For one, it invented a sub-genre appropriately called a ‘strand-game’. For the longest time, I didn’t understand what separated Kojima’s strand-game classification from the asynchronous message system used in Dark Souls. And while Death Stranding certainly uses the idea of Dark Souls’ message system, it builds upon it by substituting helpful hints for actual in-game items. These items, from ropes to ladders, etc., can help other players traverse the harsh conditions of the environment to reach their delivery destination with less of a hassle. But the multiplayer component isn’t the only aspect that defines Kojima’s strand-game; it’s also the distinct theming.

The plot is absolutely bonkers and any attempt to summarize it will be for naught. So, let’s just explore it’s themes and basic concept. As a courier, Sam Bridges delivers various goods to the isolated peoples of a post-apocalyptic America. Merely stepping outside is a life-threatening venture, thanks to the deadly Timefall rain and such, so Sam functions as a lifeline for the citizenry of the splintered Knot Colonies. In true Kojima fashion, every single thing in the game is a metaphor for the game’s theming. But thankfully, that theming is put to good use with clever gameplay-story integration.

And of course, how can one discuss the story of Death Stranding without mentioning its star-studded cast of characters? If this were a Hollywood-filled game by any other director, the casting might seem almost contrived or gimmicky, but Kojima is able to wrangle out a trademark quality of his through these characters: most notably, the weird factor. And I don’t mean a cartoony wackiness when I say that, but rather how uncanny and alien, yet still totally within their element, they all are. The phenomenal acting performances of Death Stranding’s characters makes the entire world all that much more believable and immersive despite how surreal and strange it is. Léa Seydoux as Fragile casually eats a bug and rambles on about Timefall and Beached Things as if it’s just another Tuesday.

Norman Reedus adds a layer of believability with his grounded tone and weathered everyman demeanor – attributes which fits Sam Porter Bridges’ role as a freelance courier perfectly. I mean, sure, not every carrier has to deal with the horrific threat of BTs and military grade cargo thieves on their route, but many gamers can relate to a guy delivering stuff. If the characters felt fake or artificial, the rest of Death Stranding’s world would’ve lost that extra bit of realization and believability. It’s hard to overstate just how ‘in-their-element’ every character is in the game, despite the elements being so…Kojima – that is to say charmingly bizarre. For once, Hollywood talent in a video game doesn’t feel like a novelty add-on to a core experience, but a crucial ingredient to the experience itself.

That signature Kojima tone transfers beautifully to Death Stranding’s worldbuilding and atmosphere. As the second Kojima game to feature full open-world exploration, Death Stranding really sinks its hooks into players looking for an immersive, lived-in environment. The setting is distinctly post-apocalyptic, yes, but the grey skies and rolling hills portray a sensation of tranquility. It’s easy to get transfixed by the environment en route to a delivery destination, especially with the appropriately atmospheric music provided by Low Roar and Silent Poets. Usually, I’m not all that keen on games using licensed music from popular bands, but in this case, it’s all used so brilliantly to fit the scenes without feeling out of place. Count on Kojima to inject Hollywood acting and licensed music into a game and make it work as seamlessly and organically as if it were always meant to be there.

But the world of Death Stranding isn’t just pretty to look at and nice on the ears, it’s also one of the few open-world games that uses its terrain as an end itself rather than a means to an end. That sounds rather backwards considering its reputation as a ‘delivery simulator’, but the core gameplay lies in overcoming the terrain within the open-world and not in the points of interest dotting it. All the so-called ‘anti-fun’ mechanics inherent in the weight of packages and stability management help make the gameplay primarily about the environment itself. In Death Stranding, you don’t just use the environment to get from A to B, you actively engage with it and fight it. Players even have to think about logistics in a unique way. Do you know you’re delivering in MULE territory? Better make room for an assault rifle or Maser Gun as well as some grenades for extra measure. Going into a craggy mountainous region? Probably best to set aside the military grade weaponry for some ladders and ropes. The environment functions as a character in the game rather than just a pretty background, which is something I wish more games would lean into.

What’s more, the game controls well too. Balancing your cargo is accomplished by tilting Sam’s weight with the shoulder triggers. With the Director’s Cut on PS5, this includes enhanced HD rumble and haptic feedback. You really feel the weight and nuances of Sam’s stability with the controller feedback, and it remains one of the best applications for haptic feedback and trigger resistance across the PS5 library. The shooting mechanics aren’t the best in the third-person shooting genre, of course, but they do the job for the limited times the game demands you to engage with them. Death Stranding prides itself on its traversal mechanics rather than combatitive gameplay, which really helps make the open-world feel that much more enjoyable to explore and interact with.

Another way the open-world feels special is how the game’s ‘multiplayer’ works within it. Calling it multiplayer is a tad strong, since it’s an asynchronous cooperative experience and not simultaneous interaction. But one has to appreciate the adherence the co-op has to the game’s core theme of connection. It represents an attempt to connect what is disconnected. Using the Portable Chiral Constructor, players can construct various tools such as bridges and power generators to leave for other players who encounter that area of the map in their instance in the game. There’s no reward for leaving behind helpful tools or completing another player’s delivery, well, unless you count ‘likes’ as a reward. Helping other players out is a cool way to feel more connected to others through altruism, and it’s a nice parallel to what the game’s themes are.

The game’s mechanics aren’t for everyone. But that goes for most things in Death Stranding. The true mark of uniqueness and vision is that it’s not for everyone, and that’s okay, as long as it’s still good. Death Stranding is Kojima’s most personal and unfiltered game yet and we can’t wait to see what the sequel has in store for us.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Frostpunk 2 – Sept 20th

Frostpunk 2 takes the gritty moral dilemmas of the first game and turns them up a couple of notches. You’re given the task of keeping New London afloat as it struggles to survive the consequences of the catastrophic “Great Storm” from the first game. Yes, that technically means you manage a city set in a post-post-apocalypse in Frostpunk‘s sequel. Frostpunk 2 expands the series’ scale with the ability to build districts rather than mere buildings and the inclusion of a new “Utopia Builder” sandbox mode. We’re looking forward to seeing what horrific circumstances you can put your city through when Frostpunk 2 drops on September 20th.

Gematsu recently published a report in which it corroborated the latter, and even added that the developer in question is Kojima Productions, with the game being funded by Sony. Hideo Kojima was, of course, directed P.T. and was set to direct the cancelled Silent Hills before his departure from Konami.

VGC’s Andy Robinson, who originally reported that a prominent Japanese developer is working on the horror franchise, took to Twitter to state that Kojima Productions is not the studio that he has referred to, before adding that he doesn’t doubt the info coming from Gematsu’s Sal [Romano], the author of the aforementioned report.

Kojima Productions’ next project remains a mystery, but there has been a lot of speculation about multiple possible projects. It’s been rumoured that Hideo Kojima and his team are working on an exclusive Xbox game with Microsoft, while there have also been reports of a Death Stranding sequel.

Earlier this year, Konami said it was “in deep development of a number of key projects”. Konami producer Shin Murato also said later that the company would continue to outsource properties to external developers.

Sal at Gematsu is a great journalist so I don't doubt his info.

— Andy Robinson (@Andy_VGC) October 2, 2021

Saying “Hideo Kojima does weird stuff” is like saying “EA really likes live service games.” Of course Hideo Kojima does weird stuff, and he’s doing a lot of it in Death Stranding too. It’s hard to say just what the weirdest thing is in the entire game – there’s tough competition for that title – but the fact that you carry a baby in a jar with you at all times is definitely in contention.

When you’re playing Death Stranding, this baby – called BB – will often make noises and interact with you, and Kojima recently revealed on Twitter that the noises it makes will come from the speakers on your DualShock 4 controller (at least if you choose that in the game’s settings). Considering the fact that you’ll be soothing the BB by rocking your controller, it looks like the DualShock 4 is going to act as a conduit of sorts with this weird bottled baby. It’s pretty neat, then, that the DualShock 4 in the limited edition Death Stranding-themed PS4 Pro looks like a BB pod.

Death Stranding recently wrapped up development, and is out exclusively for the PS4 on November 8- and you won’t require a PS Plus subscription to enjoy the game’s multiplayer features. Kojima has recently been teasing a launch trailer as well, so be on the lookout for that in the coming days.

https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/1177599817553301505