Death Stranding Reviews

[Ghost]

Reviews are rolling in on Hideo Kojima's new title...

 

Metacritic - 83

OpenCritic  - 85

 

IGN - 6.8/10

Certain landmark games in recent years, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Red Dead Redemption 2, have managed to successfully tread the line between the rigidity of realism and the exhilaration of pure escapism. But much like its stumbling protagonist, Death Stranding just can’t consistently get the balance right despite possessing equally lofty ambitions and countless inventive ideas. There is a fascinating, fleshed-out world of supernatural science fiction to enjoy across its sprawling and spectacular map, so it’s a real shame that it’s all been saddled on a gameplay backbone that struggles to adequately support its weight over the full course of the journey. It’s fitting that Kojima Productions’ latest is so preoccupied with social media inspired praise, because in some ways I did ‘Like’ Death Stranding. I just didn’t ever love it.

Game Informer - 7/10

Try as it might, Death Stranding’s story doesn’t shore up its faults. It’s the normal Kojima mix of twists-and-turns, tropes, and overbearing themes, but at least I like that it explores real-world topics like the theory of multiple dimensions and key events in the history of the planet’s biodiversity. Like Sam himself, I often wasn’t sure why I kept going in Death Stranding. Maybe there was a little bit of pride in another task checked off the list, another job done. Unfortunately, this added up to little reward in the end.

 

Push Square - 10/10

Following years of mysterious anticipation, Death Stranding delivers on all fronts. An accomplished, fascinating set of gameplay mechanics allow you to make deliveries the way you want to, while social features let the game live on once you've put the controller down. It may become slightly tiresome as you hit the halfway mark, but the phenomenal narrative is on hand to pick things back up again and its outstanding visuals are the cherry on top. Death Stranding doesn’t raise the bar for any particular genre, it creates an entirely new one.

 

Playstation Lifestyle - 9.5/10

Death Stranding is not a “fun” game, but it’s an important and meaningful experience that earns its payoff through every bit of frustration and slog. Its a look at life and death, connection and solitude; a game about building up what matters most and supporting each other selflessly. You’ll be bored at times and downright frustrated at others, but it comes with a great reward at the end that is made sweeter by the trials that precede it. It’s brilliantly unique in its design and implementation of online elements.

 

GameSpot - 9/10

Death Stranding is a hard game to absorb. There are many intertwining threads to its plot, and silly names, corny moments, and heavy exposition belie an otherwise very simple message. That comes through much more clearly in the game's more mundane moments, when you find a desperately-needed ladder left behind by another player or receive a letter from an NPC thanking you for your efforts. It's positive without ignoring pain; in fact, it argues in both its story and its gameplay that adversity itself is what makes things worth doing and life worth living. It's a game that requires patience, compassion, and love, and it's also one we really need right now.

GamesRadar+ - 3.5/5

There is an okay experience here, filled with a scrapbooking hokum of afterlife mythology and pseudoscience, with a cast of likeable if bluntly literal characters but it’s a game that, ironically, is easily lost in its lengthy delivery.

EGM - 5/5

In the end, Death Stranding’s biggest mystery isn’t any of the elements we’ve had teased in three-plus years of trailers—it’s what people are going to think of it. Even from a man known for making love-them-or-hate-them projects, this may end up being one of the most divisive games ever created. For me, it was an experience that I can truly say was unlike any other I remember. And, if nothing else, Death Stranding makes me respect Hideo Kojima for convincing Sony to invest millions into a game that’s about a man delivering packages to holograms.

USGamer - 3.5/5

Death Stranding might be Kojima's boldest game to date. It may also be his most tedious. Either way, its originality outweighs its sometimes exhausting structure and poor pacing... but only just. Maybe not a game I would recommend to everyone, but certainly one of the most interesting games of 2019.

Destructoid - 8/10

Death Stranding is not the overly-strange inaccessible walled garden the marketing has made it out to be. It's weird, don't get me wrong! But anyone with a surface-level understanding of surrealism in art should be able to acclimate to what is essentially a playable Hollywood production. Impressive effort with a few noticeable problems holding it back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

God is a Geek - 9/10

Death Stranding is an ambitious game, featuring so many different systems and ideas, but it never falls under the weight of them. Whilst journeying across a crumbled America can be hugely frustrating at times, I never got bored of it, and through the powerful story, tense gameplay, and amazing action sequences, this will go down one of Kojima’s best. Taking time to build the necessary structures and adapt to the terrain is time consuming, but making sure you’re prepared will make your experience a much better one. Fabricating tons of cool equipment is exciting, especially when you earn the ability to build something new, and the message of connecting people provides an important backdrop for a wonderful game.

 

The Sixth Axis - 10/10

Death Stranding is like nothing I have ever played; beautiful, heart racing, heart breaking, frustrating, epic, stunning, and utterly nuts. I laughed, I cried, I cursed, and I went to the toilet an awful lot. Death Stranding isn't just my Game of the Year, it's a contender for Game of the Generation too.

Easy Allies - 8/10

Death Stranding contains aspects that could have been better. It's also easy to cherish your time with it. It’s exactly the kind of game that opens your eyes to how nauseatingly safe most games are. Death Stranding shoots for the moon, carelessly tossing away convention in ways others wouldn't dare. The game wants you to be uncomfortable, confused, bored, and to reflect on those feelings, to sit with them for a while. There is a sense of fearlessness here that's hard not to respect and that most aren't given the opportunity to attempt. Death Stranding is an easy, easy game to complain about or even be angry at, but it's also a lot more fascinating than many other, more conservative works.

 

Stevivor - 3.5/10

The problem with Death Stranding is that Hideo Kojima has become wholly self-indulgent, making something I’m sure he considers a masterpiece. Death Stranding is anything but, with its head so far up its own ass it’s almost funny. It has four title cards in total, popping up as you play, and will roll two complete sets of credits before you’ve finished. It goes on and on and on, thinking — falsely — that you’re enthralled in what’s occuring. If this is the type of project that Kojima insists to make, I suggest he move from games to TV shows or feature films. Being weird for the sake of weirdness isn’t enough — while Kojima hopes to hit the same level of work as David Lynch or Sam Lake (if we want to keep it in the same industry) he falls very short. Even if Death Stranding’s narrative was good — and it’s not — a game needs to have actual gameplay. What you find within is abysmal; frustrating, tedious and beyond repair, it is to be avoided at all costs.

 

Edited November 7, 2019 by Ghost

[DrakeHellsing]

Went with "Later on" myself, only because the digital copy is a bit much for me for release day price.  And with my disc drive being a pain at times, I'd rather go digital (don't want to be playing the physical version and all of a sudden my PS4 spits the disc out as I'm playing it).

 

But I still am interested in the game regardless.

[nyonmyan]

34 minutes ago, Ghost said:

Reviews are rolling in on Hideo Kojima's new title...

 

More like Hideo Kojima's last title, har har har

[thefourfoldroot]

Doesn't seem like my type of game. The tedious nature puts me off given my limited time at this point in my life. However, if it has trophy challenges  that can add variety and different activities then that could change things.

Edited November 1, 2019 by thefourfoldroot

[scemopagliaccioh]

Surprised at IGN.

[ahmedelebiary]

Ah IGN is at it again ?.. not surprised tbh their reviews are always utter shite.

[Crzy Minus]

So based on the reviews scores and polarizing opinions on the game, I’m guessing it’s just The Last Guardian all over again.

[Neef-GT5]

Critics are not unanimous but all seem to agree on how innovative Death Stranding is, on how it is unlike any other game ever released. This deserves to be stressed out.

 

Not sure if I will ever play it as I'm generally not a Kojima fan but it's important to praise people who actually bring something to the media, explore new ways, develop new ideas and new mechanics instead of just endlessly surfing on existing concepts.

 

So – thank you Mr. Kojima, and please keep it up :-)

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Neef-GT5

[FawltyPowers]

I only watched a little bit of Yong Yea's review this morning before work. For the most part it's a walking simulator where you have to manage your inventory layout and have to constantly watch the way you control your character to avoid falling over and damaging your cargo.

 

I've got to admit that on the face of it this sounds extremely unappealing, the gameplay footage I watched months ago looked average. It's only the narrative and world Kojima has created that has me intrigued.

 

This one is going to split the audience.

[dakk55]

Looks like it's one of those games nobody's going to be sure about until they try it out themselves. Ah well, I can always wait for a sale.

[Crispy_Oglop]

Day 1 purchase for me, this game looks really interesting and I respect what Kojima is trying to achieve and say with it. This'll be very much a 'play to completion and then make up my own mind' experience.

[Valyrious]

Day 1 purchase. I don't let reviews sway my opinion. I value people's input, but when I'm in love with something, I need to experience it for myself.

That said though, because I KNOW people are looking at these scoring and losing faith... a lot of people love it.
 

Quote

“Death Stranding delivered on its impossible promise in a breathtaking way, and it's a must-play for everyone who has ever held a game controller and wondered about what comes next.”

Screenrant has a really good review worth reading.

[ziggypossum]

https://opencritic.com/game/7816/death-stranding

 

Collector's edition pre-ordered a long time ago, I don't care about the reviews.

[Ptirle]

Again with this, reviews are shit but you know the game will be epic - feeling.

[Valyrious]

2 minutes ago, Ptirle said:

Again with this, reviews are shit but you know the game will be epic - feeling.

I think it's going to differ on you, the player. This game isn't for everyone. And it's going to be the player's responsibility to figure out if this game is for them or not. Without relying on critics to answer that for them.

It's time for you to think for yourselves! Prove you can act with independent thought! Love the game, hate the game, I don't give a shit. But experience it with your own eyes; not someone else's.

[fbdbh]

3 minutes ago, Ptirle said:

Again with this, reviews are shit but you know the game will be epic - feeling.

 

I'm feeling quite the opposite. No matter the anticipation, the innovation, the praise... I know I'll be bored.

[Infected Elite]

yes. I want the steelcase.

reviews.... its like days gone... some so high. some super low. ill be the judge in the end.

[Sikutai]

IGN gave Evolve 9/10, so f... IGNs opionion.

[exsentry]

Had really no interest in this game based on previous trailers, but after Skill Ups's and YongYea's reviews, this looks like something I should experience.

 

It's amazing what Kojima can do, especially when not handcuffed by Konami.

Edited November 1, 2019 by rotoninja

[Dreakon13]

I was hoping for more universally glowing reviews, but I'm going to pick the game up anyways I think.  This game was always destined to expose the bias in people, in both ways, because you have those who love everything Kojima does unconditionally and you have people who think he's extremely overrated and would hate anything he made even if it was pretty good.  You can tell when an opinion has been compromised because the summary of a review talks more about him than the game.

 

Honestly... Breath of the Wild is a dull, simple game that makes up for it with it's inventiveness in its open world and "the journey".  Something a lot of reviewers are accusing Death Stranding of doing/being.  The difference is there's a lot more bias in Nintendo's favor than there is for Kojima.  However justified that may be.

Edited November 1, 2019 by Dreakon13

[Sikutai]

Day 1 Buy for me, but this is a Trophy Website. Are any Informations about the Trophies already leaked?

Edited November 1, 2019 by Sikutai

[AFRising]

Death Stranding is probably the kind of game Kojima always wanted to make when he was with Konami but never had the freedom he craved. Now with Sony he's finally making it come true; good for him. I consider him a genius of storytelling, and I don't use that word lightly. Coming up with original ideas in today's industry is quite the challenge.

That being said, some of his ideas turn me off completely at times (MGSV sends its regards). I suspect DS will be no exception. I'll pick it up eventually, as I'm sure most people will too, but I'm in no hurry right now.

Edited November 1, 2019 by AFRising

[Infected Elite]

6 minutes ago, Dreakon13 said:

Honestly... Breath of the Wild is a dull, simple game that makes up for it with it's inventiveness in its open world and "the journey".  

sort of off topic i guess... but thank you. i get what they were going for with BotW but my fucking god they needed real dungeons and unbreakable weapons. 

BotW has room to grow with its sequel(s). 

 

i see the same for Death Stranding. Has tons of potential. but until i myself play it, i cant give any opinion. 

[Dreakon13]

3 minutes ago, LegacyJKO09 said:

sort of off topic i guess... but thank you. i get what they were going for with BotW but my fucking god they needed real dungeons and unbreakable weapons. 

BotW has room to grow with its sequel(s). 

 

i see the same for Death Stranding. Has tons of potential. but until i myself play it, i cant give any opinion. 

 

Well, I bring up Breath of the Wild since I think Death Stranding is going for something similar in it's "the open world IS the gameplay" approach and reviewers are picking up on it.  But it's a clear example of two similar games being treated differently because of who made it.  IMO.

 

Of course, I've yet to play Death Stranding so maybe it is lacking something that BotW had.

Edited November 1, 2019 by Dreakon13

[Alaquia]

I'm perfectly fine with the scores. this game divides. art divides. count me in, this is going to be epic.