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Are you enjoying Death Stranding?

  • Yes its a great experience

    Votes: 712 43.4%
  • No its a mess

    Votes: 367 22.4%
  • I Have Mixed feelings

    Votes: 207 12.6%
  • Thor: The Dark World

    Votes: 354 21.6%

  • Total voters
    1,640

smocaine

Member
Oct 30, 2019
2,011
Only intellectuals who've actually played Death Stranding know better than to interact with such vitriol, and instead form formless Strands with such detractors.
 
Oct 27, 2017
12,756
I haven't played the game and probably never will, but Dunkey echoes every impression I've been left with from what I've seen of, and read about, the game. It seems like a bad, boring and thoroughly tedious game with high production values and nice graphics.
 

GillianSeed79

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,371
Meh...I'm really enjoying it. It's super addictive in that "just one more run" feel. The mechanics are interesting, and the story is really interesting so far. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I myself have been enjoying it quite a lot.
 

Leviathan

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,065
It's an adventure game. It fits well the genre but if you want to go running around full speed with 250kg on your back and not stumble, you're going to have a bad time. Not the games fault, you just don't care about the game's mechanic.

If you try to do 100hits combo in Sekiro it won't work, you can come back here and say is the wrong genre if you want as well.
Aren't you the one who called Seikiro a DMC game? I'm still not really sure what you were getting at there.
 

jviggy43

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
18,184
I'm done with resetera. I'm definitely not done with video games, I end up playing 10-20 new games every year, that will probably never change. But this game really made me realize I no longer give a shit about anything you guys have to say. It made me realize that video game reviewers mean nothing to me anymore. For so long have I been a child, now I can look into the mirror and truly see a woman looking back at me. I no longer put any stock into the opinions or thoughts of people on the internet, from now on, I trust myself and those I consider closest to me in real life.

This is probably the single best game I've played this entire generation. It's one of the funnest games I've played in years. I've played all of your favourite games. I'm probably better at most of them than most of you guys are, I've played literally hundreds of video games released this decade of all sorts of different genres and styles.

There are a few of you guys out there who are alright, keep on keeping on. But eventually you guys too will realize you're like me: you truly fucking love video games with all your heart, it's probably impossible to change that about yourself. And you'll realize your posting on a forum full of complete morons who don't even play video games, they just enjoy shitposting about them. These are people who are essentially broken on the inside and have likely lost most of their ability to enjoy things. The type of people who complain about stagnation in the industry, and when arguably the most revolutionary game of the decade drops, they all gang up together to pretend that it isn't even a video game, when in reality Death Stranding is basically the most video gamey video game of all time.
This post rules
 

rare

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,421
I think the game is good and probably my favorite game this gen, but I completely understand why it isn't for everyone.
 

Hogendaz85

Member
Dec 6, 2017
2,813
Haha, man. I know that this video doesn't paint the game in the most flattering light, but damn. What's in this video alone is enough for me to know that the game looks absolutely fucking terrible by every metric for which I enjoy games.

And I'm somewhat of a diehard Kojima fan.
The game is awesome. If I went off videos like this I'd think the same thing as you.
 

Schlauchkopf

Alt-account
Banned
Aug 20, 2018
659
The game is filled with jokes and that entire part is intentionally farcical.
Yo! So reading lots of comments and interviews by Kojima over the last decades I can only say with certainty that the dude is half self-aware of how silly some aspects of his games and stories are and half unaware. My first instinct is that yeah, he just wants players to have a huge laugh after what is suppsoed to be a big showdown.

But part of me also thinks the line is supposed to be genuinly endearing and the beach run is intended to be genuinly touching. Kojima is very inconsistent with some huge blind spots in this regard so both possibilities are open.

It's funny either way though.

Mod edit: removing potential spoilers
What?

No.

You're a nuke.
 
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Deleted member 46948

Account closed at user request
Banned
Aug 22, 2018
8,852
It's extreme on both sides. You have this take and the complete opposite "All you do is go from A to B".

Of course. I'm in the "A to B" camp myself, but I recognize people enjoy weird things in gaming - there's this guy who beats Dark Souls with his toes, people spend hundreds of hours building their Lego castle in Minecraft or managing a fortresses in ASCII Dwarf Fortress. Whatever makes them happy is a legit way to spend their time. But then you have these die hards who come into threads like these and just _need_ everyone else to like this thing they like, or they are dumb or something.
Now that's funny.
 

Haze

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,776
Detroit, MI
Are people unironically calling it a strand game now? I didn't even think his fans were doing that with a straight face.
I mean I dont think it's its own revolutionary genre, but the social aspect of the game is extremely important not only to how it plays but also the message it's trying to send. Dunkey doesn't even mention that part of the game and erroneously attributes "strand" to walking.

I dunno, I completed the game, and bad writing, bad animations while walking, terrain clipping, "skyrim" climbing mountains with a bike, lots of repetitive cutscenes ... all of this was in the game. I think the game has some really good things too, mostly the interesting online component, but this review feels far more sincere to me than a "10/10 life-changing experience".

He's quite literally playing the in the worst way possible and throwing himself into frustrating situations. You aren't really meant to be taking motorcycles up the sides of mountains, for example.
 

MegaSackman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
17,699
Argentina
Aren't you the one who called Seikiro a DMC game? I'm still not really sure what you were getting at there.

I was implying that you can't play Death Stranding like an action game and you told me is in the action adventure genre, I used Sekiro and Devil May Cry to note that not every game is the same.

A game about balancing cargo and weight can be boring but it's not bad because you can't fast run your way out of things like Mario.
Dunkey clearly wanted to play a different game, that's alright but I'm just saying he played it wrong. Not that it would change anything, he's just not interested.
 

Burrman

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,633
That's some janky ass gameplay. The climbing always looks so rough. Like when you try to climb an area in a game that's not supposed to be climbable.
 
Oct 25, 2017
6,948
What critical thinking does DS actually require? The story has all the subtlety of an ice pick straight to the prefrontal cortex. If you're on board with the meditative aspect of the gameplay, I can respect that but let's not pretend that the game requires a significant degree of puzzle solving or lateral thinking to transport boxes from A to B.

The story imo is interesting, but it's not deep at all. The gameplay absolutely is. There's way more involved than just "get box from A to B". You have to plot out routes, what supplies to bring, how to plan out structures and upgrades to make travel easier, deal with setbacks when your previous plans fail due to enemies or poor management.

To properly play Death Stranding, it absolutely takes a willingness to learn and traverse the many systems presented. That might make some people feel like they're doing work rather than play a game.
 

Leviathan

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,065
I mean I dont think it's its own revolutionary genre, but the social aspect of the game is extremely important not only to how it plays but also the message it's trying to send. Dunkey doesn't even mentions that part of the game and erroneously attributes "strand" to walking.
But does that hit the previously meaningful standard for allowing a game to fit a new genre, nevermind for allowing Kojima to simply declare it to be the start of one? Maybe the answer is yes, but does it really add so much that it cannot simply be treated as a high budget delivery sim?
 

Deleted member 18944

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
6,944
I was asking if your post was serious

I'm sure you can figure that out yourself, and if you can't, don't ask me.
Yo! So reading lots of comments and interviews by Kojima over the last decades I can only say with certainty that the dude is half self-aware of how silly some aspects of his games and stories are and half unaware. My first instinct is that yeah, he just wants players to have a huge laugh after what is suppsoed to be a big showdown.

But part of me also thinks the line is supposed to be genuinly endearing and the beach run is intended to be genuinly touching. Kojima is very inconsistent with some huge blind spots in this regard so both possibilities are open.

It's funny either way though.


What?

No.

You're a nuke.

Like I said, haven't played the game! I might pick it up on black friday when the $200 bundle.
 

Ferrio

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,047
Of course. I'm in the "A to B" camp myself, but I recognize people enjoy weird things in gaming - there's this guy who beats Dark Souls with his toes, people spend hundreds of hours building their Lego castle in Minecraft or managing a fortresses in ASCII Dwarf Fortress. Whatever makes them happy is a legit way to spend their time. But then you have these die hards who come into threads like these and just _need_ everyone else to like this thing they like, or they are dumb or something.
Now that's funny.

But you're the exact opposite, not representing what the game is truly about and boiling it down to "A to B". How are the die hards coming up with these "intellectual" arguments worse than your equally ridiculous opinion?
 

Splader

Member
Feb 12, 2018
5,063
I mean.. video games are subjective sure, but this game is by no means a failure. The game is perfectly functional, no glitches, beautiful art, amazing sound design and music, crazy story, and for me, some of the most compelling gameplay I've experienced this generation.

Dunkey is entitled to his opinion completely. But I'm deeply skeptical of anyone that gives hyperbolically bad reviews to any game that is perfectly functional and well produced.
It depends on what you define failure as. If a game fails to engage the player with the gameplay, than plenty of people would consider it a "failure" of a game.
I'm done with resetera. I'm definitely not done with video games, I end up playing 10-20 new games every year, that will probably never change. But this game really made me realize I no longer give a shit about anything you guys have to say. It made me realize that video game reviewers mean nothing to me anymore. For so long have I been a child, now I can look into the mirror and truly see a woman looking back at me. I no longer put any stock into the opinions or thoughts of people on the internet, from now on, I trust myself and those I consider closest to me in real life.

This is probably the single best game I've played this entire generation. It's one of the funnest games I've played in years. I've played all of your favourite games. I'm probably better at most of them than most of you guys are, I've played literally hundreds of video games released this decade of all sorts of different genres and styles.

There are a few of you guys out there who are alright, keep on keeping on. But eventually you guys too will realize you're like me: you truly fucking love video games with all your heart, it's probably impossible to change that about yourself. And you'll realize your posting on a forum full of complete morons who don't even play video games, they just enjoy shitposting about them. These are people who are essentially broken on the inside and have likely lost most of their ability to enjoy things. The type of people who complain about stagnation in the industry, and when arguably the most revolutionary game of the decade drops, they all gang up together to pretend that it isn't even a video game, when in reality Death Stranding is basically the most video gamey video game of all time.

This is a weird post. Half the people in this thread disagree with Dunkey and praise this game. Or do the few posts that do the opposite irk you so much? Though of course that's not even talking about the "I'm better than you too" part, but that's a whole different egg.
 

Altair

Member
Jan 11, 2018
7,901
Exactly. But stating the game is not fun. Its a lie. The game is lots of fun, thers alot of fun gameplay mechanics in the game, more than most games out there right now.

No, it's not. You think those gameplay mechanics are fun. Your opinion isn't a universal fact. Some people don't think those gameplay mechanics are fun. There's nothing dishonest about saying the gameplay in any game isn't fun because that's purely subjective in the first place.
 

Burrman

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,633
I'm done with resetera. I'm definitely not done with video games, I end up playing 10-20 new games every year, that will probably never change. But this game really made me realize I no longer give a shit about anything you guys have to say. It made me realize that video game reviewers mean nothing to me anymore. For so long have I been a child, now I can look into the mirror and truly see a woman looking back at me. I no longer put any stock into the opinions or thoughts of people on the internet, from now on, I trust myself and those I consider closest to me in real life.

This is probably the single best game I've played this entire generation. It's one of the funnest games I've played in years. I've played all of your favourite games. I'm probably better at most of them than most of you guys are, I've played literally hundreds of video games released this decade of all sorts of different genres and styles.

There are a few of you guys out there who are alright, keep on keeping on. But eventually you guys too will realize you're like me: you truly fucking love video games with all your heart, it's probably impossible to change that about yourself. And you'll realize your posting on a forum full of complete morons who don't even play video games, they just enjoy shitposting about them. These are people who are essentially broken on the inside and have likely lost most of their ability to enjoy things. The type of people who complain about stagnation in the industry, and when arguably the most revolutionary game of the decade drops, they all gang up together to pretend that it isn't even a video game, when in reality Death Stranding is basically the most video gamey video game of all time.
This reads like a joke. Not sure if serious.....
 

Haze

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,776
Detroit, MI
But does that hit the previously meaningful standard for allowing a game to fit a new genre, nevermind for allowing Kojima to simply declare it to be the start of one? Maybe the answer is yes, but does it really add so much that it cannot simply be treated as a high budget delivery sim?

Yes it absolutely does. The game does a lot to differentiate itself from other open-worlds titles. Where most are concerned with what happens at point A and point B and everything in between is filler, DS is a game about what happens in between those points.
 

Leviathan

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,065
I was implying that you can't play Death Stranding like an action game and you told me is in the action adventure genre, I used Sekiro and Devil May Cry to note that not every game is the same.

A game about balancing cargo and weight can be boring but it's not bad because you can't fast run your way out of things like Mario.
Dunkey clearly wanted to play a different game, that's alright but I'm just saying he played it wrong. Not that it would change anything, he's just not interested.
As I understand it, he is a massive MGS fan and was very interested. I would also assume he used footage meant to make his point not qualify the video as a tight representation optimal gameplay.

And the dissimilarity of two games in the same genre does not open up the genre to whatever wants to join. Two games can be different but still clearly share genre determinative traits and strong points. Similarly, two games can be different and not share those treats or strong points. Maybe this is one that fits into a few genres though, could be.
 

Deleted member 46948

Account closed at user request
Banned
Aug 22, 2018
8,852
But you're the exact opposite, not representing what the game is truly about and boiling it down to "A to B". How are the die hards coming up with these "intellectual" arguments worse than your equally ridiculous opinion?

Enlighten me, what is the game "truly" about? Because to me it seems awfully like a game about bringing things from A to B (and building some stuff to bring them from A to B faster or helping others bring them from A to B faster).
Please no "it really makes you think about human connections".

Go.
 

Splader

Member
Feb 12, 2018
5,063
Exactly. But stating the game is not fun. Its a lie. The game is lots of fun, thers alot of fun gameplay mechanics in the game, more than most games out there right now.
You realize this is a review, right? And reviews are inherently just the opinions of the reviewers? If Dunkey didn't find the game to be fun, then how is saying "it's not fun" a lie?
 

Tibarn

Member
Oct 31, 2017
13,370
Barcelona
You aren't really meant to be taking motorcycles up the sides of mountains, for example.
I know, the problem is that the game is not robust enough to implement a way to prevent it while feeling natural. You can zigzag/turbo almost anything, it's like the Mako in ME1 or horses in Skyrim. And for a game about traversal, the lack of something this obvious is quite bad, same with "forced climbing while cancelling animations" and other really bad problems the game has with traversal.
 

Leviathan

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,065
Yes it absolutely does. The game does a lot to differentiate itself from other open-worlds titles. Where most are concerned with what happens at point A and point B and everything in between is filler, DS is a game about what happens in between those points.
Basically all walking simulators, exploration games, and open world games are more focused on the journey than the destination, at least if you buy their press. Most of those games have a whole lot more than rocks, ghosts, and inventory management on the way there though.

His refusal to put anything at A or B does not enhance the trip between the two of them.
 

Tibarn

Member
Oct 31, 2017
13,370
Barcelona
Exactly. But stating the game is not fun. Its a lie. The game is lots of fun, thers alot of fun gameplay mechanics in the game, more than most games out there right now.
Fun is a really subjective thing, you can't force anything to be fun for everyone. Of course Dunkey tried to play against the game design, and was even less fun. But there's no thing as a "subjectively fun" game.
 

Ænima

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,513
Portugal
No, it's not. You think those gameplay mechanics are fun. Your opinion isn't a universal fact. Some people don't think those gameplay mechanics are fun. There's nothing dishonest about saying the gameplay in any game isn't fun because that's purely subjective in the first place.
I can also say alot of games i dont have fun with are not fun. Like Fortnite to me is not fun. but it would be a lie to be to factually state it as a not fun game. Same for Death Stranding. You might not enjoy the gameplay and to YOU might not be fun. But stating like its a fact that DS isent fun, its a big fat lie that i have been reading mostly from ppl that never played the game or are super closed mind to new gameplay experiences.
 

Splader

Member
Feb 12, 2018
5,063
Yes it absolutely does. The game does a lot to differentiate itself from other open-worlds titles. Where most are concerned with what happens at point A and point B and everything in between is filler, DS is a game about what happens in between those points.
Plenty of games put a bunch of stuff on the way from point A to B. Hell, it's an open world staple at this point. Death Stranding focuses on the traversal part, not about things "happening" on the way.
 

Ferrio

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,047
Enlighten me, what is the game "truly" about? Because to me it seems awfully like a game about bringing things from A to B (and building some stuff to bring them from A to B faster or helping others bring them from A to B faster).
Please no "it really makes you think about human connections".

Because it would be like reducing MGSV to "You shoot people", when there's way more going on there. MGSV's strengths were it's ability to choose how you tackled things, planning your mission, loading up the relevant equipment for the type of mission etc. Same exact thing in this game. The difference is the end objective, instead of killing/fultoning people out, you travel between locations. How you go to that location and what method you choose is up to you, and there's tons of ways to do it. Which way you choose can effect a person's experience drastically.

All the things people praised MGSV for is here, all except for the focus on killing/fighting (which is in this game too). Unfortunately you can't really demonstrate player choice in videos, only that particular person's choice and you aren't privy to their private thoughts on why they chose that path.
 

MegaSackman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
17,699
Argentina
As I understand it, he is a massive MGS fan and was very interested. I would also assume he used footage meant to make his point not qualify the video as a tight representation optimal gameplay.

And the dissimilarity of two games in the same genre does not open up the genre to whatever wants to join. Two games can be different but still clearly share genre determinative traits and strong points. Similarly, two games can be different and not share those treats or strong points. Maybe this is one that fits into a few genres though, could be.

What I say is that he wasn't interested once he experience what the game was about, it actually really looks like he wanted to play like a Metal Gear game and it's a continent away from it. Not the game's fault, it's not called nor it was promised a Metal Gear game.
Is not Dunkey's fault either, I just saw the footage and saw a guy doing what you're not supposed to do in Death Stranding, run around like a maniac.

Why I don't agree is saying the game is bad because it's not what you imagine ir should be but I understand is confusing to see what is the line between this is bad or this is not for me.
 

Tibarn

Member
Oct 31, 2017
13,370
Barcelona
I can also say alot of games i dont have fun with are not fun. Like Fortnite to me is not fun. but it would be a lie to be to factually state it as a not fun game. Same for Death Stranding game. You might not enjoy the gameplay and to YOU might not be fun. But stating like its a fact that DS isent fun, its a big fat lie that i have been reading mostly from ppl that never played the game.
So the same logic can be reversed. If stating as a fact that the game is fun, but to me isn't that fun, someone is lying, and it doesn't need to be me.
 

Splader

Member
Feb 12, 2018
5,063
I can also say alot of games i dont have fun with are not fun. Like Fortnite to me is not fun. but it would be a lie to be to factually state it as a not fun game. Same for Death Stranding. You might not enjoy the gameplay and to YOU might not be fun. But stating like its a fact that DS isent fun, its a big fat lie that i have been reading mostly from ppl that never played the game or are super closed mind to new gameplay experiences.
Do you want him to say "In my opinion" every time in his own review? You clicked it knowing it was Dunkey and his opinion is what you're going to get.

I can make a video and say "Sekiro is the worst game by From in recent memory". And anyone who clicks it knows it's just my opinion, nothing else.
 

Haze

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,776
Detroit, MI
Plenty of games put a bunch of stuff on the way from point A to B. Hell, it's an open world staple at this point. Death Stranding focuses on the traversal part, not about things "happening" on the way.

Yes, things like kill x amount of enemies, listen to dialogue, etc etc. But that is filler. The majority of things that actually impact the gameplay occur once you've reached your destination. In DS you are constantly engaged while reaching those points.

Basically all walking simulators, exploration games, and open world games are more focused on the journey than the destination, at least if you buy their press. Most of those games have a whole lot more than rocks, ghosts, and inventory management on the way there though.

His refusal to put anything at A or B does not enhance the trip between the two of them.

Walking simulators are probably the extreme example of my point. You "walk" from points of interest and what happens at those points is the gameplay (Edith Finch?) and I love plenty of those games. But in DS, the walking IS the gameplay.
 

Mary Celeste

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,174
I'm sure you can figure that out yourself, and if you can't, don't ask me.
for what it's worth, I'm no Kojima stan (though I traditionally enjoy the games he makes, with some notable exceptions) and I'm having a blast with Death Stranding so far. I've put over 30 hours into it and they've all been a ton of fun.
 
Oct 26, 2017
10,499
UK
Enlighten me, what is the game "truly" about? Because to me it seems awfully like a game about bringing things from A to B (and building some stuff to bring them from A to B faster or helping others bring them from A to B faster).
Please no "it really makes you think about human connections".

Go.

I also feel people really overstate the preparing aspect. Most of the missions I've done will just require you to use the same load-out you lose and plotting a rout is always extremely obvious because there's so few actual challenges you need to care about when traversing the field.
 

Terandle

Member
Oct 27, 2017
391
I think Death Stranding is like taking a long walk by yourself into the woods/mountains. You have to be able to enjoy that kind of solitude to like this game. And I can totally understand why some or even most people don't.
 

smocaine

Member
Oct 30, 2019
2,011
I can guarantee 90% of people who complain about this game haven't even played it, and are just angry at its existence.
 

Leviathan

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,065
What I say is that he wasn't interested once he experience what the game was about, it actually really looks like he wanted to play like a Metal Gear game and it's a continent away from it. Not the game's fault, it's not called nor it was promised a Metal Gear game.
Is not Dunkey's fault either, I just saw the footage and saw a guy doing what you're not supposed to do in Death Stranding, run around like a maniac.

Why I don't agree is saying the game is bad because it's not what you imagine ir should be but I understand is confusing to see what is the line between this is bad or this is not for me.

I think that was a little bit condescending, but to respond to it fairly neutrally, I will just say that it seems pretty clear that he and other critics have complained about far more than a simple case of the game not being for them or what they expected.

I think confronting criticism head-on would be more effective and genuine than dismissing its very legitimacy.
 

Deleted member 36578

Dec 21, 2017
26,561
Death Standing truly is one of the most divisive games to come out in such a long time. I found it to be a masterpiece. It's something that every gamer should experience or at least check out even if they're a bystander and watching someone else. Small snipets of the game do not do it justice as it's the build up plus trials and tribulations that make it what it is. The game was completely engrossing for me both in terms of its game play and story. While progressing I was rewarded frequently with either new game play mechanics via new tools, plot reveals , gorgeous vistas, frightening surprise encounters and every single step of the way I had to think about my actions. Death Stranding never allowed me to turn my brain off which was so fucking refreshing in a sea of other video games I can mindlessly play. I love many games, but this one is something truly unique and special. Not to mention graphically I was blown away. I have a gaming PC I play 4k content on with ultra settings. I've played through red dead 2. I've played through gears 5. The art style, character models, locations and cut scenes in Death Stranding are honestly the best looking video game graphics I've ever seen. I don't typically gush about graphics because that normally plays second fiddle, but it's like the cherry on top of a perfect sunday to me. Even my roommates were excited for me to keep playing it because they were enjoying watching it so much. The acting, the cut scenes, the story intrigued us all and it was like watching a long series together. Even the music is beautifully woven throughout the experience. I can't sing praises enough for this one.

This thread just makes me wish I bothered to start my own YouTube channel so I could stand on my own soap box and share Death Stranding with as many people as possible to counter act what a review like this one is saying. It saddens me that not everyone will experience the game for themselves and will listen to someone hate it so much without trying it on their own. All I really hope for is if someone's still on the fence that they give the game a shot and decide for themselves. Love it, hate it, or anywhere in-between, it's not often we get a game like this.
 
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