Death Stranding (2019)

Death Stranding excels in more ways than one, while also being too obnoxious and repetitive at times. Particularly the gameplay. The loop at a certain point will become extremely annoying, you'll be praying for a perhaps future patched in fast travel system. But then again, walking through a scenic landscape while planning out your route and cargo, with Low Roar playing in the background is something else. There is so much fun to be had here. The first 20 or so hours for me were addicting. I was hooked to the cinematics and the wonderful gameplay dynamic. Always at awe looking at the world from atop a mountain. The visuals never got old. Add to that the walking mechanics themselves are so very well done. Balancing system to most might seem useless, but it adds a whole new dimension of tension into the game. You'll be constantly scanning areas and judging if you can make that leap or climb that slope. If you can cross that stream or just walk a few more meters to your nearest propped ladder or opening. While your bike climb that? Can your truck vroom over that rock. So many things to do with this simple gameplay loop, that it becomes engrossing aswell as addicting.

It's a shame to see 0-1/10 reviews by other people. A 0 or 1, heck anything below a 5 signifies an incomplete, absolutely broken and unplayable product, which Death Stranding is not. That title belongs to road of redemption or big rigs.

This might be the most polished game on the planet. There is so much fun to have here.

The narrative is intriguing and compelling. Be it a little convoluted, but its coherent nonetheless. If you keep up with the emails, the story unfolds pretty well without any hiccups. I have seen people ask questions about the story thatve already been answered via the main story and most through the emails. They explain terminologies for most words. So be sure to check your archives when you have the time.

Overall. GOTY 2019. Even after finishing the game, I want to go back to that beautiful world. Those fantastic characters, BB (special attachment I can never forget).

In a weeks time, the empty world will be populated with player built structures. So you can expect the tedious gameplay loop to become far less tedious.