All the reviews are out, yet Hideo Kojima's magnum opus and first solo outing since separating with Konami has, in many ways, left the gaming sphere as divided as it was when first building up to the game's release, if not more so. First and foremost, this isn't a title for everybody. Merely look at how Reddit reacted to IGN's 6.8 review, which interestingly enough doesn't mirror its overseas counterparts, like IGN Italy's and Japan's 9.8 scores of the game. It's important to note that Kojima isn't just a game designer. He's a master storyteller, an engineer of the strange and, most importantly, a genius who can look well beyond the future.
Though, maybe Death Stranding is too far into the future. While it may capture exactly what he's going for, it also minimizes itself through a boring and oftentimes redundant playthrough. To some, it's still a mesmerizing experience, but not everyone can look past the game's various negative connotations. As previously states, it's not for everyone, yet then again, should it?
Repetitive Interiors And Environments
While Death Stranding may have been awarded a clean 40/40 by Famitsu magazine, the 26th game ever to receive such an accolade from the publication, there are still some cons to the game (as there are with practically any title in existence). There is a plentitude of amazing, breathtaking and spellbinding landscapes to lose yourself in, but the interiors are often reused. Even the luscious environments can become boring, despite very much varying between climates and biomes.
Still, it's not all repetitive interiors and uneventful landscapes. Though the game may not be as punishing as Red Dead Redemption 2 is when not wearing a jacket in the snow, excursions through certain climates without protective equipment could prove disastrous. This is what the game attempts to achieve: trying to make players think ahead of their actions and pushing those inevitable consequences to the forefront. This is the beating heart of Death Stranding, the so-called "walking simulator." Yes, it can often become tedious moving from place to place, while experiencing very little in terms of varied surroundings, but one can't deny the game screams of elegance, thanks to the highly powerful Decima engine.
No Strategy Needed For Redundant Enemies
Much in the same way that Metal Gear Solid stressed the importance of tactical strategy and sneaking, Death Stranding takes this to a whole other level. In fact, the game funnels this very concept into the backbone of its narrative. Yes, you can absolutely go shoot and kill whatever and whoever you like (besides the main characters), but if you don't dispose of their bodies and don't tread carefully around the BTs, void outs will inevitably become the bane of your existence. Simultaneously intriguing and annoying, these void outs serve as punishment for recklessness.
Enemies, like boss fights and other NPCs, don't offer very much different in terms of how one tackles them. Death is a thing in the game, as you can be set back a few paces if you aren't careful, yet falling to the other side (called Hades) is much, much worse. Add to this the fact that your actions dictate if other NPCs die, it only adds weight to the experience, as a whole. This isn't your typical run and gun shooter - this is about connection, not killing. It would do the game a great disservice if designed in a different way. So, boring it may be at times, at its heart lies a complicated message about struggling to be and remain whole that is too rare in today's gaming mediascape.
It All Comes Down To The Narrative
Peter Tieryas diagnosed the game's narrative as best as is possible: "Death has never been so compelling." In its very title, the very first social strand game of its time seamlessly weaves a beautiful narrative in with a rather interesting online mechanic. This entire video game is all about bridging gaps, finding connection even in the worst of cases, and ensuring said connections remain as taught as can be. Not everyone is going to finish Death Stranding with the same takeaways, but one thing that will be universally understood is a necessity to come together. Kojima has said it plenty of times how this game is a metaphor for our age, yet very few people can look past the simplicity of the gameplay.
Yet, all in all, most people just don't get it. If one heads to the Death Stranding subreddit, nothing has changed. The reviews have yet to sway true fans, either that of Death Stranding itself or Kojima. He's a mastermind, and while not everything in his game may be perfect, or downright exceptional, the pieces are there. He has designed something that surpasses our very concepts of gaming. Death Stranding is, in essence, an interactive film that diagnoses society while also challenging its players to look inward and beyond. It's a complicated piece of art and very few people may appreciate it, but there's no denying it will push the bounds of narrative and interactive storytelling.