Death Stranding is understandably polarizing. It’s the wankiest game ever conceived, with Kojima Productions leaning into its worst, most pretentious habits to create an experience that is unlike anything else out there. I can’t think of a single blockbuster in existence brave enough to pursue such a bizarre creative vision. But here it is, a game that cost millions to make that essentially revolves around you delivering packages through the apocalypse while hurling piss grenades at ghosts and indulging in nonsensical storytelling spread across a cast of Hollywood A-listers. It shouldn’t exist, but it does, and it’s amazing.

With the arrival of Death Stranding Director’s Cut this week, hardened veterans and hesitant newcomers alike are set to jump into the boots of Sam Porter Bridges for an uncompromising journey into the unknown. This is a game that relies heavily on how many surprises it has in store for new players, those who are yet to uncover its unusual mechanics, larger than life characters, and beautifully cryptic worldbuilding. But as someone who played the original game to death (stranding), I have to admit some of that magic has been lost as I embark on my second playthrough. I already know about the piss grenades.

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It's still a masterpiece, as you can read in my review, but the majesty of its mystery is torn away as I jump back into its world knowing full well what to expect and how its central narrative is poised to unfold. I’m aware of the destiny that awaits Norman Reedus and the funky fetus, with all of the exposition and dialogue in the opening hours feeling like busywork as I skip through it so I can get to the meat of the gameplay.

Death Stranding

KojiPro’s approach to narrative is engaging at first glance, but once you know where it’s going, the silly self-indulgence at its core becomes abundantly clear. So I skipped through it, recognising its wondrous thematic message as Sam yeeted his late mother into a furnace to the sound of Low Roar solemnly crooning in the background. It’s a tonal nightmare, but its obscene concepts and eccentric characters sell what should be an absurd comedy of errors. There are moments of accidental hilarity, but for the most part, Death Stranding plays its dramatic notes completely straight.

This tenacity is to be admired, especially in the face of modern blockbusters that have long abided by the same predictable formula of characters overcoming adversity or learning life lessons that are easy to figure out from the very beginning. Death Stranding is an anomaly, willing to take us in countless different directions and explore ideas that oscillate between utter nonsense and total brilliance. The central premise sees Sam Porter Bridges hoping to reunite a broken society in the face of the apocalypse, addressing the flaws of humanity as he battles against a hostile environment, goopy ghosts, and a cast of characters who don’t believe in his drive for positivity. In a way he’s just another delivery man in a land filled with forgettable symbols of labour, but he’s also the key to our salvation.

Death Stranding

Yet as I said before, the brilliance of uncovering all of this has now passed me by - so much of the director’s cut’s appeal comes from its mechanical additions that were just enough to keep me engaged. Those in a similar position to me might feel underwhelmed. This perspective isn’t a slight on Death Stranding at all - if anything it’s proof that not all games need to possess a constant amount of replay value. Some pieces of art are meant to be experienced once and put aside as we ruminate on the effects they’ve had on us.

Kojima Productions’ debut project is one such thing, and I admire it for that. Now, I can step into its ethereal landscape and spend hours delivering packages without the worry of understanding the plot or delving into endless emails and journal entries in order to piece together the motivations of certain characters. It’s a double-edged sword in many ways. The melancholic loneliness that accompanied each and every delivery was once spurred onward by an alluring plotline, but now I’m left to stew in silence and find other reasons to push forward. This motivation comes from building structures, interacting with other players, and learning how to master mechanics without the burden of a demanding narrative. But when all is said and done, I’d give anything to hit the reset button and experience Death Stranding all over again. Even two years after its original launch, there’s still nothing quite like it.

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