Death Stranding Review | Giant Bomb

Alex Navarro - "There's a deep thread of insecurity that runs through it, one that manifests in its unwillingness to commit all the way to the arduousness of its main character's task, that's too willing to break that quietness with mediocre action, and that never trusts the player to understand even its most basic ideas without hitting them over the head with them. There is a weirdo, avant spirit to Death Stranding that I do admire, but that spirit fails to carry the game anywhere worthwhile."

[DaDrunkenJester]

"In the opening hours, this doesn't matter as much because you're just on foot and hoofing it from place to place. When you finally get vehicles, using them mostly sucks because you're constantly driving into rocks. When you finally get highways you can build, it starts to feel a little like American Truck Simulator...if you had to craft the truck and the roads yourself. And then the game just kind of gives up on that infrastructure stuff and sends you off to the mountains to criss-cross huge, snow-deluged peaks that take a very long time to get around. And then it asks you to do that a bunch more until the game is essentially over."

Oof. And with this review the Meta dropped to 83.

[SolidGamerX]

"And with this review the Meta dropped to 83."

Which was their intention. Mission accomplished gaintbomb.

[DaDrunkenJester]

Was it their intention? Do they have a bias against Kojima?

[timotim]

😄😄😄

Maybe it was just his intention to give his opinion on the game?

[gamer7804]

No giant bomb just doesn’t care what people think. They give their true reaction.

[King_Noctis]

I don’t think Giantbomb cares whether or not the game drop one point on Metacritic.

[InUrFoxHole]

You can't blame them. 83 is still good. This game just seems boring

[NarooN]

Giant Bomb doesn't have an agenda and I'm 110% sure they don't give a rat's ass about the metascore of this game. You're just upset because you like the game and can't fathom anyone feeling differently, so anybody who doesn't like it as much as you just *has* to have some salacious agenda.

[Nacho_Z]

With a game like this you've got to accept that there will be a huge range of genuine differences in opinion. I think we all knew it'd be far more divisive than your average game.

Shame that agenda lead bad reviews are definitely a thing and it's hard to tell when that's not what's happening.

[xenz]

I guess you played the game already then?

[Rambokind]

That's "Giant." More reading, less gaming?

[TK-66]

Imagine being so triggered by the review scores for this game that you make up conspiracy theories. While the fans were doing damage control GB was doing rigorous calculations to determine the right moment to drop their review, and make the Metascore drop by a single point.

gtfo fanboy...

[mandingo]

How bout the game just isn’t good?

[SolidGamerX]

@mandingo

Really? Then explain the 67 positive review scores 15 of which are perfect scores.

[badz149]

that's very rich of them to deduct points from the game because of how the game wants you to travel but I remember very clearly they gave RDR2 - a game with many MANY pointless, unskippable horse rides filled with conversations a resounding 5/5!

[Rebel_Scum]

Different reviewer dude. And those unskippable horse rides filled with conversations added more to the narrative which also fits the setting and type of game which was also to that reviewers taste.

This game appears to be very divisive according to people who have played/reviewed it and discussed with other reviewers, deal with it.

[King_Noctis]

“ a game with many MANY pointless, unskippable horse rides filled with conversations a resounding 5/5!”

You can fast travel you know. And as for those “ unskippable horse rides filled with conversations”, they are part of the story missions. Why would you want to skip story related dialogue in a story-heavy game?

[DaDrunkenJester]

But were you constantly tripping on terrain, balancing your weight, and listening to a crying baby if your trip during those horse rides? Or could you enable the cinematic camera and soak in the vistas while enjoying the conversations during the rides that added to the story and upcoming mission?

[NarooN]

A completely different staff member reviewed RDR2, not to mention RDR2's gameplay wasn't as arduous and disjointed as Death Stranding's.

[garos82]

RDR2 is a 5/5 game.
Death stranding i cant talk about until i pick it up tomorrow

[Segata]

That was Dan. Dan is an idiot. Alex is not. He is a very educated person.

[KillBill]

Guess what... RDR2 had much more in the game than the traversal system. Not so much in this game though as the traversal system is the backbone of the game mechanics.

[chiefJohn117]

RDR2 has way more action and content. You comparing a few long horse rides like that's all the games about is a joke

[Yi-Long]

You're complaining about riding horses, in a game about cowboys.

[MoveTheGlow]

Alex gave RDR2 a 5/5 - same reviewer. Dan, in this case, actually came full circle on RDR2 and tore it apart during their GOTY discussions. One of Alex's favorite games was Nier: Automata, which was all ridiculous anime dialogue and meta-mechanics surrounding a lukewarm fighting system. I expected him to like this one more, but eh, that's how it goes. Lately, Dan's been coming back around on RDR2. People are interesting.

This, like RDR2 but in a different way, is a polarizing game - that's okay - the best books and movies and albums cause people to disagree with each other vehemently. Maybe you'll love it, maybe you'll hate it, but all signs point to you not being bored by it, and that's something. GB loves to have people who disagree with each other on staff, that's fine and reflective of what games really are - subjective works. You all owe it to yourselves to watch Tim Rogers' 1-hour multi-review of this game, it's nothing if not entertaining as heck.

[Smclaren1985]

You can’t possibly compare to red dead 2 Jesus what are you guys like if it’s a high score they have an agenda a low score they still have an agenda! It’s a new genre in a lot of respects and a lot of people arnt goin to like the game simple no agenda to lower the metacritic score honestly iv never seen so much people talking utter nonsense

[ReVibe]

The rides served as crude mission briefs at worst, character building at best.

[ziggurcat]

@rebel, naroon, and segata:

No, it was the same reviewer:

https://www.giantbomb.com/r...

[CoinOrc]

Oof, and with this review, the median score is still... 90. In case you don’t know, the median is much less affected by outliers than the mean.

[Wasabi]

@CoinOrc

***"the median score is still... 90. In case you don’t know, the median is much less affected by outliers than the mean"***

Interesting that you choose to move the goalpost by using a "different average" to make your point, is median the new standard on N4G now?

As a fan of Nintendo's exclusives I'll be happy with this because BotW moves from 97 to 100, and Super Mario Odyssey from 97 to 99.
In fact using median rather than mean further solidifies Nintendo's exclusives as the highest rated games this generation totally eclipsing the standard set by Sony's first party titles.

It also moves many Xbox exclusive titles up the metascore ladder, invalidating many users claims that MS first party titles are not well reviewed.

Is this a set of goalposts that you really want to move?

[CoinOrc]

@Frag

"Interesting that you choose to move the goalpost by using a "different average" to make your point, is median the new standard on N4G now?"

I didn't move anything. It is a known fact that the median is much less affected by outliers. Other industries have been using the median for a long time. Are you saying the real estate industry and the census are "moving goalpost" when they use median household income and median home value?

"As a fan of Nintendo's exclusives I'll be happy with this because BotW moves from 97 to 100, and Super Mario Odyssey from 97 to 99.
In fact using median rather than mean further solidifies Nintendo's exclusives as the highest rated games this generation totally eclipsing the standard set by Sony's first party titles."

Sigh. I guess you lack basic understanding in statistics. Not surprising since you refer to the median as a "different average". Moving from 97 to 100 is not a big move. Moving from 97 to 99 is not a big move. Not surprising considering there aren't any major outliers. Moving from 83 to 90 is a big move because there are outliers. Most of the time, there won't be a big difference between the mean and the median because there aren't major outliers most of the time. That's what the median is designed for. The median is a better representation of the data when there are major outliers.

"It also moves many Xbox exclusive titles up the metascore ladder, invalidating many users claims that MS first party titles are not well reviewed."

It doesn't invalidate anything. Gears 5's meta score is 84 and the median is 87. Not a big move. Crackdown 3's meta score is 60 and the median is still 60. No change at all. Again, it's because there aren't any outliers. You should educate yourself first before commenting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

"The basic advantage of the median in describing data compared to the mean (often simply described as the "average") is that it is not skewed so much by a small proportion of extremely large or small values, and so it may give a better idea of a "typical" value. For example, in understanding statistics like household income or assets, which vary greatly, the mean may be skewed by a small number of extremely high or low values. Median income, for example, may be a better way to suggest what a "typical" income is."

[Wasabi]

@CoinOrc

***"Are you saying the real estate industry and the census are "moving goalpost"**"

No. I never once mentioned the real estate industry or the census, they have nothing to do with this discussion.

***"Not surprising since you refer to the median as a "different average"***

From Dictionary.com

"The median is another form of an average. It usually represents the middle number in a given sequence of numbers when it’s ordered by rank"

https://www.dictionary.com/...

***"You should educate yourself first before commenting"***

I have a Master's in Psychology, you come across as a child that just had his first class learning about averages and just had to tell someone about it.

***"The basic advantage of the median in describing data compared to the mean (often simply described as the "average") is......."***

See my point above.

[Larrysweet]

Who gives a rats ass on any score...if its best game u ever played helk yes enjoy..if u hate it hate it who carrrrres

[CoinOrc]

@Frag

"No. I never once mentioned the real estate industry or the census, they have nothing to do with this discussion."

But you did accuse me of moving the goalpost when I did no such thing. All I stated was that it is a known fact that the median is much less affected by outliers and that other industries have been using it for a long time. I then applied this fact to game review scores.

"From Dictionary.com

"The median is another form of an average. It usually represents the middle number in a given sequence of numbers when it’s ordered by rank""

Lol. You are using dictionary.com for information on statistics? How about you use a more technical definition?

"I have a Master's in Psychology, you come across as a child that just had his first class learning about averages and just had to tell someone about it."

Lol. A Master's in Psychology. That explains why you know so little about statistics.

"It also moves many Xbox exclusive titles up the metascore ladder, invalidating many users claims that MS first party titles are not well reviewed."

That would also explain why you would think using the median will magically make MS exclusives like Crackdown 3 great, thus "invalidating many users claims that MS first party titles are not well reviewed." I have shown that Crackdown 3's score doesn't change when you use the median. Let's use one more example. Sea of Thieves' meta score is 69. The median is 70. Only a slight change. Crackdown 3 and Sea of Thieves are still bad games whether you use the mean or the median. You would only see a big difference when there are outliers present.

"See my point above."

And yet you didn't refute any of the points I made.

[CoinOrc]

@Larry
Agreed. It is people like Drunken and Frag who obsess over every single point change on metacritic. I just showed that once you account for the outliers, the score actually didn't change much.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

That's fair mate - it is your money after all, but what's with all the posts highlighting anything negative about the game?

Are you trying to sway people? Because like you've made your mind up, I'm sure most have already made their mind up. Be it to buy or not to buy.

The game will be successful, there's nothing that can stop that - that's a reality most are struggling with.

[Krangs_Uncle]

The likes for your comment just went up 20 in the space of 1 minute - these bots are becoming common practice in articles like this..

Proving once again to be the joke of the gaming community.

[agent13]

if you don't have any problem with just walking boring long distances for 50 hours don't pay attention to meta just buy it and enjoy it but I'm not that patient

[SinisterKieran]

I don’t think people get why he’s highlighting this part of the review.
It may be their opinion but it’s terribly written.
There is an whole area of the game that forces you off your bike because it’s so rocky, sounds like this dumbass still tried to ride through it for some reason.

[Hungryalpaca]

I wonder if they docked points from euro truck simulator for being a truck simulator.

[ShadowWolf712]

...yes, I'm sure they docked points from the truck simulator for being what it's stated to be. That's totally relevant to this and clever as well.

Bravo, dear friend, for invalidating this entire review with your rapier wit.

[sushimama]

This guy didn't like the game. FACT IS, that the majority of people who reviewed the game really liked it. This is just one guy's opinion. Who cares? This game actually has the most PERFECT 10 scores of any game this year.

[jbrock11]

Man I want to like this game so much because I've played all the Metal Gears outside of MGS4 and love them. But I haven't seen a video of gameplay yet that makes me think that this game is going to actually be fun and engaging for the 30-40 hours or whatever it takes to beat. A good story can only take you so far. Gameplay has to be the backbone of the game and if it's all just walking from place to place and getting better upgrades to help you walk/travel better, I just don't think it's the game for me.

[ziggurcat]

This "fun" thing seems to be the new "this game is bad because it uses gameplay mechanics other games happen to use."

The problem with citing fun factor, and using it against a game is that one person's definition of fun is different from another. I wouldn't touch games like farm/construction or flight simulators because I don't think those games are fun at all, but there are a lot of people that get a lot of joy out of playing those types of games. I also find a great deal of survival mechanics to be abhorrently tedious, and unnecessary, but a lot of people love those types of games, too. I've also thoroughly enjoyed games that weren't necessarily the most fun to play (and frustrating at times *cough( soulsborne games *cough*), but the story and lore is what draws me in, and keeps me engaged.

It's clear that this isn't an action shooter, so these reviewers need to stop trying to apply the same standards they would with those types of games. They should be approaching it as though it is an artwork that just happens to be in the form of a video game. And not getting it isn't reason enough to penalize the game.

[DaDrunkenJester]

Soulsborne games have good gameplay though sooo...

"They should be approaching it as though it is an artwork that just happens to be in the form of a video game. And not getting it isn't reason enough to penalize the game."

Lol what a load of BS. So essentially: "Still give it high scores if you're bored, annoyed, and not impressed by this "artwork"."

[ziggurcat]

"Soulsborne games have good gameplay though sooo..."

Some would argue they don't sooo...

Some would argue those games aren't "fun", either.

"So essentially: "Still give it high scores if you're bored, annoyed, and not impressed by this "artwork"."&quo t;

No.

[rainslacker]

I've seen mention many times that Souls pretty much commands you to play a certain way, and many find that to be a bad implementation of game play. Being restrictive to the point the only way you can get through something is to do it a certain way isn't always fun, nor is it always properly executed. it's like people saying The Witcher is just roll and attack. I dunno if that's true or not, but that's how some people classify it, and if that's their primary view of how the mechanics work, then who's to say they're wrong or right. And same goes for reviews. The reviewer doesn't care for the game play, and ultimately finds it's not fun, but does that mean that it's poorly executed, or just not their cup of tea?

I have the same criticism of RDR2 that this same exact reviewer gave to Death Standing. Wanna know what this same exact reviewer gave RDR2? A perfect 100. Not a different reviewer on the same site, but the same guy. With a gushing review.

But no mention of tedious travel or chore like tasks, or multitudes of fetch quests which could bring the game down. No talk about the beat you over the head narrative which dragged on and had a player who was barely part of the story, and only did things because that's what the narrative required him to do. Nope, quite the opposite, as Author was apparently intricately weaved into the narrative with all the other characters. Nothing about him basically being a puppet along for the narrative ride at every step of the main story. No mention of the rather simple game play of pop up targeting like you were in a shooting gallery. No mention of the tedious menu system, or complete cluster f**k that was crafting or collecting of things that made inventory management a pain.

Nope, those things were only a problem in Death Stranding for some reason.

[DaDrunkenJester]

@Rainslacker

Except that Soulsborne allows you to play many different ways... tank, dexterity, mage, battle mages, all with a myriad of different weapons, armor, spells etc that you can choose from to fit your gameplay style.

And about your RDR2 comment. Luckily there is so much more depth to RDR2 other than its fetch quests and long rides. Right? Luckily your dont need to manage encumbrance and stacking items within clunky menus. At least there is at least some good stop and pop gunplay. At least there is a hunting mechanic to upgrade and craft items. Death Strandings world is completely void of any wildlife to hunt. :/

[TheOptimist]

@Dadrunkenjester

Not to mention, once the world opens up, there is no telling which boss will be encountered first. I have seen people go directly to Gascoigne without ever fighting the Cleric beast inBB. More examples are there later on.

Souls games are much more open than most open-world games in terms of gameplay approach. Even the story is very much open-ended where the player has to pick up on subtle cues to get and complete side quests or get different endings.

If someone says that the soulsborne games ask you to play a certain way (Which might apply to Bloodborne in relation to other Souls games), then they just aren't paying attention.

@Rainslacker

For Death Stranding, it probably is a problem because the game is centered around fetch quests. Most games use fetch quests as optional padding. In DS, the fetch quests are probably (According to reviews, most likely) NOT OPTIONAL and are probably a part of the main quest.

[rdgneoz3]

Some enjoy the soulsborne style of punishing you for your mistakes. Others cry and hate it.

[TK-66]

The damage control for Death Stranding has become so desperate that the defence is now that it shouldn't be reviewed in the same way as other games. Literally asking for special treatment and a different standard. I'm so tempted to take screengrabs of all these comments and laugh at them whenever we have review controversies in the future, and maybe even see if peoples opinion changes for games they dont like.

[ziggurcat]

@TK

The same reviewer gave RDR2 a perfect score, and never once mentioned the gameplay even though it shared a lot of the same criticisms from a good handful of people. The only one applying different standards is this reviewer, it seems.

[rainslacker]

I'm not trying to talk bad about Souls games. I'm saying that's what some people say about it.

You prove my point exactly by defending the game. Some people saying it, doesn't make it true, nor does it make it so those that don't like now should suddenly like it, or that those that like it should now hate it because they feel otherwise.

All I know, is that you haven't played Death Standing, so your assertion about what it is in terms of game play is pretty pointless, and your constant attempts at saying it's something you can't possibly know, while there is evidence that suggests you are focusing too much on one negative aspect, while going through extraordinary effort to try and convince people they're wrong.

As far as RDR2....yeah, there's some depth. But wait....all those negative reviews seem to say that exist, or how even all the good reviews say the negatives, even though they don't all say that....also say DS have more depth. But....you won't say that there is more depth, because that would go against this attempt at trying to bring the game down. That depth also doesn't mean that this same reviewer decided to not mention all those negatives in their RDR2 review, because without a doubt, the same criticisms that they had for DS, exist in RDR2. So much so, that many of those failings were pointed out in all the good reviews for RDR2....but it was Death Standing where the author thought that it should go from a 10, to a 4. That's illogical, and is clear bias. No conspiracy, just bias.

[DaDrunkenJester]

You said not understanding the "art" isnt reason to give it a bad score. Well, he is also giving the gameplay a bad score as well.

And objectively, the reason why soulsborne games have gained so much popularity is because of its gameplay, not story. Where in Death Strandings case even the higher scores mention the many gameplay faults and tediousness.

[ziggurcat]

"You said not understanding the "art" isnt reason to give it a bad score."

Because it's not.

"Well, he is also giving the gameplay a bad score as well."

Maybe he was just bad at the game. One person criticized Cuphead's gameplay because he had a difficult time with the tutorial. Some of the complaints this reviewer had with DS's gameplay could easily be due to his impatience as he failed in his attempts to cut corners.

And I suspect that within the context of the game, it's probably supposed to feel like a bit of a slog. Boring tedium seems to be appropriate for what the game is about.

"And objectively, the reason why soulsborne games have gained so much popularity is because of its gameplay, not story."

The lore is every bit a part of the appeal of those games, so I would disagree with you there. I love those games, but the masochistic nature of the gameplay is hardly something I would consider "fun."

"Where in Death Strandings case even the higher scores mention the many gameplay faults and tediousness."

Uh huh... and what does that tell you?

[DaDrunkenJester]

Haha do you even believe what you're writing? First of all, almost all reviews have said this game offers 0 challenge. Second, boring tedium fits the game? And we are suppose to be okay with that?

The reviews that mention boring tedious gameplay and give it high scores tells me there is an obvious bias. Describing something as boring and tedious is no way a positive thing.

[Chriswynnetbh]

You're last statement is flat out wrong about souls games not being popular because of story. I'd argue that the lore and world building in those games is some of the most interesting and best story telling in all of gaming. And the gameplay elements tie directly into the lore and overarching themes of the games. Yeah they don't spoon feed the player every little plot point. You have to read item descriptions and actually pay attention to the tiny details of the environments and enemies. So saying they are only popular because of their gameplay makes no sense because the gameplay and lore are very closely linked together.

[TK-66]

@ziggurcat

"Uh huh... and what does that tell you?"

You tell us. We have reviews giving it 9s and 10s which mention that the game "isn't fun", and is at times "boring". What does that mean? Suggests that reviewers didn't like the gameplay but really enjoyed the story. So you've actually gotten what you wanted from those reviews, but then throw a fit over a review that doesn't cater to your All-New-Just-For-Death-Strandi ng-Review-Standard...

Also, I'm really curious as to where all the people that called BotW an empty world have gone. All of a sudden Kojima makes an empty walking simulator (I'm exaggerating so no need for anyone to get triggered) and it's a masterpiece, and we need to rally to defend this games honor against the tyrannical game journos, lol.

@chriswynnetbh

Let's just clarify the story is almost non-existent in most souls games, and they tend to just have a lot background fluff that is very good. At best it complements the game, but in no way is it the deciding factor for why the vast majority of fans love the series.

[rainslacker]

@TK

"Also, I'm really curious as to where all the people that called BotW an empty world have gone. All of a sudden Kojima makes an empty walking simulator (I'm exaggerating so no need for anyone to get triggered) and it's a masterpiece, and we need to rally to defend this games honor against the tyrannical game journos, lol."

There's a huge difference between calling out Nintendo fan boys who were claiming the game is the best ever, especially when trying to compare it to Horizon:ZD which they also said was lame, and the reactions going around for DS reviews right now.

The Sony fans aren't going around saying the reviews are wrong. They're saying the people saying the reviews are wrong, or picking up on one or two negative things those people are saying, are wrong for the way they're addressing the reviews. It's the same crap that happened with Days Gone, except in this case, the naysayers have less legs to stand on because the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, instead of being in the average range.

The "defense" of the game is only there, because there are those attacking it, and the attacks seem to be extremely overzelous in their attempts. It's like a mission or something. If the game was getting good reviews, and there weren't people that seemed hellbent on bringing it down either because it's an exclusive, or they seem to have some problem with people who are Kojima fans, then these people defending it would probably just be sharing their enthusiasm for the game. But the naysayers can't let people have that. They have to have attention by going on record...over and over and over...about how the game is just bad.

So, the question is...why? What do you care at this point? You've said your piece. You aren't required to play the game. Let people be excited.

Or, go the other route and keep up the attacks, and come tomorrow, you'll see the defense like you saw for Days Gone, where the negative comments just led to a huge influx of people who said why the game was good, which just got more people interested. In the end, all the attempts to say the game is bad, will only help the game, because the false narratives can only exist for so long.

[TK-66]

@Rainslacker

"There's a huge difference between calling out Nintendo fan boys who were claiming the game is the best ever, especially when trying to compare it to Horizon:ZD which they also said was lame, and the reactions going around for DS reviews right now."

I'm sorry, I was under the assumption that you'd actually been paying attention to the fan reaction when anyone utters even minor criticisms of Death Stranding. The sort of damage control that has people saying Death Stranding should've been held to different standards than other video games. We had no such damage control for BotW, so you've thus far failed to show how BotW was under similar treatment by its fans. I don't recall a "if you don't like BotW you just don't get it and only like actions games" style of talking point being made in its defense. Death Stranding's average fans are much worse than BotW's most dogmatic defenders.

"The Sony fans aren't going around saying the reviews are wrong. They're saying the people saying the reviews are wrong, or picking up on one or two negative things those people are saying, are wrong for the way they're addressing the reviews. It's the same crap that happened with Days Gone, except in this case, the naysayers have less legs to stand on because the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, instead of being in the average range."

Rainslacker.... Are you trying to troll me right now? Have you read any of these reviews and some of the laughable things written by it's highest scoring critics? A 9.5/10 review stated that the game "isn't fun" and is at times "boring". This review in your view is "overwhelmingly positive"???? No legs to stand on, but its best reviews mention all the same criticisms. Mmmmkay, babe.

"So, the question is...why? What do you care at this point? You've said your piece. You aren't required to play the game. Let people be excited."

This is a gaming news aggregate site with a discussion thread for every article. If you don't want the discussion part why did you engage with me in discussion? I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume you know how stupid your take right there is.

"Or, go the other route and keep up the attacks, and come tomorrow, you'll see the defense like you saw for Days Gone, where the negative comments just led to a huge influx of people who said why the game was good, which just got more people interested. In the end, all the attempts to say the game is bad, will only help the game, because the false narratives can only exist for so long."

Cool story, bro.

[Hardiman]

Good point and I LOVE to explore beautiful game worlds. HZD, Withcher 3, Days Gone, AC Origins/Odyssey and Spider-Man are just a few of such games.

I put hundreds of hours into these types of games and it's not because I'm just going through the campaign (I do that of course) but I love to explore.

Friday cannot get here soon enough! Cheers and enjoy the game!

[chiefJohn117]

Don't forget to add RDR2 you never know what youll come across exploring

[Hardiman]

@chiefJohn so true. Can't believe I didn't mention RDR2 because I'm actually playing through it right now. I know some folks hated the slow pacing but I really enjoy it!

Your so right about not knowing what you'll come across. So far I've seen Nosferatu, the wolf boy, Donkey Lady, Hobbit House, Witch House, Witch, serial killer, tiny church in swamp, Night Folk, a ghost, crazy woman locked in an outhouse, talked to Bigfoot, found Bigfoot skeleton, saw 2 UFOs and so many more.

[PlayableGamez-]

Here is my problem with people like you and Kojima fanboys... You guys are trying to remove the fun factor element out of critiquing a video game, and were not going to allow you to do that.

The problem with your argument is that you are ignoring the fact that it's already the default assumption that not everyone is going to find a game fun and that goes for any game. Even the most critically acclaimed games.

When you are critiquing a video game and considering the fun factor, it's measure by the general consensuses of what is fun and what is not fun.
Hypothetical Example: It's not fun to play a video game with bad and unresponsive controls. That is the general consensuses. Generally people like to play video games that have smooth and responsive controls. However, by your logic if there are people who like to play games with bad and unresponsive controls (which there are people like that), then it voids the criticism of saying a game is not fun for having bad and unresponsive controls simply because people who like bad controls exist. Do you see the flaw of your argument? See, you are removing the general consensus part of an opinion and treating it neutrally. When you treat opinions in reviews neutrally, it renders the review pointless because you are not considering the critiques. It wouldn't be a review if there is no opinion. And reviews are important because it's a tool for consumer protection. People depend on reviews and critics to make sure that they do not buy a bad product, and that includes video games. By treating all forms of opinions of a video game neutral, than there is no such thing as a bad or good game.

However, back to fun factor element. Yes fun is subjective and totally opinionated but it is a necessary opinion especially when it comes to video games. You cannot deny that there is a general consensuses of what is and is not fun in a video game end of story.

[NXFather]

Boy you dropped some hot fire.

[Kribwalker]

No.

They should review it based on whether or not they enjoy the game. Reviews are opinions. why should they change their opinion to fit a narrative like that?

[Stanjara]

I totally understand what you're saying, couse I absolutely loved Ico, SotC, and Last guardian, where every friend of mine that I've shown those games was perplexed with my enthusiasm.
That beeig said, I don't think that game reviewer has to award games just because they are art. They are subjective take on a game as a whole. I would personally loved if the DS showed that Redus was a bad ass with some Metal gear action, camo suit and weapons.

[Zeref]

Long hours of silent and annoying traversal is objectively boring.

[ziggurcat]

No, that's a subjective opinion.

[Christopher]

Not that I like such things, but that is 100% subjective in nature. My wife thinks I'm boring when I spend an hour doing some sudoku puzzles. I have a ton of fun doing them, though.

[Zeref]

I agree, It's subjective the same way that skat porn is subjectively disgusting

[Vegamyster]

They acknowledged that in the review lol.

"It is a game that takes, at minimum, 10-15 hours to actually become "fun," and even then the definition of fun is one likely to vary wildly for its players."

Simulator games are just that, simulators and it's in there titles. This game is from the guy who created MG ect, a lack of action isn't even what he's criticizing, it's at the games core the game doesn't really change over the course of 50 hours and your just doing the same thing, you can't tell me they couldn't add some more mission variety instead of strictly delivering packages.

"They should be approaching it as though it is an artwork that just happens to be in the form of a video game. And not getting it isn't reason enough to penalize the game."

This is just an excuse to avoid criticism, what does art have to do gameplay/mission variety?

[ziggurcat]

"They acknowledged that in the review lol."

Then he should have had enough integrity to not use "fun" as a metric in which to score the game. If he has the wherewithal to acknowledge that, then his review shouldn't be: "It's boring, tedious, and I didn't understand the story - 4/10." He also complained about the gameplay being a "pain in the ass" after recognizing that when you overload your character by taking on too much weight that it becomes a little challenging to control. If the basis of his opinion of the gameplay being a "pain in the ass" is derived from possibly overloading his character all the time, and then possibly choosing to traverse a more difficult portion of the environment in order to save time (assuming that these paths aren't set in stone, and you have the freedom to take any path you want) due to his impatience, then that's an invalid criticism.

"Simulator games are just that, simulators and it's in there titles."

Yet those games don't get dinged for the gameplay being "boring" or "tedious." Grading something lower because it didn't happen to have enough action or explosions shows a failure to understand the gameplay as is it related to the context of the game. The same reviewer gave RDR 2 a 5/5 score - a game that certainly had/has its critics towards the gameplay... but he never mentions gameplay in his review of that game at all, really.

"This is just an excuse to avoid criticism..."

No it's not. You wouldn't go into an art house film, and score it poorly because it wasn't like End Game, would you?

"what does art have to do gameplay/mission variety"

A lot when the gameplay reflects the context of the story.

[Vegamyster]

"Then he should have had enough integrity to not use "fun" as a metric in which to score the game"

You're playing a video game, reviews are just opinions so if a reviewer is not having fun with it they shouldn't be bashed for saying so otherwise you can't take any review seriously.

"If the basis of his opinion of the gameplay being a "pain in the ass" is derived from possibly overloading his character all the time, and then possibly choosing to traverse a more difficult portion of the environment in order to save time (assuming that these paths aren't set in stone, and you have the freedom to take any path you want) due to his impatience, then that's an invalid criticism."

He explains that the game slowly makes traversing easier but notes at points they take that away from you later or just make it a pain to maintain. The problem that i see with the game is it's not actually hard, you can deliver stuff with minimal effort but that requires more backtracking which isn't fun meaning you need to ponder the high risk/low reward for a mundane activity to progress the story.

"Yet those games don't get dinged for the gameplay being "boring" or "tedious."

Because people know what they are, a truck simulator is a truck simulator, Kojima himself said DS was a new genre, never mind this is new sci-fi IP.

"Grading something lower because it didn't happen to have enough action or explosions shows a failure to understand the gameplay as is it related to the context of the game."

Did you even read the review?

"It's not nearly confident enough to just rely on the delivery aspect of the game as its main thrust, so it changes things up with combat and stealth sequences that never feel all that great. Early on, combat is something you mostly want to avoid. Human enemies consist of MULES, a group of ex-porters who have been driven insane by the chemical boost they get for receiving "likes" from making deliveries. They are a nuisance who will come after your cargo, but thankfully you can mostly just beat them senseless with a few quick mashes of the square button. By the time they give you bola guns and stun bombs, they become comically easy to dispatch. BTs, the aforementioned sludge ghosts, need to be avoided until you learn how to make bullets and grenades from your own blood. If you do bump into one, you have to trudge your way through a pool of moaning tar bodies while mashing square to escape. If you fail, you get whisked away to a space some distance away and fight a giant tar animal, for reasons."

" No it's not. You wouldn't go into an art house film, and score it poorly because it wasn't like End Game, would you?"

I didn't realize you bought games in art houses, it's a video game that you buy in a video game store or online.

"A lot when the gameplay reflects the context of the story."

That's a convenient way to put it, given they had in game ads for Monster Energy drinks and TV's shows, i'm sure they could have added a little context to improve the gameplay experience then lol.

[Bruh]

Think you missed the entirety of the reviewers point, its gameplay is cumbersome not that its not "fun", most people got jobs and school and a career to focus on. I doubt people genuinely wanna sink hours to micromanage every little thing in a video game that doesn't even save the best bits of its story till the end.

[D__RAiL]

a 4 out of 10 game is full of bug, terrible graphics and sound and everything else you didnt like.

[JEECE]

I'm actually not opposed to critics starting to explore the scale a little bit more (i.e. treating 5 as average instead of 7, and broken games as 1s instead of 4.5), but the problem is that that goes against how so many people view the 10 point scale, so there would have to be almost industry wide agreement to redefine it.

Additionally, as you seem to suggest, it's inevitable that within the next six months giant bomb will give a 6+ to a bug-filled game with massive framerate drops and broken online play.

[rainslacker]

I wouldn't be either, but you know that won't be the case, and that review scores will continue to be inconsistent and meaningless.

[JEECE]

@rainslacker

Yep. And because of things like Metacritic, which unfortunately matter, it's a real problem if one site-especially a "big" site-decides to deviate from the common understanding of how the 10-point scale works.

[chiefJohn117]

It's not that black and white. You can still have fun with a broken game if you can suffer through it's bugs. So a game that you would've given 9 becomes a 6 cause character falls through the ground cause you to reboot and other weird glitches but at it's core when the bugs aren't happening you're loving the game. The main point of gaming for many is "is it fun"? So dragging a "fun" game with glitches that drive you nuts every now and then to a 1.5/10 isn't something many will do or should do. If death standing isn't fun it's gonna get a lower score by someone that enjoyed a bug ridden game more

[CoNn3rB]

Personally, my scale has been:
10/10 = closest thing to perfect
9/10 = A game that sets the mold for future games
8/10 = a great game
7/10 = a good game
6/10 = above average
5/10 = average
4/10 = below average
3/10 = a bad game
2/10 = a buggy game
1/10 = completely unplayable

I've never understood the whole idea of "you can't give this game a 4/10 because it's not broken" mentality if that was the case what's the point in anything below 4 on the scale?

[Rebel_Scum]

The giantbomb review scale doesn't work like that. The game you describe would be a 1 or 2 out of 10. Or just a 1/5 at GB.

[Bootyholetickler69]

Yet they give COD 4 stars almost every year

[Chumdiddy]

That's why I tend to prefer a 100-scale system. There is a TON of nuance in a 5-scale. A ton. 5 points where 1 has to barely be functional by default, by it's own demand.

0/5 has to basically be not a game. Nothing of worth.
1/5 is like Big Rig Truckers shit
2/5 is then a game that's technically there but full of garbage bugs, controls, plot, gameplay, etc.
3/5 here is above-average by default. It's more than a 2.5
4/5 a good but not amazing experience
5/5 being as perfect as one could expect

That scoring system is ridiculous by any standard or reviewer.
Death Stranding may not be good. People may dislike it. However, don't fn tell me that it's a 2/5. That's a 4/10 or 40/100. That's reserved for Wii Ware shovelware dogshit. You give the half-assed, Unity Engine, thrown on Steam in a month Call of Duty clones a 4/10. No way Death Stranding is a 4/10 whether it engaged you or not. We all know that much.

I'm barely ok with a 10-scale system so 2/5 is a review I won't even give a read to. Too broad, zero nuance BS.
The game may suck and it's not a 2/5.

[DaDrunkenJester]

Then read the actual context and don't only look at the score. The text gives the nuance.

[Chumdiddy]

@drunk

Yeah, no it doesn't. That's the issue. Their review doesn't equate to a 2/5.

WWE2K20 is getting 2/5 scores. It may not be great but don't tell me it's on par with that pile of dogshit. I'm open to DS being a mediocre game. That doesn't bother me at all. The scale and review does.
A 5-scale system is inherently stupid and their review only proves that.

But cool job hate-trolling a game you don't like and never played while also defending GiantBomb, the literal anal juice of the industry lmao

[NarooN]

This explanation is so dumb and lazy. Not every site/company has the same rating scale in terms of criteria, so to blindly proclaim "this score means this for everything" is completely illogical. People only say this when a game they like gets a lower score than they wanted.

[Kurt Russell]

I disagree. I wouldn't review a torture porn date rape simulator highly just because it was bug free, visually incredible and had an incredible audioscape. I would rate it on my opinion.

[MadLad]

Are you telling Giant Bomb how their review system works?

[Evolve]

Giant Bomb!?
I am so not surprised for seeing this score.

[OB1Biker]

I dont know why some people still say they arent biased. Just need to watch their reaction to PlayStation E2016 conference to understand.
They only liked GOW haha

[Segata]

They joke about Nintendo stuff and MS stuff as well. MY GOD! They must be Amiga fanboys! They are salty Amiga is not at E3! SIR YOU HAVE SOLVED THE MYSTERY!

[OB1Biker]

@Segata
I didn't say they are fanboy. Are you saying they arent biased and but on the contrary open minded and not deriding, mocking etc? I didn't think so.
I do think they clearly favour some platforms over others but that's not the point of my first comment.

[Edgelordsupreme]

You realize Jeff gave Horizon 5 stars right?

[timotim]

The game definitely doesn't seem like its a mainstream kinda game. Seems a lot like Kojima himself...a little on the weird side.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Nothing wrong with that - we can't all be carbon copies of each other, what boring world do you live in?

[timotim]

Haha...I agree, nothing wrong with that at all. Im a little weird myself in some ways...just pointing out that the game isn't going to be for mainstream audience's. If you like it, that's totally fine.

EDIT: Gave you a +1 btw

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

Uniqueness is a wonderful thing - I'm sure you're only as weird as the next bloke 🍻

[ElementX]

Funny you should mention carbon copies, from what Dan said on Beastcast every bunker in the game is exactly the same. Talk about a boring world

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

ElementX - Talk about boring, people like you carrying on over something you'll never play.

It's amazing how much this game has gotten under peoples skin - highlights the level of intellect amongst you lot.

[MadLad]

Pretty sure this, and the man, is mainstream, dude.

[timotim]

The man definitely is, the game - im not so sure. The game has the player doing mostly delivery and fetch quests that involve managing and stacking packages on the back of the character while trying to maintain balance and traversing terrain. Most of its mainstream bits seem to come from its story elements and quality of the cutscenes and motion capture, not in its design structure and gameplay mechanics. Its OK to make a game that is not mainstream...a true creative's work (which I think he fits that bill) wont always be.

[AK91]

Thank you Giant Bomb this is all I need to know that I will enjoy Death Stranding immensely.

[Giblet_Head]

Masochist approved.

[AK91]

That and Giant Bomb (particularly Alex Navarro) is wildly out of touch with gaming, it's a shame I used to really look up to the crew back in the day well with the notable exception of Alex and Patrick. Not to mention their failing numbers in comparison to the past.

[rainslacker]

I like how the author didn't seem to mention all these same problems in their RDR2 review where they gave it perfect 100 score. Same reviewer even.

It's kind of funny how there are no real editorial standards or consistency in reviews nowadays. I know it can go both ways, but of course, this is going to be one of those reviews cited because it's apparently one of the few that is unbiased.

[Baza]

These guys gotta move the needle somehow.

[AspiringProGenji]

As an Ex UPS delivery worker, this game is right at my alley

[Wasabi]

@Genji

***"As an Ex UPS delivery worker, this game is right at my alley"***

Haha great comment, made me smile. +1

[P_Bomb]

I delivered newspapers in my youth. Looking forward to once again throwing someone’s order in the bushes. Maybe into a river? hehehe. Tip your pizza guys this weekend! ;)

[TK-66]

Having to organize all the coupons and leaflets into the papers before the round prepared me for inventory management. I've honed my skills, and am now a well-trained and highly disciplined delivery boy.

[TheHateTheyGive]

I usually buy most ps4 exclusives day 1, but this looked like a giant turd when they started showing gameplay, If this games a 10 then days gone is a 15.

[xX-oldboy-Xx]

But Days Gone was good - what's your point?

[yoshatabi]

Days gone was good tho

[Hardiman]

Sorry it wasn't for you but damn a 4?!?! Is it broke? Does it have terrible bugs? Does it crash?

For my money 4's and lower scores like that should be reserved for broken games. Trying to put a number on fun is difficult because one person's fun is another's nightmare.

[mafiahajeri]

Tbh I couldnt bring myself to finish MGSV was a freaking repetitive snoozefest. It did have amazing gameplay. Goes to show gameplay aint nothing without mission structure.

[PlayableGamez-]

These under 60 scores are outliers.
Just ignore them.

[MadLad]

Yeah! Screw opinions I don't like!

[Atticus_finch]

You mean, screw positive opinions, you only like the negatives ones.

[Atticus_finch]

You're going to have to explain outliers to "Lying Ted"...

[Vizigoth04]

I 100% look forward to what this game has to offer especially with it’s unique game mechanics. I cancelled my preorder through Amazon because it wouldn’t get here until the 14th or 15th of November. Instead I’ll just run to Target day one. I advise anyone to care little about reviews good, bad or indifferent. Regardless if we had to base our purchases off of reviews I think the reviews should be structured slightly differently. I think every last reviewer must turn in their review by a certain deadline or else it doesn’t get posted. Only then the day after the reveals should be made public. No late review turn ins who have copied the homework of others in order to justify their review score. For those who are getting it regardless I will be seeing you through the social strand.

[Elda]

Target didn't have Concrete Genie you had to buy it from Target online.I wonder if they'll have DS in store day one or you'll have to order it online.

[Lon3wolf]

Indeed, ignore the reviews if it is a game you want to play, that's always been my motto.

[MetalGearAlex]

More clickbait spice piece to get the ad revenue page views... :(

[MetalGearAlex]

And to most likely, intentionally lower the score.

[Segata]

You know nothing about Giant Bomb then and you're wrong. You can go listen to the Beastcast they have a 2 hour in-depth detailed discussion that is civil and not full of cult of personality fanboy crap responses like yours. Giant Bomb is the same website that has the Metal Gear Scandlon series and one of Kojima's biggest fanboys in Dan Ryckert.

[shabz666]

Lol I was in shock when dan praised red dead 2 weeks ago on the beast cast. And Abby and Jeff has to shut him up to not break embargo. Say what you will of Dan, the man has no patience for slow games. I am waiting for the preload to activate. 7 hours to go. Can’t wait to experience the so called mess / genius that is death stranding.

[MadLad]

Oh yes. Giant Bomb is a known cesspit of deception and clickbait. Let's just ignore the fact it's a creation of the fact the journalists involved refused to write deception and clickbait.

[shabz666]

Anyone thinking giant bomb is biased against Kojima, watch their metal gear scanlon series, it’s basically a love letter series to Kojima.

[KeenBean345]

Don't know why it's hard for people to comprehend that opinions are things everyone has

[Harryvok]

Haha, i see a lot of people defending this game against a few low reviews when they've not even played it yet. It honestly comes across as defensiveness of just loving Kojima.

This could quite honestly just be a game that isn't appealing to some people. It certainly doesn't sound appealing to me.

I mean i really enjoyed MGS 1, 2 and 4 (absolutely loved parts of 4 i thought were amazing), but i thought MGS 5 was one of the most boring experiences i'd ever played. I couldn't get past about 6 hours worth before i just deleted it.

Maybe a long sprawling walking simulator with art pieces thrown in just aren't for everyone. That's fine.

[Good-Smurf]

Not surprised,these guys are the old dogs in gaming journalists or what's left of it now so their views are very conservative obviously they not going to take a big risk new experience kindly at all.
Half of them Giantbomb are obnoxious nerds that won't shut up and the other half are the cynical journalists going through mid life crisis.
If you like them that's fine but their heydays are long gone I'm surprised they still do game reviews being all "I don't give a shit" attitude.
Still remember the good old days them both review for Gamespot with Alex on Big Rigs and Jeff got fired by giving Kane & Lynch Dead Men a 6 while their site putting Kane & Lynch Ad banners all over.

[TGGJustin]

They rarely ever write reviews anymore. I've half convinced they only wrote one for this because they know they carry a lot of weight on Metacritic and they wanted to drop the score of it.

[MadLad]

I too own a tinfoil hat. Want to be friends?

[Tewi-Inaba]

I don't get it.
Everyone keeps saying Critics give too many 9s and 10s
then when some reviewers don't like a big AAA game. now they should be lynched for not giving it a 10?

[Harryvok]

Only if the low review is against a game from a developer etc you are a fanboy for. Then the reviewer is 'just trying to be edgy'.

[DashMad]

Mega64 : Modern Game Journalism The Movie https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[Realms]

Nintendo games never seem to get this level of scrutiny from GiantBomb but whatever. Not that I really care about their reviews all that much to begin with.

[MadLad]

Enough to gather enough information to fuel the idea they give many Nintendo games gpod scores.

[Realms]

Yeah ok buddy go hear their podcast then say with a straight face they don't have a Nintendo bias, the only one that seems to have a pair to criticize Nintendo is Jeff Gerstmann but whatever I'm not trying to convince anyone to think otherwise.

[ScoreBunnie]

Hate to flick the switch on a few cockroaches here, but it's the same every time on this site. A review citing a Sony game as bad or lesser than average will always be pushed to the front page and then some nobody whines about how some journalist needs to be canceled for their opinion being different, then when a game like Crackdown gets pushed to the front page it's top-notch writing "N4G approved!". Even for Gears 5, some really negative reviews got pushed to the front page, even though the reception was pretty glowing overall. Through all the bad reviews of Days Gone and Death Stranding I held back the urge to create and account and comment because I just told myself I was going to enjoy these games and not complain about some journalist daring to have a different opinion to me. I don't always see eye to eye with Gamespot but I hardly see how it's fair that they should be fired for their opinions. Hell, the only opinions I put weight on are Ben Yatzee and Tim Rodgers.

[Redrex7000]

I do wonder.... about this
there going to be a lot of people that just going to hate on this
cuz he did not bow down to kojima and start sucking him off
on the other hand i do feel like this game might be a lot like RDR
in that if u r not into the game all the little stuff the game has might get really annoying

[tombfan]

I've always think it's super funny that a low score from an unknown site for an expected game always ends up on top of the page... We all know they're clickbait, still has toooooooons of discussion about it, and it just happens with low scores sometimes, lol.

[MadLad]

Giant Bomb? Uknown? Clickbait? None of this makes sense when put together into a sentence.

[SixEye]

Good to know giant bomb keeps to the roots and give real review about the games not caring who develop it, to many reviewers have been to kind to death stranding.

[IRetrouk]

How do you know this? How many hours have you played?, good or bad reviews are just opinions, how do you know those high scoring reviews were being kind over just really liking the game?

[pornflakes]

https://www.giantbomb.com/i...

"Early on, this is a pain in the ass. You're constantly trying to navigate over rough terrain and through heavy patches of time rain and all you can do is hug the R2/L2 buttons to try to balance yourself."

And this goe sthe first 10-15 hours - ridiculous game.

[Sm00thNinja]

Oof. I guess the argument that it scored higher than Gears 5 can't be used anymore. I'll find out Friday which side to take. If IGN Venus is anything to go by I have nothing to worry about. The game looks too interesting to pass up imo

[MasterCornholio]

Just that it's about as good as Gears 5 is the argument that will be made for it. It's such a minor difference in metacritic that the two can be considered about the same.

[SyntheticForm]

IGN Pluto is my go-to.

I just don't trust the rest.

[Sm00thNinja]

Ugh gross IGN Pluto gave Halo 5 a 4 out of 10 I dont go to them for reviews anymore. IGN Uranus has been my go to as of late.

[timotim]

Out of pure curiosity...where did this come from? Why mention Gears 5 at all? They are two completely different games.

[Sm00thNinja]

The argument timo has been that Death Stranding scored higher than Gears 5 and Gears was touted so highly. I personally couldnt bring myself to finish it... or haven't yet. Yet Death Stranding has been labeled a failure by the opposing community.

I think that's the answer you were looking for

[timotim]

Wow! The opposing community? 🤨 What community might that be...those who think it looks good vs those who dont share that same sentiment? Is GiantBomb now considered apart of the "opposing community"??? Are you suggesting that everyone from its supposed own "community" also feels as highly about it???

[Sm00thNinja]

Timotim you're dumb.

On a different subject cant wait for my Death stranding PS4 Pro and special edition copy. Regardless of reviews I think for better or worse this is a generation defining game

[SolidGamerX]

The community that has no console to play it on yet cant stop talking negatively about it.

[timotim]

Totally uncalled for buddy.And you're acting childish. At least I'm trying to have a civil conversation with you. So instead of answering the questions you simply call me a name without even attempting???😕

Listen guy, I'm happy that you are happy about your purchase...I hope you enjoy it, i really do. I only wanted to know why Gears 5 was brought into the conversation and your answer left a lot to be desired. This notion that games that are nothing alike should be compared just because of perceived community that has nothing to do with the games themselves is absurd. The games should be compared only if they are similar...Gears 5 and DS is not.

Lastly, how can you claim the game genre defining if you haven't played it yet or even had time to reflect on it? THAT is the dumbest thing I've heard. A genre defining game is one that the industry will compare other games to in its genre, or create a new category that others try to emulate. No one is going to copy DS. It's knock thus far has been its weak in the gameplay department. It brings nothing new to gaming. None of its modes are anything spectacular...not its mission design in SP, nor its MP component which is average at best. This notion that we should just lash out at anyone who does share our love for a game is not the answer...Giant Bomb didn't like it after playing it...you seem to love it before it even releases...at the end of the day, it's all opinion. But don't think yours matters to others over another.

[Sm00thNinja]

You're looking too much into my comments bud... you're thinking too literally. And I dont LOVE death stranding the game may be trash. I ABSOLUTELY HATED MGSV so I'm going in with both brows raised, but its stirred so much controversy I'll compare it to No Mans Sky which was pretty divisive as well. A lot of people loved it and a lot if people didnt.

I obviously offended you with the Gears of War comment but if you reread my statement it was more of a slap towards people defending Death Stranding. The argument on N4G was that even though death stranding wssnt a 10 out of 10 like Kojima worshippers were insisting it was still better than Xboxes highest reviewed game this year.... which now it is not. No one said I was comparing DS and Gears 5 in any way other than their metacritic score.

I'll apologize for seeming short but you seem to take all my comments to the exact extreme when I feel like you're just misunderstanding what I'm trying to say. I'll find out if I love or h as the Death Stranding in an hour

[zodiac909]

The fact that this game is getting polarizing reviews, shows how impatient, alot of these reviewers are...no matter how much time passes though, "patience." is a "virtue." R.I.P to those who never realize that fact. This game is a metaphor for how fast people blaze thorough games these days. Kojima made this INTENTIONALLY irritating to those with a short attention span, to prove how much people need to focus on "connecting" with life these days, rather than just "moving onto the next thing."

[Wasabi]

I trust GiantBomb.

Jeff Gestmann one of the founders of Giant Bomb, was fired from Gamespot for refusing to give a positive review to one of the Kane and Lynch games. Despite pressure from both the developer IO Interactive as well as upper management at Gamespot Gerstmann stuck to his guns which eventually cost him his employment.

In addition, as editor at Gamespot Gerstmann refused to budge over the 7.5 review score given to Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, despite pressure from Sony who threatened to remove advertising revenue from the site unless the score was made more favourable.

In my opinion Giant Bomb under the direction of Gerstmann are one of only a few gaming websites that can be relied upon for journalistic integrity.

Gerstmann spoke about this on Gamespot when the NDA ended, after the website was purchased by CBS interactive, the company that also owns Giant Bomb:

https://kotaku.com/yes-a-ga...

[LoveSpuds]

I agree with you 100 percent with regard to their integrity - I have been a payed up member of GiantBomb since the beginning. There can be no question that their opinions are 100 honest, as a fan who consumes their content almost every day I know the crew intimately after all these years and I know that they couldn't care less about Metacritic or industry favour etc.

What I would say, is that it is often the case that my taste in games is wildly different to theirs, so I rarely rely on their reviews. I would also say that most of the crew (with the exception of Vinny) do adopt a very snarky position when it comes to most mainstream games, while seeming to rain praise on indie titles or more niche games.

Regardless, they are honest, and importantly, very engaging and entertaining. With regard to their reviews, I listen to what they say but I never let it affect my decision to purchase a title given their generally snarky and 'jaded with the industry' stance. They rarely review games anyway, they do quicklooks which simply give their users video footage to make their own minds up.

[Wasabi]

@LoveSpuds

Thank you for you well thought out, constructive response, a rarity on N4G.

I think you're absolutely right about the sarcasm on occasion.

My comment is directed towards users that will undoubtedly cite clickbait or journalistic integrity as a way to discredit Giant Bombs opinion of the game in the name of some irrelevant narrative.

As for Death Stranding, as a massive Kojima fan I have the game pre-ordered and will be forming my own opinion of the game in a little over 5 hours time.

Thanks again for presenting a point that was considered, respectful and not angry or insulting.

[LoveSpuds]

Hey Fragnum, a pleasure to converse with a fellow Giantbomb fan. I know what you mean about respectful comments on N4G, it's a shame things always degenerate into an argument when there could be some really constructive and enjoyable conversations, especially about Death Stranding.

Again, nice speaking to you and I hope Death Stranding clicks for you and matches your hopes as a Kojima fan. I will find out as soon as the game installs, I have just returned from work to find it sat on my shelf 😊

Happy gaming friend!

[Realms]

I honestly think that's their genuine opinion it doesn't mean I agree with their takes they are often highly critical of certain games while lenient towards others. At the end of the day a review is just an opinion, they seemingly jizzed all over BOTW and I didn't think it rose to the level of praised they gave it.

I take reviews with a grain of salt these days I like Kojima games therefore I will support his creation regardless of other peoples opinions are. I like to think that I can form my own opinion and not be dissuaded by what others think specially given that video games and taste are so ambiguous these days.

[Markbizzle]

Death stranding sucks!!!🤘

[MadLad]

Sorry guys. I see this, and normally I think clickbait. Except this is Giant Bomb - they're not known for clickbait. The author is also fantastic in his work, and not some new face they brought into the fold.

All the same, a review is just a subjective opinion when all things are said and done.

[BenRC01]

Generous

[Bluemaster77]

This game is super divisive, I'll get it when its on sale.

[Vithar]

LOL this game's reviews are comedy gold, and people's reaction too!

[DarthZoolu]

Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for sanity

[Gwiz]

I Just have too much to play ATM to watch a game lol.

[UnHoly_One]

I’m absolutely fascinated that there are people that think this game sounds fun.

[Imortus_san]

Now that's what a Giant Bomb really is.

[Nikijih]

I have never seen so much outrage at bad reviews. Its an opinion, some people think it looks like a shitty game with boring mechanics, stop fanboying.

"He must have an agenda!" No, you do. That is why you take bad reviews personally, you have an agenda when it comes to this game: it MUST be good. You get offended that someone else thinks it isnt. Ask yourself: why?

[IRetrouk]

Your doing exactly the same just opposite lol.

[Nikijih]

Care to elaborate? Cause right now you come off as a high school kid going "No youre it!".

[IRetrouk]

You have literally done nothing but downplay the game, Commenting and disagreeing with those who are a genuinely excited to play it, but yeah, I'm the kid.. like I said, you are doing the exact same thing, just the opposite way around.

[Nikijih]

You really believe that, do you? My goodness gracious, you really do! Mind blowing.

You do know people are allowed to dislike a game you desperatly want to like, right? You realize this? And they are allowed to question why you attack them for having an opinion that differs from yours.

"Omg anyone who dislike the game is involved in a conspiracy theory to attack Kojima and operates out of bad faith based on an obscure agenda!"

- Em no, we just dont think it looks good for these reasons. Why are you so offended at opposing opinions? Could it be that you take it so personnal because you have a vested interest in defending the game for personnal reasons? Food for thought.

"OMG you did the exact same thing just the opposite!"

Yes, you think like a child. Grow up.

[IRetrouk]

Lmao what? Half of that argument is made up, dont put words in my mouth.

Not once have I said I have a problem with people not liking the game, not once lmao, also haven't attacked anyone, I've gave counter arguments that's it lol you replied to my comments and others downplaying the game and our excitement for it, exactly the same thing as what you are complaining about in your first post. Just the opposite way around.

Please point me to where I said any of the conspiracy stuff.

Who's offended? You asked for me to elaborate so I did🤷‍♂️ again I have no problem with people not liking the game, you seem to have an issue with people that do though, again the exact same thing you complained about you are doing yourself.

I'm the kid that needs to grow up yet you have went out of your way to imply I've said stuff I haven't, went out of your way to downplay the game too. Get over yourself, your opinion on the game is no more important than the ones looking forward to it. Your view is as important as everyone else's, no more no less.

[Nikijih]

Who were you replying to then? None of these things have anything to do with my post or the point I raised. Im specifically adressing people calling bad reviews shams and outright telling people that any reviewer that gives a negative score "has an agenda!". I have even seen posts theorising that these reviewers were conspiring to harm the game's metacritic score. Go down this thread and others like this and you will find dozens of exemples.

If this is not what you are talking about, then you arnt adressing my post. If you said none of these things then I am talking neither to nor about you. Capice?

[IRetrouk]

What? You left a comment about people downplaying the bad scores while you yourself have been downplaying the game with almost everyone of your comments, what's confused you? I replied to that comment, you then asked me to explain myself, which I did, you then implied I have attacked people, which is false, then quoted something else I've never said, then accused me of defending the game for personal reasons and being offended, both of those are also false. If we are conversing why are you adding other peoples comments and stuff to your reply to me? The simple fact is, you have been downplaying the game, and you are no different from the ones downplaying the lower scores.

[Nikijih]

If my comment was about "people downplaying reviews", then yours was about unicorns. You built a nice strawman to argue against, I wish you all the luck in the world.

I made a post about people accusing bad reviews of being dishonest. This is not a matter of downplaying, its an accusation based on conspiracy theories.

Downplaying: "Yeah the review is bad but maybe this just isnt the kind of game the reviewer likes. Its ok to have different strokes for different folks'
Batshit crazy fanboyism: "Omg the reviewer clearly has an agenda against Kojima, or he just wants to generate clickbait traffic. This review is a sham!''

If you see no difference between those two sentences, you need the type of professional help I can't offer you.

[IRetrouk]

Lmao, I cant make it any more simple for you, you complain about people downplaying/having an agenda yet do it yourself, if the ones downplaying the bad scores are such crazed fanboys then what are you? Almost every comment about death stranding has been negative, so what's the difference between you and them?, i said you have been doing that exact thing just the opposite way around, I said that most of your comments on this site so far have been downplaying the game, you have indeed replyed to people that are positive about the game with negative comments, you asked me to explain myself and I did.

[Nikijih]

You are just playing a semantic game. My post was never about downplaying. Downplaying is not the same as accusing someone of dishonesty. Either you do not understand what the word actually means, or you are taking a piss. Either way, have fun arguing with yourself.

[IRetrouk]

Wow lol so people who disagree with the lower scores and think there is something behind it are infact not downplaying the reviews? but are being conspiracy theorists because they accused the reviewer of being dishonest or having an agenda? Ok.
What about the people in the 10 out of 10 articles saying they cant believe the score, or it's not the game they reviewed but kojima himself, are they also conspiracy theorists?/questioning the reviewers of being dishonest? What's the difference?

[Rambokind]

This is the fairest review I've read. You suckers fell for the hype, again. Next up? Cyberpunk. No game can live up to that kind of hype, none.

[DrShoe]

If only Giant Bomb was still a credible and relevant gaming site, instead of just another clickbait factory with talentless bloggers

[MadLad]

What world do you live in? It's not the one I'm in.

[coolbeans]

If only that type of response carried some weight, instead of just being a go-to whenever someone has a different opinion.

[LoveSpuds]

GiantBomb rarely issue reviews, they are more of a personality driven site making content around video games. Anyone who thinks they care about clicks clearly don't know the history behind how the site was created nor the history of the staff that are there.

If they were just another blogger site, would every industry personality you care to name turn up to their E3 live streams every year? There is a reason the likes of Phil Spencer turn up to GiantBomb every E3 whilst every other journalist goes to the Xbox conference, despite GiantBomb given honest commentary on Xbox failings through the year. It's because their integrity is unimpeachable.

You don't agree with their review, fine. Based on my first 2 hours of play, I don't either, but it doest mean Giantbomb aren't an honest or respected outfit.

[JokerBoy422]

Hahahaha loving this! Reality hits hard lol!

[Twonky888]

It sound like Sam is postman pat and his baby is his little black cat. And early in the morning postman Sam and his baby find out that the van has broken down and has to walk across Scotland to deliver his parcels.

[Donnie81]

Don’t worry metacritic will remove this review probably. They have already dropped two other bad scores from the game. Pretty sad really. Also look at several of the reviews in progress a few of them are probably gonna be low. This game will be lucky to stay above 80. I don’t really care though because I’ll just play it myself and make up my own mind

[gold_drake]

geez.
i wonder how much of all the reviews are blind followers of kojima and just Trolls who give it a bad score to be in the "news", and genuine fans of the game lol.

[sushimama]

This guy didn't like the game. FACT IS, that the majority of people who reviewed the game really liked it. This is just one guy's opinion. Who cares. This game actually has the most PERFECT 10 scores of any game this year.

[MadLad]

And if you didn't like the game, you'd be the sort of person calling the good reviews crap and congratulating every negative one.

Glad you like the game.
Now grow up and respect the fact people have differing opinions.

[sushimama]

No you ridiculous simpleton. This review is of course valid. I'm just saying that the vast majority of people ENJOYED THE GAME

[LoveSpuds]

While Alex didn't like the game at all, the GiantBomb preview video ended with Brad concluding that he wasn't sure if he liked the game or not, but knows that he couldn't stop playing it. Ultimately, there is enough footage doing the rounds for people to make their own minds up at this stage, for my part, I have a copy sat on my shelf waiting for me to get in from work.

[marquisray]

So basically a pretty, boring game that's what I'm getting from most of the reviews so far, I'm just going to wait and buy off of letgo.

[windblowsagain]

Is nobody allowed to have their own opinion.

I'm not into MGS games, as I find them boring. and after watching reviews of this game it looks boring as well.

But to others it's amazing and that's upto you.

If you like a game play it, if you don't then don't. stop moaning about other peoples views.

I wasn't a big fan of Horizon zero dawn. Looked great but did not like the characters.

I loved the witcher 3 and bloodborne.

opinions.

[ReVibe]

I'm one of the "the journey is the destination" types when it comes to how this game has developed. Listening to people's batshit theories, sharing philosophy, mythology, etc, basically coming together and pooling in knowledge and perspectives to piece something together. Even if we never had a chance in hell of getting one thing right, it was still fun. The released product is essentially the most overpriced DLC ever to me. Playing to wrap up the puzzle, even if the game sucks. Obviously not going to have Skyrim levels of life-quality, so I'll just plow through it (relatively speaking.) Despite what I think of the game after I'm done, I'll have my copy shelved on display to commemorate the time I went on a 3 year goose chase, and learned a lot about myself and others throughout.

[ElementX]

WTF are you talking about?

[Wasabi]

@ElementX

***"WTF are you talking about?"***

I feel bad about it, but your comment made me Lol.

[FernDiggidy]

LOL!!!

Thank god for Ghost and TLOU 2, cuz this is not it Sony.

[MasterCornholio]

Sony didn't make the game if that makes you feel any better.

[leejohnson222]

Had no idea giant bomb was still trading

[HaVoK308]

You people are far too concerned with other people’s opinions. Do you really need constant justification and confirmation for what you enjoy and like? Are you that pathetic? Buy game. Play game. Enjoy it, or don’t. Why do you care if some person, somewhere, you don’t know, is in agreement with you. It’s sad. It’s just entertainment, which should have nothing to do with how you live your life. If it does, God help us all.

[ajax17]

I'd rather hear what Jeff Gerstmann thinks about it

[GrmpyolGamer]

Kojima is overrated. There I said it!!! Come at me bro

[Xaywhat]

I have the perfect solution. If you think you’ll like it, support the developer and give it a shot. If it’s not for you, go back to what you deem is fun. Easy peasy. I’m just glad we get a lot of different genres with PlayStation with high production values.

I’ve been following reviews with no spoilers just to get an idea. I’m gonna give it a shot this weekend. I may or may not like it in the end, but it’s gonna happen with the hobby I love.