Death Stranding is a controversial game, but undeniably a good one. Perhaps not on par with Hideo Kojima at his best (but what auteur could ever top a work as good as Metal Gear Solid 2: Son of Liberty,) Death Stranding still thrives off its fresh concept and incredibly well realized gameplay loop. It’s slow, but deliberately so.
Death Stranding is a game that demands the audience’s patience. That won’t be for everyone, but there’s wrong with this approach to game design– if anything, it’s all the more welcome in a generation churning out AAA, flavor of the month shovelware like a printing press. All the same, Death Stranding has its flaws and a game can only ask its audience to be so patient.
10 Everything Unlocks So Slowly
Alright, this isn’t actually bad in the grand scheme of things. Death Stranding walks at its own pace and the rate at which the game unlocks new weapons, upgrades, or functions makes sense– for those mainly sticking to the mandatory Orders. Those exploring every nook and cranny of the game will find themselves unlocking content at a snail’s pace.
That said, that can be a good thing for some players. Death Stranding begins adopting more traditional combat mechanics around 10 hours in and it only becomes more actionized until the end. Those enjoying the slower and less violent beginning will likely want to make the most out of their situation.
9 Don’t Rely On Vehicles
Vehicles have their use, and it’s foolish not to head out in one even if Sam won’t be able to drive all the way to his destination. They cut the filler and make traveling comfortable, especially in areas with roads and bridges. Unfortunately, there will always come a point where it’s better just not bothering with vehicles.
They’re cumbersome, a moving target, and more trouble than they’re worth since most terrain will stop them in their tracks. Not just that, Ziplines end up trivializing vehicles a little over halfway through the game. Anyone placing down Ziplines will soon find themselves able to travel the map in minutes thanks to their online compatriots.
8 Say Something, Sam
Sam Porter Bridges is an interesting character and Norman Reedus delivers an excellent performance. Unfortunately, Sam suffers from “Venom Snake Syndrome.” He’s present, he’s listening, but he’s not going to say a word unless he absolutely has to. That’s already a leg up over Venom who just wouldn’t speak sometimes, but it’s still frustrating.
There are multiple instances of characters talking at Sam and not with him. And it truly is talking at. Sam’s there, but if it’s not a proper cutscene, he might as well be resting on the ground, sleeping. Given the scope of the game’s script, it makes sense that Norman Reedus wouldn’t be available to record for every conversation, but that in itself is a problem.
7 The Long Winded Script
Death Stranding’s script is well written. It’s obtuse and presents concepts in a convoluted manner, but that’s part of Kojima’s distinct style– his voice as a writer. It’s not inherently a bad thing and it’s important to recognize how difficult it is to truly recognize “good” or “bad” writing. Regardless, Kojima isn’t a perfect writer by any means and Death Stranding’s lesser conversations suffer for it.
Not only do characters talk at Sam, they don’t shut their mouths. Characters will trail off on long winded monologues, most of the time repeating information the player already knows. That’s fair enough considering how long the main story is, but quite the script would undeniably have been better off with more editing.
6 Hologram “Cutscenes”
The hologram cutscenes are honestly just bad. They make sense contextually and it’s a convenient tool that likely lessened the burden on the development team tremendously, but it’s disappointing how much story happens with these holograms, especially since Metal Gear Solid thrived off its cinematography as well.
Death Stranding does more than well when it comes to its actual cutscenes, but players will be drowning in holograms by the end of the game. There’s no real solution and detailed cutscenes for every conversation would have dragged the story out even longer, so it’s one of those annoyances that just needs to be accepted.
5 The Pacing
Death Stranding’s pacing is going to be hit or miss, both for those that initially like or dislike the game. The fact of the matter is that Death Stranding’s second half is just structured differently. Almost half of the game is spent in the first three episodes. Out of 14. That’s utterly insane, but the way the story is structured means that this is just how the pace has to move.
The story goes from slow to fast in almost no time at all, and the last few episodes are a flash right to the finish line. Those enjoying the slower pace might find that the faster pace leaves little time to linger or breathe. On the other hand, those eager for the plot to pick up might find themselves on the edge of their seats from episode to episode.
4 Matters Of Ownership
Death Stranding features a communal world where every minor contribution is a genuine contribution that has weight in someone else’s world. Even the mere act of donating a few Metals to a structure has meaning. At the same time, it’s unrealistic to assume that every structure a player builds will stay their structure.
Alright, that’s a bit confusing, but Death Stranding’s online system means that multiple players will build structures in the exact same space. A structure that belonged to one player yesterday might belong to someone else tomorrow. Of course, part of contributing is to make everyone’s lives easier, not to gain credit, but some players will naturally want to leave a permanent mark on the game world.
3 Structure And Road Erosion
This is really only relevant to Timefall heavy areas and for players who like to make the most out of every area. Timefall naturally ages everything it touches, but most would be forgiven for assuming that this wouldn’t apply to structures. After all, the point of the game is to rebuild America. Sam’s actions need to linger. And they do! But not in Timefall heavy areas.
The Timefall will slowly erode structures and roads, requiring players to donate materials to keep everything up to snuff. That said, this isn’t going to be an issue for most players and can be comfortably ignored. Those aiming to do everything, though, get ready to lug around metals.
2 “Cut Umbilical Cord”
For a good chunk of the game, BTs are a genuinely terrifying threat that can take out Sam at a moment’s notice. It takes time to learn how to approach them directly. At first, players can’t even fight back. Slowly, the games introduces grenades and guns that can help Sam fight back against BTs.
Guns change up the gameplay loop, but the stealth and horror elements are still present. But then Sam gets an umbilical cord cutter, allowing him to snip BTs by crouching up to them. Any player who takes the time to master crouching and holding Sam’s breath in BT territory (an admittedly easy skill to master) will find themselves bathing in BT blood.
1 Lost Cargo Loses Its Luster
Early on, there’s no reason not to pick up every piece of lost cargo found. In fact, more diligent players might even find themselves actually taking the time to deliver lost cargo to their appropriate locations– a feat that only becomes more time consuming as the game marches on. By the halfway point, it’s hard to imagine many players still taking the time to mess with lost cargo.
It eats up time, the rewards aren’t that necessary, and delivering lost cargo just isn’t as fun as the main orders. They’re a way of keeping Death Stranding’s content essentially endless, but that’s not always a good thing. Games can and should be allowed to run out of content. The lost cargo system makes sense contextually, but there’s little substance.