We Can Finally Explain What You Actually Do In Death Stranding

He’s finally done it. After years of talking about Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima finally showed off a full mission’s worth of gameplay during a live stage presentation at Tokyo Game Show this week. It’s as offbeat, meticulously detailed, and intriguing as you’d expect from Kojima, if not more so.

[Jimboms]

this game is going to be great.

[Rambokind]

Na, it's going to suck when the repetition gets to everyone. Nice try, though. Maybe you're Hideo?

[AuraAbjure]

It doesn't seem repetitive, it seems varied. There's: Exploration, the ability to play and mess with a bunch of crazy items and stuff like whenever you want, multiplayer, combat, probably some stealth game play, and maybe some puzzles too, and vehicular game play.

[gintoki777]

nah, you have no idea what its gonna be like or impact you until you try it. So keep your panties in a bunch and quit beeing spoon fed opinions.

[Lord_Sloth]

I've always wanted to play an action game starring a Bellsouth employee!

[Inzo]

If Kojima's reveals of his previous games are anything to go by I can assure you that we haven't seen anything from DS yet.

[andibandit]

Well I did see some YouTube comments saying it had a lot of recognizable MGS elements. Some even called it Metal Gear Postman.

[SyntheticForm]

"Some even called it Metal Gear Postman."

I lol'd.

[Inzo]

Yes it does give off MGS vibe but of course that is always a very good thing especially considering who the creator of MGS is.

[fiveby9]

I think it's going to be a great game. I like it that it is 'different'. Interesting story, innovative mechanics, and not just the same ole same ole shooter. Very much like MGS, which made you think and plan a tactical approach. The goal is not to just kill everything but to survive and aid others. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but at least it's fairly original.

[monkey602]

I adore Metal Gear and I can't wait for Death Stranding but I'll be referring to it as Metal Gear Postman from now on ha

[Sophisticated_Chap]

There is absolutely nothing MGS about this game.

[formanbradley]

You mean like when he showed more scenes in the trailers of MGSV than were actually in the game?

[The_Sage]

Slept on Ground Zeros?

[Inzo]

Not just MGS5 but MGS4 too. We hardly new anything about MGS4 before it released.

[formanbradley]

@sage
No, I got it on launch day. Since you mentioned GZ though...
He showed a cutscene at Camp Omega with a prisoner getting tortured and shot during daytime. Nowhere in GZ, and nowhere in TPP. (Red band trailer)

[SyntheticForm]

It looks deep and complex yet manageable with an interesting premise. I've watched quite a bit of game play now and I'm fairly certain it's worth the buy for me.

Looks like quite the experience.

[Fluttershy77]

looks like MGSV

[SyntheticForm]

It has the same style inventory screens and menus; looks like there's a lot going on. Same smoothness as MSGV, but everything else looks different.

I expected Death Stranding to have similar design aspects, but yeah, that's where the similarities seem to end.

[generic-user-name]

You'd swear the same devs are behind both games.

[theshredded]

It's going to be a legendary game.

[Silly gameAr]

It feels like there's a lot of people that want this game to fail. They latched on the "people don't know what this game is" trash, to try to make it seem like it's going to be a terrible game, and I really don't get that stupid ass argument.

I don't know if they just have something personal against Kojima and his games, or it they just hate how respected he is in the industry. Either way, the shit they come up with the try to discredit this game, just seems overblown.

[bluefox755]

Yeah, I don't understand all the downvotes, the game looks awesome.

[fr0sty]

and Kudos to Koji for MAKING SOMETHING ORIGINAL. We don't get enough of that these days.

[trooper_]

It's really annoying how it's getting downplayed.

The game has this cool sci-fi/supernatural/ political feel to it.

[The_Sage]

It's not on their platform of choice, so they're throwing shade.

[rainslacker]

The same people who act like it's going to be terrible have been all over Kojima, his talent, and his games since before he even left Konami. It's pretty sad that they think anyone takes them seriously, when they can't even make any real rational argument about why his games have been bad, or how they could know this game would be bad when they had barely showed anything of it so far.

[Steppenwolfmother]

I have seen the complete opposite. Most people I have seen discussing the game are acting like this is a guaranteed 10/10 before we even new what it is. Kojima has made some fantastic games, I’ve played all the metal gear games since MGS on ps1. But this game doesn’t look fun to me personally. If your sold by what you’ve seen then fantastic I’m stoked for you, I don’t want any game to fail.

[Dragonscale]

Easy one. PS4 exclusive.

[FallenAngel1984]

It’s about god damn time

[porkChop]

I don't know why you're getting so many disagrees. It's ridiculous that less than two months from release we're only *just* figuring out what the game even is.

[harmny]

go play call of duty. i can tell you what the next 10 are about.

this man is hideo kojima.

[porkChop]

What does COD have to do with anything?

Are you suggesting that people don't have the right to understand what they're buying? Because it's Kojima we should just buy it and not ask questions?

[Ninver]

A decade or more ago gamers had no idea about certain games they bought. You had to buy magazines every month to get little info.

Point is that knowing little about a game doesn't mean it won't wow you.

[harmny]

n4g: we want new things. we are tired of the same game every year. of developers following trends. of microtransactions.

also n4g: wtf is kojima doing. no one understand what this is... this man is crazy. get out of here

[Smitty2020]

Ppl saying day1,it’s going to be amazing when they don’t have a clue what the game is about any other studio developing this game people would be finding something wrong but because hideo kojima is making this ppl don’t care.my point is don’t put all your eggs in 1 basket just yet

[ninsigma]

TBH I think it's because with his games usually not everything is as it seems. So what would normally considered odd if anyone else were to do it, is considered one piece of the puzzle and is deeper than it seems. I'm not one to fawn over Kojima but I did like MGS4 and what I saw of snake eater was really cool so I'm gonna get this because it's intriguing and with his reputation and after I never really got into MGS because I was too young when it first released, I'm gonna get in on the ground floor of this one and see where it takes me. If it's no good, then it's no good but we'll see!

[DarXyde]

Wait...

You've not played Snake Eater?

Dude.

[ninsigma]

I've played a bit and watched friends play. Looks great and love the theme song. It's something I've meant to play fully but never got round to :(

[DarXyde]

While I am not one to idolize-- and I think your skepticism is healthy-- there is plenty to be excited about. Kojima has continually injected new life into Metal Gear Solid with each experience being reinvented while remaining familiar. When you consider that this is a series that he was trying to be done with ages ago and still found a way to make them great within the restricted narrative universe, he totally deserves some respect on his name. P.t. as a demo is considered one of the greatest horror games of all time. A bloody TEASER. He took Silent Hill and was going to make it into a horror game for the ages.

Say what you will, Kojima has earned some serious industry cred over the years.

[generic-user-name]

@shaggy

Kojima wasn't allowed work with his team for the last 6 months of MGSV's development. Lay the blame on Konami.

[trooper_]

@shaggy: Don't blame Kojima for Konami's stupidity.

[DaDrunkenJester]

P.T. being considered as one of the greatest horror "games" of all time is so much shit lol It was a freaking hallway recycled over and over with a bit of jump scares. How anyone found that scary is beyond me and a prime example of how overrated Kojima is in the industry if we are calling THAT one of the greatest horror games of all time. I was excited for Silent Hill, but P.T. was lame as hell.

[DaDrunkenJester]

@generic

Was it Konami's fault for the barren open world? Recycling the side missions at the same settlements? Bad AI?Streamlined Stealth? Putting his credits before and after every single mission? There was a lot more wrong with MGSV then it's completely unfinished 3rd act.

[DarXyde]

Notice, folks. I mention Kojima in a positive way while expressing that skepticism is healthy, yet DaDrunkenJester here has chosen to focus on taking away any credibility to the simple idea that Kojima has done great. Nevermind what others have said, P.t. is apparently just jump scares in a recycled hallway showing to this guy.

It inspired knockoffs, with Capcom's own Resident Evil 7 taking big inspiration.

Nothing constructive to say, nothing positive. Dude, just go back to Gears 5. I'm told it's pretty great. Your time is better spent doing that than talking about Death Stranding, I'm sure.

[alb1899]

It could be a legendary game or jus a waist of time and money....a very boring game.

[Veneno]

There's lots of things to consider. One, the game seems to have devolved ever since its reveal. It started as the most intigriguing thing to come along all this generation. Then the intrigue grew with new trailers. But once the game play revealed it went down hill from there. Each reveal since has been a let down. Also Kojima really does have a history of putting in eye widening surprises such as playing as Raiden, a fist fight with terrible mechanics as the last boss fight in MGS4. The PT demo being insane and the primer to Silent Hill 5. In order for Death Stranding to triumph this would have to be Kojimas biggest surprise he's ever done. A surprise on the actual game play and/or presentation. He has said that DS is a new type of game. We have yet to be shown that. So the element of surprise and Kojimas legend are the only thing keeping this hype alive. I believe that's something to cling to but I personally am not. Hey it's better than Xbox fans hype of Microsoft always just at the corner of exploding and somehow becoming the best console of the generation. So there's that.

[obidanshinobi]

Will the game remind me that it's written, produced and directed by Hideo Kojima every 10 minutes?

[Lord_Sloth]

Would it really be a Kojima game if it didn't?

[harmny]

i hope so

[bluefox755]

Looks awesome. Finally something new and refreshing.

[leejohnson222]

This game will be popular and sell well no matter what anyone tries to label it or pretend the creator is some inexperienced rookie Dev. Shame more devs were not like kojima and create new worlds, new ip and fresh ideas.

[Stanjara]

We haven't seen anything of this game. He must deliver packages. It's like saying Kratos just needed to get to a mountain to spread ashes.

[IRetrouk]

from everything seen so far the game will be deep, the amount of options was ridiculous, more rpg than anything, have a funny feeling we still aint seen everything, that one edited mission showed the multiple vehicles and enemies along with the varied terrain, and a slice of the other side....i think lol, which should help keep things from going stale, that along with the story ofcourse. looking forward to this.

[Sophisticated_Chap]

I watched Kojima's gameplay demo yesterday, and I wasn't all that impressed. To me, it looks boring and depressing. Where it does shine however, is in the graphics department. Who knows though, maybe there is something missing from everything that has been shown to date, which will change my mind on this one. One thing for sure, is that it is being way overhyped, which is unfortunate.

[jlove4life]

U seriously cant believe that fed ex delivery demo was main gameplay it was definitely a troll showing a snipet of real mundane gameplay yet saying he showed 48 mins don't believe me check out DS trailers definitely in depth game

[Sophisticated_Chap]

Hopefully, because if it's trolling, its getting old.

[Kostche]

you are the postman

[Tross]

Am I the only one who’s purposefully staying in the dark about this game with the intent of going in blind? I think that’s the best way to approach a Kojima experience like this one.

[jznrpg]

Nope I’m doing the same

[TOTSUKO]

I can kind of see how Kojima is tying the whole death aspect in this world. Afterlife is taking over the world so killing is not an option making use of non lethal weapons and tactics. With the afterlife enemies it’s really life vs death. Anything that relates to life or living are your weapons hence the blood grenades or the sperm?lmao. or having a baby near you at all times is some kind of shield or weapon maybe? The weapons afterlife use are probably diseases/illnesses which is why Sam covers his mouth when near them. It’s very risky to make a game like this with this kind of scale when almost every popular video game has killing. I hope Kojima pulls this off because this is just brilliant.

[cyclindk]

We all know people don’t like inventive/intriguing games anymore. They just want CoD and Fortnite. It’s not like infinite-possibility digital fantasy simulators have any real appeal to anyone these days.

[Artemidorus]

I can't see the appeal with this one. Gone fair too much off the rails.

[Twinblade]

by the looks of things, it looks like we play as an futuristic UPS delivery man.

[Ddog45]

Still interested and i might be in the minority but the more i see the less amped i become. So far looks pretty boring to me.

[Flewid638]

Control was just as weird and i LOVED it.

No reason why I wont love this too.

[AK91]

Wow the game is alot more MGSV than I thought but only now in a supernatural world. I can't wait to get a hold of this game.

[jznrpg]

I don’t care . Tell me nothing

[FITSniper]

So you are a futuristic UPS man with a scanner baby. Hard pass.

[0hMyGandhi]

...So, it's basically "Fetch Quest: The Game".

[Good-Smurf]

I suggest people watch the Gameplay Vol.2 later today before pulling such article some sites written it as if there's only one gameplay demo.
I just glad we have people like Kojima to still do something different enough yet still familiar.

[BenRC01]

I'm sure this will be "art" but it's 100% not for me. It's like it written by a 12yr old who doesn't really understand how adults think.
"sperm and eggs" lol.

[xX1NORM1Xx]

i lose interest in games that take forever to explain what the actual gameplay is like. this and dreams are two such games, i'm sure they will be great games i just can't be arsed to be fucked around anymore i know they think their game is worth the mystery but with so many games coming out i just can't be bothered to keep up with all the posts and stuff ill play them eventually im sure but they aren't my top priority. This kind of marketing just annoys me, as i said im sure dreams and this will be great but i cba doing their job (ie getting me interested) for them.