Death Stranding

A step into the glorious unknown

(This opinion piece was originally written in January 2020 but reuploaded here)

Sam Porter Bridges, the protagonist, and his BB unit (the baby)

Death Stranding is an interesting flower. Much like the Chiralium crystals sprouting from the ground throughout the game, it's a somewhat messy coagulation of ideas; sharp in some places, bumpy in others, but the inescapable truth is the beauty of the thing as a whole. That sentence may have made little to no sense, especially if you haven't played Death Stranding. Or even if you have to be fair. It's not the most straight forward of games. I, unlike a large number in the gaming community did not consider myself a Hideo Kojima fan prior to Death Stranding's release, nor did I understand the proclamation that he was this video game auteur that everyone heralded for his innovation and genius. I have never played any of the Metal Gear series (other than a minor 5 hour dabble in MGS5) and although I can appreciate the lineage of the series as the franchise that legitimised the stealth genre, I still couldn't quite grasp the hype and fan fervour surrounding the games. Competent? Sure. Abstract? Relatively. Confusing? Definitely. But masterpieces? I still needed convincing.

Rewind to E3 2016. Sony's presentation from that year is regarded as one of their best ever, a sentiment I align with, and doubt will ever be topped. I have been a lifelong PlayStation player and fan, and my faith in the console was justified more so throughout the entirety of the games presentation that year. God of War, Days Gone, Last Guardian, Horizon Zero Dawn, Detroit: Become Human, Resident Evil 7, Crash bloody Bandicoot! So many heavy hitters one after the other, and you could feel, even through a livestream, that the energy in the room was electric; as a gaming fan we were watching history in the making. Then the curtains came down, the lights go out and a corporate comes out talking cryptically of a collaboration. The audience catch on quicker than I do, a logo appears and a man descends from the back of the stage to thunderous music and applause. I must admit, watching live, I zoned out here. He announced his new project, exclusively for Sony. That I knew was a big deal. A few minutes, dead crabs, a baby, a naked Norman Reedus and an admittedly awesome song choice later, Death Stranding had been unveiled. No one knew what the hell it was. I took comfort in that. I wasn't alone in my confusion.

I knew MGS always had a whimsical nature to its grounded and often dark storytelling, and Death Stranding appeared no different. Minor sci-fi and Lovecraftian elements seemed present, and serious imagery and semaphore were clearly at work. It peaked my interest, but still I shrugged it off for the most part. Probably something I would watch someone online play. Years pass with various trailers still giving no true indication as to the plot, gameplay or even its genre, besides some visual spectacle and cast reveals. I feared the worst. Looked like a whole lot of nothing. Walking, and some storytelling mashed in that would feel out of place. Even Kojima fans began to doubt. Had he gone too far? Too pretentious? Too hard to make something new?

Stunning landscapes are the rewards on arduous treks

8th November 2019. Release day. Reviews dropped and they were a minefield of peaks and troughs. The biggest marmite game to ever exist. This did nothing to incite reassurance in me. Greg Miller (of KindaFunny) posted on Twitter;

"I'm seeing a lot of my peers say Death Stranding is hard to recommend. I don't agree -- and this isn't a joke -- does playing a game where you walk through the rain sound enticing? If so, Death Stranding is for you"

Well.. yes. It does. I got the game. And in the roughly 50 hours I have sunk into it, in which I have completed the story, I can say with relative confidence that it is one of the most astonishing and interestingly unique experiences I've ever had with any piece of media. I could go as far as to say it is one of my favourites. Though Greg's tweet was an oversimplification, it all ended up making sense. the semaphore, the vagueness in the marketing. I got it.

Grasping the context in which this game was created is vitally important to enjoying and appreciating its existence. Kojima created this game when he felt most vulnerable, most alone. His previous franchise was overridden by the publisher, and like that his life's work wasn't his anymore. So with his own studio and Sony's support, he set off into the unknown to create a game unlike any other. Paving the way for others to follow as he had done with MGS decades before. This ideology is intrinsically tied to the gameplay and core narrative of Death Stranding. It's a game about making difficult journeys. You go from A to B, and B then tells you to go back to A but stop at C if you have the time. An apocalyptic, overworked Postman Pat. It sounds monotonous, repetitive and boring. And on a fundamental level it is. To begin with. A major complaint is that you shouldn't have to play for 10 hours or so for the game to "get good", and while I can agree with this statement as a general principle, my counterargument in the case of Death Stranding is that it takes 10 hours for the game to get easier. There is initial clunky exposition, long cutscenes (with admittedly stellar performances) and long, often cruel journeys to make. Yet because of these beginning trials you appreciate the other side that much more, as you would in real life. It's genuinely a relief. Besides, if you aren't faced with genuine adversities on your journey, is it really even a journey at all? How can anyone or anything be expected to grow if their resolve isn't tested?

The mysterious and villainous (?) Cliff

The "boring" argument surrounding Death Stranding is valid, and can leave you sitting either side of the fence. It's the mindset you go into this game with that will dictate your experience. This isn't a game where you fight, shoot, kill or rampage your way through set pieces. This is a game about connections. Connecting America, one settlement at a time. There are inevitably hurdles to break up the treks, but are far less action oriented than some marketing may lead you to believe. You can eventually shoot and kill, but the narrative and mechanics of the game tell you this is fundamentally the wrong approach and counterproductive to the overarching message of the game. Here, enemy = avoid, not kill. The good people matter more. Interact with those who meaningfully contribute. This whole experience is about bringing people together. Forming bridges over barriers. Physical, spiritual, emotional and metaphorical ones. All of this brings me back to E3 2016. Kojima's entrance.

Darkness. Then music swelled. On the opposite side of the stage to the audience, Kojima appeared. To cross the gap between them, a bridge formed. It guided a seemingly lost man back to the people that matter most to him. His fans. And he gave them something they couldn't have possibly anticipated. It is all inarguably allegorical. This opinion piece will most likely come across as pretentious mumbo jumbo that is reaching for things that aren't actually there. Regardless; kindness, faith and perseverance will always be rewarded. Fundamentals of life that many of us tend to forget. I can guarantee that if you give Death Stranding your time, and go in with an open mind (using the online mechanics to go out of your way to assist others on making that same journey, which I assure you you will be strangely compelled to do) you'll find yourself somewhat fulfilled, enriched and refreshed as a person. Time well spent. This venture was a massive risk for all involved, which in my opinion has paid off massively and I hope others follow suit in attempting to achieve 'out there' creative visions. All intentional or not, Kojima has convinced me of his vision, and his commentary of how the world is versus how it should be.

I don't fully understand the game, or even truly what my exact feelings are about the "game" aspect of the product is, but I know it is something unique and truly special, profound and relevant, especially given the current climate we are all finding ourselves in.

Hideo Kojima at E3 2016

SH