What the hell is going on in Death Stranding?
- Robert Endyo
- On May 30, 2019
- https://gameverse.com
Death Stranding is Hideo Kojima’s first game developed outside of the wiry fingered death grip of Konami, and it has finally has a release date – November 8, 2019. Some are surprised that it’s so soon, but the speculation that it would release this year goes back quite a while. Kojima himself gave it away last December when he was quoted “Is 2019 the year of the Whale? Please look forward to Death Stranding” in an issue of Famitsu. However, the four short years since Kojima Productions released Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and restructured separate from Konami, many thought there would not be time to develop a full game.
Even with a trailer and a release date, there are many questions as to what is going on. I tried to identify some details and piece together the nature of the story and the gameplay. This is what I’ve got so far:
The setting takes place in a somewhat-post-apocalyptic United States. You take the role of Sam (played by Norman Reedus) who is apparently in some way related to the President. A photograph depicting him with her and a pregnant woman along with the fact that he calls her “Bridget” implies that he may be her son in law. Sam appears to work for an organization called “Bridges” with the slogan “United Cities of America”. Combining that slogan with the torn landscape seems to mean that only certain cities are safe from the threat of whatever caused the destruction. This slogan may also be the new name or the United States.
Sam’s role, and the gameplay as a whole seem to center around delivering packages between cities. There seems to be some significant value to his deliveries, both from Bridget’s claim that he must “Make America Whole” and the people that ultimately are coming after him with electric polearms. While he does have a motorcycle in many scenes, it doesn’t seem like it’s prominent throughout the gameplay. This may be something you have to acquire or something you have limited use of either from terrain or as a facet of gameplay. In traveling, Sam makes use of a couple of distinct items. The first being an extendable ladder (ladders played roles in previous trailers as well) and a spike used as an anchor for descending a canyon. Overcoming these challenges and getting to your destination is clearly one of the cornerstones of the gameplay.
There seems to be a number of different elements inhibiting Sam in his journey. Climbing and descending mountains and canyons are obviously important given his tools, but the people attacking him may be part of the stated militant separatists’ group called “Homo Demens”. It is unclear why they are lashing out beyond the will to maintain the independence of “Edge Knot City”. A man in a golden mask (seen in previous trailers) also is part of this group. However, it the prominent antagonist and probably the source of the catastrophic effects in this world are the “BTs”.
Not much can be derived from any trailer about what the BTs do, or where they came from. They can’t be seen unless connected to a Bridge baby, which has been featured prominently in content related to Death Stranding. These baby creatures connect the user to what is referenced as the “other side”. The implication here I believe is that the BTs are some sort of afterlife-associated creatures. Encounters with them drag their targets into a fuzzy depiction of wars in the past. This becomes part of the gameplay, forcing the player to survive these trips to the past – prompting its own use of stealth and combat.
As far as the mechanics of the gameplay are concerned, I do think that we’re going to see some callbacks to the good parts of Metal Gear Solid V. The use of close combat melee as well as third-person shooting is reminiscent of that model. In addition, there are several cases in the trailer where Sam is stealthily moving through tall grass and trenches. I can’t imagine that it would be as in-depth as MGS games in regards to the stealth gameplay, but I believe it will be familiar to fans of the modern games in the series.
Death Stranding’s veil of mystery hasn’t been lifted completely yet. While we can derive some details, it still has plenty of enigmatic elements to send everyone off into speculation. Many characters, most notably Cliff (played by Mads Mikkelsen), are appropriately still in unknown roles related to the story. Given Hideo Kojima’s propensity for elaborate stories, this game doesn’t seem on track to change that. I’m sure that in the coming five months we’ll see more gameplay and at least another trailer to send our heads spinning with a whole new load of confusing bits and pieces.
Gaming Deals!
Follow Us!
News
Five Great Games Coming in October
September 30, 2020 | Robert EndyoFive Great Games Coming in October
The month of spooks is upon us and even though it’s still 2020, plenty of good games are here to make it all a little more tolerable.
5) Space Crew – … Read More
Why Mafia: Definitive Edition is the Most Underrated Game of 2020
September 30, 2020 | Matthew ByrdIn many ways, Illusion Softworks’s Mafia was a victim of its time.
Released in 2002 just two months before the debut of the beloved Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, it was, perhaps, inevitable that the two games would be compared. … Read More
Halo Multiplayer Modes Ranked From Worst to Best
September 28, 2020 | Matthew ByrdWhile the delay of Halo Infinite upset many franchise fans looking to dive into the series latest installment before 2021, the recent addition of Halo 3 ODST to Game Pass gives us a reason to dive a little deeper … Read More
Articles
What Resident Evil 8’s Vampires, Witches, and Werewolves Tell Us About the Game
January 15, 2021 | Matthew ByrdWhile we’re just days away from an extended look at Resident Evil 8 and months away from the release of the game itself, we actually don’t know that much about the sequel. Most of what we do know (or … Read More
It Is Time to Revive Star Wars: 1313
January 13, 2021 | Robert EndyoWith the announcement of Lucasfilm Games being created as well as Ubisoft taking on the role of creating an open-world Star Wars game, the future of the franchise seems bright. While EA has certainly turned things around with the … Read More
Is Uncharted The Best Indiana Jones Game?
January 12, 2021 | Matthew ByrdThe recent announcement that Bethesda and Wolfenstein developer MachineGames will team up to make a modern Indiana Jones title was entirely unexpected but welcome in ways that feel hard to describe.
However, questions remain regarding the upcoming Indiana Jones … Read More
Reviews
What Makes Doom Eternal So Great?
March 30, 2020 | Robert EndyoFour years ago, Doom had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The perception of the series after Doom 3’s mediocre release and the franchise’s subsequent hiatus left few people even looking for another game in the series. However, id … Read More
Rage 2’s use of Open-World design does not work
June 4, 2019 | Robert EndyoRecently, I finished Rage 2. I set out in the game with the hope that it would deliver something reminiscent of the magnificence of Doom while drawing some of the enjoyable open-world aspects of an Avalanche developed game. I … Read More
PlayStation Now: Does it Need to Change to Survive?
March 25, 2019 | Matthew ByrdIn many ways, PlayStation Now is shaping up to be Sony’s biggest missed opportunity of the PS4 era.
PlayStation Now sounded like a pretty exciting service when it was first revealed in 2014. At the very least, it offered … Read More
Opinion
It Is Time to Revive Star Wars: 1313
January 13, 2021 | Robert EndyoWith the announcement of Lucasfilm Games being created as well as Ubisoft taking on the role of creating an open-world Star Wars game, the future of the franchise seems bright. While EA has certainly turned things around with the … Read More
Star Citizen – What’s Coming in 2021
December 23, 2020 | Robert EndyoStar Citizen has had an interesting year. Like many developers, the circumstances of 2020 left development hampered with most working remotely. However, Cloud Imperium Games had the advantage of having much of the infrastructure in place for this – … Read More
1998: The Greatest Year in Gaming
November 30, 2020 | Robert EndyoThere are times when a video game releases and the world stops… just for a second. Most of the time people wouldn’t even notice it in the heat of the moment. They wouldn’t feel the effects of that game’s … Read More
Support Us!
Interviews
What Makes Doom Eternal So Great?
March 30, 2020 | Robert EndyoFour years ago, Doom had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The perception of the series after Doom 3’s mediocre release and the franchise’s subsequent hiatus left few people even looking for another game in the series. However, id … Read More
Rage 2’s use of Open-World design does not work
June 4, 2019 | Robert EndyoRecently, I finished Rage 2. I set out in the game with the hope that it would deliver something reminiscent of the magnificence of Doom while drawing some of the enjoyable open-world aspects of an Avalanche developed game. I … Read More
PlayStation Now: Does it Need to Change to Survive?
March 25, 2019 | Matthew ByrdIn many ways, PlayStation Now is shaping up to be Sony’s biggest missed opportunity of the PS4 era.
PlayStation Now sounded like a pretty exciting service when it was first revealed in 2014. At the very least, it offered … Read More