Playing and Connecting. Review of DEATH STRANDING, a masterpiece with much thought put into it.

DEATH STRANDING, a title for PS4(R), was released on Friday, November 8, 2019. The game has been attracting attention for some time because it is the first game by Hideo Kojima, the director known for the "Metal Gear" series, since his independence, and because it features great actors such as Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen. In this issue, we present a review of this film. Although there are no spoilers directly related to the story, please note that some of the images in this article are from the latter half of the story.

Reconnecting the collapsed North American continent and delivering goods to the divided people

The story takes place on the North American continent, which was devastated by the "Death Stranding" phenomenon. The world since then has been connected to the "other world," and in many places, "Tokiwu," which steals time from those who touch it, has fallen, and beings from the world of the dead, known as "BT," roam the land. People are holed up in buildings, terrified of the threat outside. At the request of Bridges, an organization dedicated to rebuilding the United States of America, the protagonist, Sam Porter Bridges, sets out on a journey to recover Samantha America Strand (Amelie), a presidential candidate captured in "Edge Not City" in the western part of the continent, and to reconnect the divided North American continent.


Such is the axis of this film: delivery. The basic flow is to deliver something entrusted to you to someone, somewhere. Sam carries all kinds of packages, including food, medicine, miscellaneous goods, and resources, when asked to do so. The concept of center of gravity is present in this work, so the way the package is carried is important, whether on the back, attached to an arm or leg hanger, or in the hand. If the luggage is unevenly distributed, it is easy to lose balance while walking, or worse, fall. If this happens, the luggage will be dropped, damaging the case and its contents. The condition of the luggage will affect the evaluation of the completed delivery. If the delivered luggage is in shambles, it will receive a low rating.


However, I never felt that it was a hassle when playing the game because the placement of the luggage is automatically optimized by pressing and holding the △ button on the luggage equipment screen. Even if you lose your balance, you can pick it up by pressing R2 or L2 (i.e., as long as you keep pressing R2 and L2, you can move safely). In addition, luggage itself only falls when you fall or are attacked by an enemy, so you do not need to pay attention to the position of your luggage while moving. Damage caused by dropped luggage is also basically absorbed by the packing case, so the contents are rarely directly damaged. Although there are some missions that emphasize speed, as long as the center of gravity is taken care of, the recipient's evaluation will usually be an "S" rank. The heavier the weight you carry, the slower you move and the more likely you are to be knocked down, but as the story progresses, you will be able to use motorcycles and trucks, so you can carry packages that weigh several hundred kilograms at a time.


Developing delivery routes is also important. The North American continent in this title is desolate, with a wide variety of terrain awaiting you, including cliffs, rocky terrain, and deep rivers. Using equipment such as ladders and ropes, you can take the shortest, albeit dangerous, route to your destination. Or you can take the safer route, even if it is a bit of a detour. The development of equipment requires a variety of resources such as chiral crystals, metals, resins, and ceramics, but the amount of each is not that great, and the resources available at each location are sufficient, so you can concentrate on creating routes for delivery. The map can be checked at any time and markers can be placed to serve as landmarks. There is a lot to think about, such as Sam's center of gravity and the development of delivery routes, but at the same time, there are also elements in place to ensure that he does not get lost in the vastness of the map.

Mules and BTs, entities that try to sever connections

Mules" and "BTs" are also major obstacles to package delivery. Mules are people who suffer from a disease called "delivery addiction," and they indiscriminately attack couriers, including Sam, and target packages in their possession. The objective of this work is to deliver packages, not to fight. It is advisable to avoid them on the delivery route as much as possible. If you are so inclined, you can reach the ending of the game without fighting even once.


However, you can also neutralize them by beating them, using the strand, a rope weapon, or the bolagun, which ejects wires. During my play, I have also wiped out the mules in the base several times. If you neutralize them all, the mules in the area will be temporarily inactive, and you can safely transport your cargo. If you are confident in your skills, give it a try.


BTs appear in places where it rains. There are several types. The humanoid "gazers" roam the area and try to find Sam by his breathing and footsteps. When a gazer is nearby, the "Odradek" on Sam's left shoulder is activated and tells him the distance between the gazer and Sam. The gazer is basically invisible, but if it stops nearby, it becomes a black blur and can be seen. It is very annoying, but if you pay attention to Odradek's movements, you will not be detected very often. Even if you are spotted, you can escape by holding your breath and walking slowly.


If you come in contact with a gazer, a "hunter" will appear along with a gush of black liquid around you. The hunter will try to drag Sam away from the gazer. If he can get away from the black liquid, he can escape, but if he is dragged down, he will be taken to the place where the "catcher" is located. The catcher is a powerful enemy, and can only be damaged by special weapons such as a "blood grenade" made from Sam's blood. In addition, since it is always raining during the battle, even if the catcher is defeated, the cargo left out in the open during the battle will have deteriorated. Although a large amount of chiral crystals can be obtained as a reward, it is not recommended to fight because the risk is much greater than the reward. Even if you get into a fight with the catcher, you can escape if you get out of a certain range, so personally, I would recommend that you do so.

Connecting to the World through the Social Strand System

At each base, Sam uses "Qpid" equipment to connect to the "chiral communication," which is the communication infrastructure. In areas where this chiral communication is connected, the "Social Strand System," the heart of this work, is applied. The status of other people playing DEATH STRANDING will be reflected to you and the rest of the world. It is amazing to see the large number of facilities that appear in places where nothing existed before, as soon as communication is established.


Only the person who sees the change will know what kind of change it is, such as a bridge in a place he or she does not remember putting up, or a signboard in a place he or she does not remember putting up. Sharing facilities not only makes delivery easier, but it is also encouraging to know that someone somewhere is playing in real time and that he or she is also crossing a continent alone.


You can send "likes" to the facilities you share. The person who receives a "like" will be happy. That's all. But when they are happy, they feel motivated to build another facility for someone they cannot see. As these connections grow stronger and we help each other, delivery becomes even easier and more enjoyable. I try to send as many likes as possible to facilities I use. A "100 likes" is better than "1 like. When playing this game, please try to connect to the Internet as much as possible. PS Plus" subscription is not required, so anyone can benefit from this system.


As already explained, this system assumes that you are connected to the chiral network, so you will have to go through the places you visit for the first time on your own. In other words, you can rest assured that the paths you take will not be paved with the equipment of other players.

A gentle game that considers the obvious

This is a game that focuses on the element of "movement," which in other games would be the first thing to be streamlined. I completed the game in less than 50 hours, most of which was spent on transportation for delivery. While the system for transporting packages in this game is very well designed, the efficiency of the delivery itself is poor. Most of the time is spent walking, and even if you use a motorcycle or truck, it takes time to drive over rough roads (the fast-travel function is opened during the story, but you cannot take your luggage with you when you travel).

On the other hand, the more time and effort you put in, the greater the sense of accomplishment you will feel when you deliver a package to someone waiting for you, and you will be happy when they thank you. However, it does not mean that you will get in-game currency or valuable weapons and armor. Like the "Like" in the social strand system, it is a free service. How much meaning you find in this will be the difference in the evaluation of this work. If comfort is the primary consideration, this work, with its constant movement across continents, will be seen as redundant, slow-paced, and tedious, with little gameplay.


In today's world of 24/7 Internet connections and tomorrow's delivery of goods upon request, it is unthinkable for a single person to scale cliffs, canyons, and snow-covered mountains and deliver packages to isolated people. In Death Stranding, every connection is severed, and because of this, we realize the importance of being connected. Players can help each other through the social strand system, send each other likes, and even admire each other. There is no need to "kill people," which has become half the norm in games. For the author, this game was a gentle game that made him rethink the way things are in the real world and in games.


(Text by Yoshiyoshi Natsumunouchi)

Product Summary
DEATH STRANDING
Genre: Action
Compatibility: PlayStation(R)4 , PlayStation 4(R)Pro
Release date: Now on sale
Price:
Blu-ray Disc version
Normal Edition Suggested Retail Price: 6,900 yen (excluding tax)
Special Edition Suggested Retail Price: 7,900 yen (excluding tax) *Limited quantity
Collector's Edition Suggested Retail Price: 20,900 yen (excluding tax) *Limited quantity
Download Edition
Normal Edition Retail Price: 7,590 yen (tax not included)
Digital Deluxe Edition: Retail price: 9,790 yen (tax included)
CERO: D
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Developer: Kojima Productions, Inc.

(C)2019 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Created and developed by KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS.