Death Stranding

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KSubzero1000
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Not to sound too much like a fanboy (especially since I've stayed away from all recent promotional material), but if the game's fundamental concept is indeed so drastically different from most other games on the market, then is it really surprising that reviewers might be struggling to reach a consensus?

I mean, what would they compare it to in order to assign any numerical value to it? Most reviews I know very much follow the established pattern of "here is how it compares to the greats in the genre, which is why you should or shouldn't buy it."

Video games are ever so slightly stagnant, creatively speaking. We don't exactly get a lot of non-action games in the first place, so I'm not sure scores are all that relevant in this particular instance.
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by ratsoalbion »

It doesn’t look to have *that* much more of a spread of scores than any of the other high-profile mid-80s ranked 2019 games (Control, DMC5, Astral Chain, Ni no Kuni II, Goose Game, Bloodstained...)
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Death Stranding

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Fair enough, I'm just wondering what the "0" and what the "10" represent when reviewing an idiosyncratic game like that.

But then again, scores are kinda silly in general! :P
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by ratsoalbion »

True indeed.
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Stanshall
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by Stanshall »

My conclusion from reading a range of reviews is that the bigger boys wrote fairly negative reviews but gave fairly positive scores, and the more enthusiast level websites were glowing and effusive while describing the same thing. To me, a lot of the positive reviews have an unconvincing faint whiff of desperation but I can be a tiny bit unkind. A game can be original and mould breaking and experimental, and still be a bit shit. The Last Guardian, meanwhile, is shit in many ways but also absolutely worth the payoff because of the cumulative effect of the relationship. I hope Death Stranding is in that category.

I tend to play a lot of open world kinda games as walking sims and dip in and out of the actual structured stuff if and when I feel like it. I often mainline that stuff to scratch an itch and then continue my appreciative wandering for its own sake, enjoying the pointlessness like Chuang Tzu himself.

At least there's an element of intrigue.
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Alex79
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by Alex79 »

So here's a genuine concern. I read the Guardian review: https://amp.theguardian.com/games/2019/ ... a-gameplay

They mention, along with others I'm sure, about how as they progressed in the game the landscape became littered with other players messages and emojis etc. They also discuss the mechanic whereby players can collaborate to build bridges and roads etc.
Over time, the thrill of acquiring hi-tech items yields to a pang of regret. Other players’ emoji signs litter distribution centre entrances in the quest for cheap likes, and rugged landscapes start to resemble red-light districts. You start to crave undiscovered delivery routes for a reminder of the game’s unspoilt beauty
.

If I was a player coming to this game in say, six months time, would the game world be a mess of building work and graffiti, or does the game have some sort of mechanism to prevent that from happening. ie. does every new player begin in an untouched world? Genuinely wondering about this, as it would seem to put a certain shelf life on the game if they've not planned a way around it.
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Stanshall
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by Stanshall »

You can turn the stuff off, but that's about it. I share your concerns.
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Flabyo
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by Flabyo »

I was going more of the actual content of the reviews I’ve read than the scores.

Some people are really into it, others think it’s a bit up itself.

One of the things that’s struck me about Kojima games post metal gear solid 1 is that he thinks they’re *worthy* in some way, that he’s making some important socio-political points. He shares that with David Cage I think, and polarises opinion in the same way.

I really enjoyed playing MGSV, but that was in spite of the plot rather than because of it. There was a really solid *game* in there amongst the crazy.

Reviews of this one seem to suggest it doesn’t have a gameplay style that I’ll enjoy, so at the moment for me it’s a hard pass.

Still interested in reading what other people make of it of course.
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Re: Death Stranding

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Stanshall wrote: November 1st, 2019, 4:42 pm You can turn the stuff off, but that's about it. I share your concerns.
Hopefully it's more along the lines of Dark Souls where you'll only ever see a random selection of stuff, rather than it being one persistent state game world everyone is playing in (which if you think about it would surely be quite impossible from a logistical point of view).
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by KSubzero1000 »

One more thing I'll say on this.

Technically there are exceptions to the rule such as some strategy and racing games, but for the most part, video game interactivity has mostly been rooted in violent conflict resolution since the birth of the medium. Despite many developers' best efforts to craft more mature narratives, there is this almost immutable default assumption across most genres that the lion's share of the player's time will be spent hitting or shooting various enemies in one way or another.

But arguably my biggest issue with modern design trends are these watered-down, shallow combat systems that seem more preoccupied with looking cool and feeling tense than being actually deep and structurally rewarding. I (obviously) adore great combat systems, but my position has long been "I'd rather have no combat system than a bad combat system". We have all these technological resources that could be spent on true mechanical innovation instead of re-hashing the same systems over and over again (and often failing to surpass the original milestones, but that's a separate discussion). No matter how high the resolution gets, headshots and dial-a-combos get stale after a while.

And on that alone, I have to give this game massive credit for committing so firmly to a completely non-violent gameplay structure (from the sound of it anyway). An entire AAA game centered around something other than fighting but without being a completely passive type of experience sounds fascinating to me. Kojima has proven he knows how to craft rewarding mechanical systems in the past, and I'd be really surprised if this game ended up being as lame and boring as its detractors are making it sound like already. I refuse to believe this is just a glorified walking sim. We'll see.

I won't be able to play it on release, but I'm looking forward to diving into this one when I get the chance to do so.
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Alex79
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Re: Death Stranding

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KSubzero1000 wrote: November 2nd, 2019, 12:05 am And on that alone, I have to give this game massive credit for committing so firmly to a completely non-violent gameplay structure (from the sound of it anyway).
I think there is a fair amount of combat in the game though, especially after the first few hours.
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Re: Death Stranding

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KSubzero1000 wrote: November 2nd, 2019, 12:05 am
I won't be able to play it on release, but I'm looking forward to diving into this one when I get the chance to do so.
That’s a shame. Is it time/finances or a mixture?

The general impression I get from the reviews is that it’s a flawed one of a kind experience that isn’t for everyone. It does seem like most reviewers say it’s a Kojima game through and through for better or worse. If that’s true I could not be happier.
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Death Stranding

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Alex79uk wrote: November 2nd, 2019, 10:53 am I think there is a fair amount of combat in the game though, especially after the first few hours.
Really? I was under the impression that the gameplay was entirely non-violent from the few snidbits I had read. Keep in mind I'm still staying as far away from any reviews and videos as I can. But I think my point still stands depending on the exact breakdown of the various mechanics. Not that many developers out there who would take such an unconventional direction for their next AAA game. (And not that many publishers who would even green-light such a project, of course.)

Simonsloth wrote: November 2nd, 2019, 1:01 pm That’s a shame. Is it time/finances or a mixture?
Time. But I should be able to pick it up and at least start it before the end of the month. I still know next to nothing about it, hopefully the extra wait will be worth it!

Simonsloth wrote: November 2nd, 2019, 1:01 pm It does seem like most reviewers say it’s a Kojima game through and through for better or worse. If that’s true I could not be happier.
Same here. I love the man and his work means the world to me, so that sounds fantastic as far as I'm concerned. I'm very much looking forward to your impressions as a fellow Kojima fan, though. Be kind with the spoiler tags, please! :)
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Re: Death Stranding

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ThirdMan wrote: November 2nd, 2019, 2:07 pm A baddie called Die Hardman and a courier called Fragile? Where does Kojima get such awful names from?
Haha. Very true.
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by Simonsloth »

My collectors edition arrived and it’s a monster. The box is about twice the size of the console. It screams premium and I almost don’t want to open it.

It’s my son’s school’s fireworks night tonight and I’ve got an early start so might not get to play it but pleased with my purchases (or their boxes).
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Suits
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Re: Death Stranding

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Yeah, it’s a beast isn’t it.

This game has some of the best art direction in video games for me.
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by DomsBeard »

After buying MGSV day one and not finishing it I promised myself I wouldn't pick this up at all.

Just walked out of my local Game with a copy :lol:

WILLPOWER

To be fair I want to see what Kojima comes up with outside the MGS universe. If it is crap I can trade it in
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Re: Death Stranding

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Suits wrote: November 8th, 2019, 2:36 pm Yeah, it’s a beast isn’t it.

This game has some of the best art direction in video games for me.
did you get it too?

Not sure where I am going to put my BB or the massive case it comes with!
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Re: Death Stranding

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No I didn’t mate, I just had a good look at it as I like these sort of things - so I knew the size of it 😄.

My loft is full of Halo helmets, Skyrim Dragon Walls, Gears of War lancers and Fallout 76 helmets in canvas bags 😄.
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Stanshall
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Re: Death Stranding

Post by Stanshall »

Enjoyable opening few hours with this despite loads of cut scenes. It's an intriguing premise and some amazing visual concepts. Acting is pretty much as expected, some of the direction has actually added to the experience so far. Music pretty appropriate, adds to the world. Not anything like as good as MGSV so far but as basically a slightly interactive film, it's interesting. As a game, well, it's not really comparable. It's a walking sim, literally. It very much reminds me of wild hiking. One foot in front of the other, picking little routes around difficult sections. It's not exciting but it's not trying to be. Some of the set pieces are, though, and some of the cut scenes have been pretty affecting and a bit scary. So far, it's much more like Until Dawn or something like that than MGS.
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