an option. How did it go this time?
Kojima created around his title an aura of mystery, an imperturbable and tangible sense of curiosity. All seasoned with names like those of Norman Reedus and Guillermo del Toro (among others) capable of increasing the value of production even before the launch itself.
More than once it has been said that Death Stranding wasn't going to be a game for everyone. In this we agree, Death Stranding is a game that has no half measures, it can be loved or hated, let's see in what way.
A plot in pure Kojima style | Death Stranding Review
Telling you the plot of this game would mean taking away any desire to play this production. Therefore I'll just give you some basic notions on the game world without ever going into too much detail.
A post apocalyptic world (what a novelty) but unlike any other. There have been no nuclear explosions, the world is not dotted with necromorphic creatures ready to engulf every part of your body. But the world as we know it (today) no longer exists. A very specific event has united the world of the dead with that of the living. Death, the afterlife if you prefer, is no longer an idea developed by man to answer a too difficult question. Now it is tangible, dangerous and an integral part of everyday life.
The means of transport, the big cities, the inhabited centers are a beautiful memory swept away by a reality made up of long flat, marine and mountainous expanses. The only way to live a peaceful existence is come together in small realities made up of a few dozen people or a little more. However, technology has made great strides in many areas, but in a certain sense it has come back "back" in a clear and ineluctable way.
Il transport of basic necessities takes place through "I Corrieri". People who devote their lives to a dangerous and sometimes frowned upon chore. And this it will be our job.
Sat, protagonist well played by Reedus (and mind you, interpreted is not a term chosen at random) and our virtual alter ego, is just this: a courier. Obviously we are not any of these "transporters", we possess unique, innate abilities, which allow us to perceive a large amount of information that is closed to most.
Marked by a difficult childhood, our Sam is a shy and proud person who has decided to live like an outcast on the fringes of a society that does not represent him. However, a company that needs him, and his abilities, to reach an increasingly distant unity.
The only chance for the people to survive is to unite (again) under one flag. The our journey, because this is Death Stranding, will have as its ultimate goal the gather a people and give them hope. However, unlike the heroes we are used to knowing, we should not do it by taking up a weapon but keeping the balance step by step, kilogram after kilogram, delivery after delivery.
A functional but unpretentious gameplay | Death Stranding Review
As you may have guessed from the previous words, the gameplay of Death Stranding is not suited to the titles we are used to. A bit like Life is Strange (forgive the gamble), the gameplay becomes the fruition of a larger design.
Our Sam is a courier, delivering essential or useful packages to convince people to become part of a larger reality is our job. Balance the load, arrange the goods correctly so as not to damage them and optimize our path, will be our aim.
Of course during our travels from point A to point B, we will run into threats of various kinds. Marauders and supernatural entities will be our enemies. We could fight the former with unarmed clashes, in stealth mode or with some guns ... Even if the best solution will always remain that of get around the obstacle (When possible).
The shooting is certainly not the highlight of the production, just as the clashes with extra-earthly entities are not enthusiastic either. Everything is (too much) easily manageable even at the highest difficulties. Furthermore "Immortality" of our hero porter does not help in sensing a real sense of danger.
Only in the second half of the video game the clashes become a little more interesting, but overall it is all not very satisfying. The same goes for the boss fight, some very inspired and endowed with unrivaled media power and others really ineffective.
A stroke of genius saves the gameplay
Where the journey interspersed with an unmissable soundtrack it could be boring due to uninspired fighting, here's the stroke of genius. The game world connects multiple players on the net (playing online) giving the possibility to live a unique collective experience of its kind.
In fact, to help you on your journey you will have the opportunity to use climbing ladders and ropes or create bridges or post boxes (to name just some of the means made available to you). Items that will help you and other players on your journey.
A well-studied mechanic, in fact these objects will be visible only after connecting that part of the map. In this way the first discovery will remain a virgin and unexplored land for all in equal measure.
The concern that arises spontaneously is that too many structures could weigh down your experience but, in this, Another mechanic comes in handy. In fact, in addition to being a fundamental piece of the plot, the "Cronopioggia”Is an integral part of the gameplay itself.
This climatic event in fact makes everything with which it comes into contact age (or deteriorate if we are talking about objects). In this way a ladder laid or a bridge built today, it may no longer exist after a few days of showers.
A thrilling technical sector | Death Stranding Review
The technical sector of Death Stranding it is simply unassailable. The motion capture used to create the digital versions of the protagonists is impressive. The faces are studded with unique and precise details. Every imperfection, every wrinkle of expression, every mole… it transmits an unparalleled sense of completeness.
The version we played on PlayStation 4 Pro it's practically unmatched in the console hemisphere and holds, without too much effort, video games played on the latest generation of PCs. Obviously, to ensure that the overall quality remained very high, tricks were used such as viewing holograms for secondary NPCs. But nothing is able to match the technical quality of the cutscenes of this production.
We had found the same quality in the Call of Duty Modern Warfare Review but in a more reduced way in terms of playable area and quantity of cutscenes.
The breaking of the fourth wall that occurs more than once (especially in the private room) is able to make the skin crawl. So much so that the question that arises spontaneously is: it is we who are playing the video game or it is the video game that is playing with us?
No drop in the frame rate, no bugs found, a masterful dubbing (even in the Spanish version), allow us to affirm that in this respect we are ahead of a technically flawless title.
Who should buy it? | Death Stranding Review
This Kojima production, as you could understand from what is written in this review, it is not a title for everyone. Il repetitive gameplay it might bore those looking for action and frenzy. We are a far cry from the video games of the Metal Gear saga.
Death Stranding is a journey accompanied by a rich, complex and never clear plot. An odyssey capable of giving contrasting emotions on several occasions. The real purpose of the title is to offer a unique experience and different for everyone, almost introspective.
If you are able to put preconceptions aside, enjoy the path and not the destination… This is the title for you. If on the other hand you are looking for frenzy, speed and a continuous challenge, far be it from me to recommend this title.
Death Stranding - PlayStation 4 - Kojima, the father of the Metal Gear saga returns with a great new title - Innovative gameplay characterized by high quality graphics
Points in favor
- A unique experience
- An unparalleled technical sector
- Innovative online
Points against
- An overused gameplay
- Little difficulty
- Too repetitive missions
