Kojima has suggested that perhaps the reason why Death Stranding has received some pretty depressing reviews, especially from American publications, is because the game isn't a shooter. Death Stranding has been available for two days, but prior to this release there was already a bevy of pre-release reviews that were dividing the fans as they waited for the official release date to arrive.
Even before its official release, Death Stranding was already being called one of the best experiences in modern gaming, receiving stellar - even perfect - scores from some publications. On the other end of the scale, however,Death Stranding was receiving a helluva lot of criticism, at best labeling the game as a dull walking simulator, while the more abrasive reviews, like Giant Bomb's called it a complete mess:
At least now we know what the hell Death Stranding is: a disappointment.
Hideo Kojima - developer, writer, producer, designer, et cetera, et cetera of the latest, rather off-beat Kojima Productions title, has put forth a rather straightforward explanation for these harsher reviews: it's not a shooter. He says that first-person shooters are particularly popular among the American consumer market, and because the American consumer market dominates the global consumer market for gaming, the media backlash isn't that surprising.
Although Death Stranding includes combat and a good dose of violence, it certainly doesn't fall into the typical kind of shoot-'em-up genre. In fact, many have noted that the game doesn't really fit into any one kind of genre at all. And that, according to Kojima, is also partly responsible for the game's mixed reception:
Americans are great fans of first-person shooters and Death Stranding isn't one, it flies higher.
He also suggests, in a somewhat condescending way:
Perhaps it is a difficult game to understand for a certain type of critic and audience...disputes and discussions are fine, but it must be said that the Italians or the French have a different artistic sensibility that allows them to appreciate this kind of very original product...
There is certainly evidence that American publications have been more pessimistic about the game while, say, Japanese reviewers such as those at Famitsū awarded the game a perfect 40/40 score. But as with anything, there are exceptions to this pattern, like the review given by Eurogamer that called Death Stranding "a baffling, haunting, grand folly." Granted, they do not tear the game to shreds in the same way as their distinctly American counterparts such as IGN or GiantBomb do.
Imagine if we found out that the polarizing effect of Death Stranding was entirely planned and could be considered an extension of the themes in the game itself: a society divided, disconnected? Or is that a bit of a stretch? Knowing Kojima, perhaps it isn't.
Source: WCCFTech