With Death Stranding's impending release set for tomorrow, 8 November, fans excitement levels have reached a crescendo. The anticipation began back in 2016 when the game's very first reveal trailer dropped at E3. With a subsequent three years worth of excitement wrapped up in mystery, it's not surprising the internet is positively ablaze with hype.
The video (which can be watched here) brings up some accurate points about the build-up to the game's release -not to mention it being completely hilarious. Over recent weeks, the very first reviews have emerged and overall have been oddly mixed. Some are painting Death Stranding as a model game and masterpiece of the ages while others are all but tearing it to pieces. In short, it's all a bit chaotic.
"After all the conspiracy theories, conjecture and just plain hype, Death Stranding turns out to be about carrying boxes from A to B. And, often, back again. That's it. That’s the game." This summary given by GamesRadar is one of a handful of similarly pessimistic reviews that suggest that the hype leading up to it has only made the actual game experience that much more underwhelming.
It's also been critiqued by Eurogamer as being an overly-grandiose-to-the-point-of-groveling tribute to Kojima himself, and that "the production could certainly have used more people who were willing to tell Kojima no." EDGE magazine editor Nathan Brown sums up his experience in a suitably amusing, if not quite harsh, way. Overall, widespread criticism seems especially directed to the game's tediousness and heavy focus on a whole lotta walking around.
Then there's the opposite end of the spectrum. One of the most noteworthy reviews being spoken about at the moment is a perfect 40/40 score given by renowned Japanese publication Famitsū. PushSquare also gave the game an outstanding 10/10 in their review, commending the game for its "gripping narrative unlike anything else," and even making the bold claim that "Death Stranding doesn’t raise the bar for any particular genre, it creates an entirely new one."
Love it or hate it, Death Stranding is making history. And even if you do hate it, it is surely undeniable that the visuals look superb. Even in the more abrasive reviews, it seems most have granted that the game's visual environments are breathtaking. IndieWire claims that DS doubles as a cinematic experience in and of itself, saying it is the "best video game movie ever made."
Good thing we only have mere hours left to find out for ourselves.
Source: Reddit