For over three years now, we’ve been wondering what the hell Death Stranding is all about, from a story perspective as well as from a gameplay perspective. The former has become clearer as director Hideo Kojima has revealed more new trailers of the game – the recent Briefing trailer made things clearer than they’ve ever been – but as far as gameplay is concerned, many of us have been completely in the dark.
Kojima recently promised that he’d be showcasing a nearly 50 minute-long gameplay demonstration for Death Stranding at the Tokyo Game Show to clear away some of the confusion, and true to his word, that’s exactly what he did. The demonstration shows many of the game’s main elements, from survival mechanics and open world traversal to combat and stealth, while also shedding some light on a few other mechanics and systems that the game will play host to.
Some of these are pretty eccentric, in true Kojima fashion – like playing the harmonica to your baby-in-a-jar – while others focus more on the system side of things, such as inventory management, stamina management, and more. The game’s social elements are also shown quite a bit- they seem to be taking cues from the player interactions in Dark Souls or Bloodborne, but much more expanded. Beyond that, stealth against supernatural foes, combat against some not-so-supernatural foes, and a boss fight against a horrifying lion-monster thing is also shown. There’s a lot to take in, so have a look for yourself below. You can also get some details from the demonstration over on the official PlayStation Blog.
Do note that Kojima recently warned fans to not watch the demonstration if it can be helped, since he’d rather you enjoy whatever Death Stranding is by experiencing it all yourself with little to no prior knowledge of it. For those who remain unconvinced, the gameplay blowout might help change your mind.
Death Stranding is out exclusively on the PS4.