Death Stranding: 4 Years Later
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- Опубликовано: 3 фев 2025
- Death Stranding is still as beautiful and as haunting as it first was when it released back in 2019. In this video essay, we take a look at how Kojima productions came to pull off this game as I review and discuss what worked for me and what didn't, as well as what I'd like to see in DS2.
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This game has emotionally stuck with me longer than anything else.
I'm trying so hard to get my gamer friends to give it a shot. I haven't had a game hit me in a long time
@@mrsaul9359YES, man, i been thru the same thing
Ikr😊
This game really surprised me. I was a skeptic, so I waited for a sale and had played it. Then I was like, "Shit, I wish I had this day one!". So unique.
The only other one that has ever come close is NieR: Automata
This has become one of my favorite games of the last decade unfortunately my friends cant get into it but there is something special about this game and how much it embraces the journey and has a slow build. The landscapes are beautiful and amazing. Thank you Hideo Kojima continue to make games that you love and you'll continue to have a fanbase that appreciates your games.
This game hooked me from the moment I started playing. Masterpiece.
100% this game is a masterpiece
no
@@LONE_SKUM_DOGEskill issue
this game is pure garbage from the gameplay standpoint (fetch quest walking simulator for 40h LOL) that is not even worth to pirate it lol
@@robosergTVhey man, im mature enough to respect opinions, so im not mad at all, but how about you grow up a little bit and learn a little word called “opinions”! Yep. Never heard of it, I can tell. Or maybe just act a little bit more mature. But I can’t blame you, you’re probably 10 trying to cause a fight. The death stranding community does not need you man, stay away from the game, for everyone’s sake! 😂 :)
@@LONE_SKUM_DOGECool 👍 Go back to Fortnite please
What a breath of fresh air listening speaking someone who actually understand what is going on in this game.
Death stranding was the first game from Kojima that I've played, I've fell in love with it after struggling for 30hrs. I even bought my own BB replica ❤️
that's so cool!! I have a lil higgs funko pop xD
You should try the metal gear series
@@Akumaragon I have the Higgs and Sam funko pop! :D
I only started playing just under 4 weeks ago and after the first hour I ended up "no-lifeing" my way to completion this weekend. I couldn't put it down, often pulling 36hr sessions in a weekend. And once I built my first road segment I was hooked, and would spend entire days just paving long stretches of highway which really paid off as I was able to get to campaign points of progression swiftly as well as avoid much of the BT areas. And then when I was able to develop ziplines...well, you already know lmao
I found the premise and plot straightforward to understand which made me wonder why there was so many people who felt confused by the ending and most of the story. I actually appreciated that it was not completely spelt out for you, and the suggestive nature surrounding how the BB experiments were a catalyst for the Death Stranding.
My favourite characters are Mads portrayal of Clifford, which was an absolute stellar performance and worthy of an Oscar, and Troy Bakers classy performance as Higgs. At first I hated Higgs because of what he had done to Fragile, and how his terrorist connections had caused Mama's predicament. But I soon warmed to him, and reading through his journals I found myself relating to him on some level and sympathizing with him...
...and then there are all of the emotional moments. I have never cried as much over any other media nor even over a love lost as much as I found myself in tears during the campaign. From the brutal circumstances Fragile was put in by Higgs and watching her run to try and prevent the nuke all the while the Timefall is destroying her body, to the tragedy of Mama having to sever her bond with her baby and then passing over, then the heartbreaking revelations about Clifford trying to save his son from the BB project and dying in the process and finally episode 14 where I cried the entire journey. Even Die Hardman's emotional confession on his knees to Sam had me choking up. These moments, and so many more, will stay with me for the rest of my life. I am so glad that I gave this game a fair try, it has impacted me in ways I wasn't expecting and is firmly at the top of my all time favourite games.
I could go on and on about this game. Suffice to say, anybody who simply writes this game off as a "walking simulator" never really gave it a fair shot with an open mind and that closed mindedness prevented them from experiencing something truly special, unique and wonderful.
Outstanding video, and reading the comments has reassured my that I wasn't alone in my thoughts and feelings about this game. Truly it is a masterpiece, and one wonders just how epic MGSV could have been had Konami only just trusted Kojima to not only deliver a great game but to deliver something legendary instead of trying to appease shareholders and be more concerned with the budget.
It’s a masterpiece and the best game I’ve ever played. Kojima Productions are so talented. Can’t wait for DS2
That vulture quote was beautiful, I’ve never read it before. The BTs really make you feel bittersweet we if even using Sam’s blood only temporarily grants them respite from their suffering. Makes me think of my own loved ones that have passed and that intangible bitterness that comes with mourning and missing those who aren’t physically with us anymore
Still playing, great video 😊
Discovered the game only a few months ago and quickly accumulated 400+ hours because I love it so much. Despite some plot holes in the story and my arch enemies, the trucks ^^ It's so emotional, esp. the ending(s). You're absolutely right about it being a parenthood simulator. My feels. Also sad about Sam not talking much but it sure adds to the overall feeling of the world's emptiness and Sam's loneliness. Great video, thanks for the amazing work ❤
I loved this game from the moment Dont be so Serious started playing. My only complaint was the race track for the platinum and not having a music player at least attached to the cars. I LOVED the gameplay and was never bored.
This was my game of the year for 2020 changed what it thought games could be.
This was a great a great review 👍 keep on keeping on!
Thank you kindly 👍🏼
Great game. When you’re not playing you are thinking about it. The sign of a true masterpiece
Your outro was top notch ❤ also love this game and legit bought a PS4 just to play it ❤
Playing in 2024. Its a fun game.
Clif's "I was afraid to be a father" scene is an absolute show-stopper.
I think so many more dudes cried to that scene than they will ever admit.
No other piece of media has impacted me as much as DS. my favorite work of art ever created
He did an amazing job at creating this and his company.
The marketing was really good. I got the general idea of it but was largely confused through at least half it before I got an "Ah-ha!" moment.
There are reasons it feels so isolating. Reasons why multiplayer in this would be stupid. I've done 3 plays; two on PS4 and one on PC.
It's a slow burn so if you haven't played it, be patient.
YES! Exactly what you said about Sam is the same feeling I have!! It just always felt like a little something was missing when we're running around playing as him. I also think Higgs should've had more of his childhood actually shown in cutscenes or even just have him talk a bit about it rather than just reading it in the journal entries you get. I just feel like that would've added a bit more depth to him. But hey, Troy Baker has read some of the entries as cameo videos for people so there is that to make up for it lol. Great video tho!! Death Stranding is my favorite video game & helped me through a very rough patch when I first played it in 2021. Can't wait for the sequel!!! 🕺🕺🕺
Great video man. I actually disagree about Norman Reedus voice lines, one of my favorite things about the game is how often Sam will throw out a line during an action (jumping off ramps, falling over, resting, etc.) and how varied the voice lines from the touchpad are. I think its the right balance of interactive, but not too constant.
I recently played again death stranding on ps5 and it never gets old. A true masterpiece worthy of the creator of metal gear saga.
I could see that he has put a lot of love, effort and dedication into creating this game, but I have played it for like an hour and have done some deliveries etc but I couldn't get engaged as a gamer. Maybe it is like a slow burn book or tv show more than a game...
Watching this, I might give it another try.
Love it ❤️ and it has left me attached to it as I am still playing the first one
As soon as the world war I began and I saw The abdominal scare in rising from the tar scene I knew the connection then on defeating him he grabs bb capsule but looks at sam i knew instantly it was a darthvader moment .
While your exposition is very valid I would like to say that thus is only one level of understanding Death Stranding. There is more to it. For example at the start there are 5 shadows and a reversed rainbow. Many people say those are the 5 characters Sam interacts with during the game. That is wrong. The 5 shadows represent the 5 previous extinction events that happened in earth before. The rainbow is Gods promise not to do another extinction. So that is why it is inverted. And that is only the intro cut scene. The game does not and will not have a music player because it wants to put you in a meditative state while you traverse with Sam. That is why Sam doesn't talk much either. It has reference to Egyptian Book of the dead, Christianity, Budhism and much more. If you have some books under your belt you can understand the depth of this game. If not and if it makes even 1% of the people who play the game go "Hmm.. I wonder what that means" and go read some things it is a true win. So yes without any fanboy or Kojima simping, just based on this games value, Death Stranding is a masterpiece and before it's time and I truly wish to see more games like this.
P. S. Death Stranding is also a subtile comment on the state of gaming and the world/society of today in general.
În conclusion a masterpiece and a unique game... At least until today.
4:54 *sam falls, rolls uncontrollably, loses all his cargo* - BB is blown away by Sam's technical mastery!
lol I love this game so much
I started the game expecting that I'll have fun with it despite what the majority said and all of a sudden it's my favorite game it's literally made for me and I think I needed a game like like at that time with all the trips I made in the game and the music the beautiful world made me start thinking about my life and kinda untie my mind and just relax i think it was made for this demographic witch i was in at that time can't wait for death stranding 2
Also what added to that experience is how the gameplay forces you to plan your journey like deciding what to get with you and planning your route it was so good and immersive
I paused at 13:24 , I'm going to finish the game and come back maybe in a month or two
At first i didn't like it but 6 hours into the game I got hooked.
I I started playing this game just days before COVID. Through the game, I gained a profound respect for delivery drivers and could better identify with isolation.
I've loved this game since the day I bought it. I get why people won't even touch it but man I can't recommend this game enough.
This game made you feel a type of way
that's one way to sum it up for sure xD
An absolute masterpiece that will stand the test of time❤️
It is a great game.
Thinking of playing the director's cut sometime in the near future.
whacky fun to be had in the director's cut for sure. would be worthwhile on a good sale. i think it's down to $20 on psn rn
This is one of my favorite games of all time
Kojima does what he wants and it's hit and miss.. but every hit is worth 1000 misses. Never change 🙌🏽
Big budget video games are made like marvel movies in the sense that they’re made to appeal to as many people as possible. Even death stranding to it’s detriment falls into this type of box ticking with it’s historic war zone shooting gallery sections and bt boss battles but almost everything about the core gameplay loop of planning your route, preparing your gear and navigating the terrain is something pretty much every other game studio of that magnitude wouldn’t dream of doing and that’s what makes this game so special to me. I have a lot of gripes with it and i feel it hits just as much as it misses but I can’t help but love and respect it for what it’s trying to do and what it represents. It’s the least corporate triple A game you’ll probably ever play from a design standpoint yet it has the most egregious product placement in a any game you’ll probably ever see lmao.
I enjoyed most of things the game tried to do aside from the core gameplay, but I get what you mean. I'd say that some of these aspects went as far as to convince people to stick with the game long enough to finish the campaign. The war zone battles are kinda generic in modern games, but the bt boss fights blew me away at the size of them and how Sam somehow overcomes that. It felt like fighting gods and honestly kept me playing when i initially thought that the delivery aspect of the gameplay was lackluster.
Most of the branding in the game is just Kojima and his friends/collegues so I felt it was kinda fun, like the stuff with 'Ride with Norman Reedus' for example, but monster energy was a bit much lmao
@@Akumaragon Monster is also Norman's thing apparently
I've beat this game but I just starting playing again but this time with my new PC so Yeah! Lol Love this Video and I'll finish it tomorrow or my Next day off, THANK YOU. @ 13:19 in the video, video is 11/10 💯
going back made me wanna start a new playthrough, too. it's just too good 😅
Thank you kindly!
Going back through the Director cut. This game is really unique and that's a good thing.
Its an emotional experience
Death stranding is the best game of my life ❤😢
Games that embrace journey are my favourite kind. Like the Death Stranding, Final Fantasy, Witcher
Replaying the game for the first time in maybe two years ish, but this time I’ve got the directors cut on the ps5 with an OLED tv and dude. This game is so fucking beautiful. I forgot how satisfying the game is, fantastic slow burn of a game. Can’t wait for the second one to come out
Why would Sam have more dialog? He's always alone. There's no one to talk to. I spend a majority of the day alone at work. I don't sit there and have conversations with myself. I wouldn't expect Sam to either.
Hm wild guess but maybe because it’s a video game and he’s kinda programmed to do that if you push a certain button😅😂
By far my favorite game!
Thank u for making such a wonderful review of the game. This is my first Kojima game, I have played it through twice and eagerly waiting for DS2. Apart from the visually aesthetic graphical wonderworks of Decima engine and the resonating Low Roar playlist, bits and pieces of interesting philosophically enriched background story details provided through emails and interviews fascinated me very much. One such detail that comes to mind is "The History of Odradek"...
I understand why this game is not everyone's cup of tea. It's fine to not like this game at all, but it's frustrating to see people (that stopped playing it after 2/3 hours) judging it in a negative manner. Funny enough u mentioned RDR 2 because I have tried twice, but gave it up each time after half to an hour of gameplay. There's something with the mechanics of Rockstar Games titles that bother me which is why I did not also like playing GTA 5. I understood they were not my cup of tea and moved on, never criticised them the way people go about Death Stranding....
Ayy. Ds is also my first Kojima game. And what a first impression that is. I get you a 100% but honestly, RDR2 is worthwhile if you can stick long enough with it. I never got into GTA and don't think I ever will, but red dead had me connected with it's story fairly quickly just like Ds, and i somehow just kept playing for 60 hours. It's definitely worth checking out for its narrative, even if you're only gonna watch it on youtube and not play it.
ty
I started it a couple years ago and thought it was Kojimas worst project, but after a while the mixed reviews started to get to me so I bought it on the PS5. I take back what I said cause yea it’s different and not for everyone, but if you actually sit down and give it a chance it’s actually really good story wise. The gameplay can be kinda boring at times but don’t sleep on the FUCKING story!!!
what is the name of the song at the end? I literally spent good 40 minutes but couldn't find it... Great video BTW!
troy baker's version of bb's theme. it played in the trailer for death stranding 2.
ruclips.net/video/xdy2NdAvjNk/видео.html
What song do you use at the end? Having a hard time finding it in the game's huge ost and shazam didn't help. Lovely video thank you very much
it's BB's theme but sung by Troy Baker,
ruclips.net/video/xdy2NdAvjNk/видео.html
It's an acquired taste but I've been thinking about replaying it recently.
this is your sign. you will replay death stranding
I am still unsure if roads and ziplines kinda ruin the game
depends where they're placed tbh. and sometimes they connect but cause stuff decays and rusts overtime in-game, they might be missing later. it's a whole thing
So here’s my opinion on it. During the story, ehh yes. But after the story, if your trying to grind for platinum trophy. They are an absolute LIFE SAVER! Especially ziplines on the first map. But yeah imo they kinda ruin the story but prepper missions and stuff it’s great.
the whole sam not talking much thing is a kojima thing. he decided this for snake in MGSV too.
its a clear design choice. i just dont get it though.
didnt know that! kinda cool and maybe it's a thing of "the player inserting themselves into the character", but yeah, i dont get it either.
To this day I still don't understand what the f this game was saposed to be about
Not sure why nobody left this comment yet, but here you go:
Have a pleasant journey!
Man 4 years eh..
you know what they say, the timefall gets us all 🫠
@@Akumaragonone thing i liked back then is how it made people contemplate what covid could mean for us in the future. And then there were some people that went a step further and once again called Kojima a visionary.
I wouldnt call him a visionary, but i really liked how he, once again, really made some people think 😂
Pacing is horrible in death stranding. The 2 hour movie would feel far far better if it is embedded more into the main mission structure. There is more than enough space for it to be put in
I personally felt like it was integrated well enough. like, play a little mission, get a little story cutscene, till the very end. but i see what you mean
I respect your opinion. And yes I feel that it can be slow at times. But that’s why this game is a hidden gem for some people. Me definitely being one of them. Honestly the movie-vibe is why I love it so much! :)
Gameplay and atmosphere was really unique and although it wasn't what I hoped Kojima was making it definitely is a different experience which is what we really hope for if we ever want to justify the amount of time and money in this hobby. The problem is that this game killed any hope I had for Kojima's writing, he can't write by himself and has the George Lucas problem of no one telling him that his idea need work, reminding him that he's not writing for gold fish because too much repetition isn't cute anymore when it's not being reacted to by David Hater. The team he built at Konami knew they had deadlines and standards to keep for Konami to make sure they weren't wasting money on this auteur so a lot of Kojima's writing was edited and localised really well. Death Stranding turned me off of any future projects he makes from here on so I will not be purchasing DS2 or OD, the direction he's taking in his career is becoming more anti-gamer than he ever has been before. He's being told by celebrities that he's doing a great job and gamers are at the bottom of his priorities, I actually can't believe not a single writer he knows hasn't slapped his head and told him to do better because none of his stories have been good for a long time.
i get what you mean. but it's not necessarily a bad thing that he now has creative freedom over everything he does with his studio. that's the upside of having your own studio, to tell the stories you wanna tell in the way you feel would be best to tell them in.
death stranding was the first project to come out of kojima productions and it had faults, that maybe will be used to make future projects better. but it also had a lot more to give that when experienced right and focused on, will show you that Kojima can write and did make something true to himself and for himself, more than anyone else. He's not anti-gamer, he's just pro-himself in the way that an artist makes art for themselves before it is for anybody else.
@@Akumaragon artists give world something that has artistic value. It is well thought work, that leads to satisfaction but that feeling is caused by knowing that other people enjoy and you contributed to the world. By no means real artist does for himself only, as you told. I know some real artists, some of them are celebrities and i spoke with them a lot about their perceptions of meaning of art.
Yes, Sam doesn't talk too much, and it made feel strange, I don't like it. Also some main story videos are too long. Too much explanations about death stranding. But too much. I love story based games. But why too much explanations, too long videos. It makes people swear sometimes. Kojima should accept the fact that sometimes it is best to let people fill the blanks.
Thank god there isn’t a music player in game. Thats the only thing I hate about this game. Weird, hippie, mostly percussion-less coffee house music. The kind of weird shit you hear when you walk into Starbucks.
Bro music is amazing for having thinkfull mood
Buddy you literally just described the exact opposite of Low Roar 😂
I was really interested in DS until you compared the movement to RDR2, which feels like you're controlling a drunken rag doll. Pass.
I was comparing how realistic the animations of movement look in both games, not the gta/rdr2 controls of rag dolls. I'm honestly surprised a lot of people dont like that, cause I never liked it either. so fear not, DS doesnt play like a rockstar game in that sense
Bro, Death Stranding movement is much more arcade that RDR2
Love the gameplay, story not very interesting
I don't see both sides.
It's the best game Kojima ever made.
By far
This ended up turning out to be my favorite video game, EVER. 🥹❤️🎮 I'm actually cutrrently on my 5th playthrough of it. I cannot wait til the sequel drops. Its a masterpiece. I've never played another game like it in my life...
Same here! I play it soo much. Max porter grade and everything. Just even finished the platinum for it the other day. All time fav game :) ❤