Death Stranding Dunkey review

[Deleted member 46948]

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).

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Mmmm, I think that's not a good example. If I had to describe MGSV in a short sentence, I'd definitely say "you stealth into places you're not supposed to be", not "you shoot people". It's easy to argue against a strawman.

I get that you also need to plan how you get from A to B in DS, but it really doesn't change what the game is about in my eyes. Again, if you're having fun, that's great, and it's totally valid, but why the vitriol for people who aren't?

 

[TheModestGun]

Why do people hop on the accusation train instantly?

In the review, he states that no matter what, it ends the same way and the gameplay in between means absolutely nothing. That doesn't mean it needs to have multiple endings, but if it ends the same way no matter what you do, that seems weird.

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I'm not really sure what you mean here. No it does not end the same no matter what, there are fail states, the people you deliver to comment on the condition of the delivery etc, which also effects what rating hey give you, which also effects whether you get cool upgrades or not.

I think you are taking his"the same" comment too literally. Unless you are looking for branching paths. Which no this game does not have and has never advertised as such.

 

[Splader]

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.

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That's not filler lol, that's just gameplay. Most open worlds have gameplay that include both traversal and combat. And they also encourage exploration to find things that are off the path. Gold, chests, gear, etc.

Games have been doing this for years. What Death Stranding does different is that it prioritizes the traversal part of the game rather than the combat part.

It's actually pretty similar to Sea of Thieves, now that I think about it.

 

[Altair]

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.

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There's nothing factual in regards to fun. What's fun is entirely up to the individual person and his/her tastes. Nobody in here claimed the game wasn't fun as if it was a factual statement. When they say it's not fun they obviously mean it's not something they themselves enjoy. They shouldn't have to put IMO after everything they say for you to understand that. You can't accuse somebody of lying about something that is entirely subjective in the first place.

 

[SuperFakerBros]

Until Knack 3 baybee

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You can't surpass perfection. Even the original team behind the game wouldn't be able to do it

 

[Tibarn]

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.

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I strongly disagree here. My 2nd main hobbie is mountain hiking, both alone and with friends. I have spend days and nights walking and it's something I love, both in short sessions or in long routes. DS fails to give me this feeling, it doesn't even come any close in fact.

 

[Zem]

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.

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Where's this meme from?

 

[Splader]

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

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Go back in time to the day the reviews drop and you could say the same thing about the people praising the game.
Though neither thing is right to do.

 

[--R]

Where's this meme from?

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Zelda copypasta on 4Chan.

 

[Zem]

aha, it's pretty good

 

[a916]

I really enjoy the simplicity of walking around and getting a cutscene here and there. So far I'm liking this game, I'm almost at chapter 4, but this review is hilarious, he's on point on a couple areas lol.

I can see the points he's making and it doesn't ruin my enjoyment of the game lol.

(I need a Pokemon review, hopefully soon, his MW was hilarious)

 

[GillianSeed79]

So...for those who haven't played the game, the gameplay loop is similar to Peace Walker and MGSV --- the difference being is there's very little combat. There are absolutely stealth elements. You do get flashes of MGS, but combat encounters are absolutely not the focus of the game outside of boss fights. The game's core loop is complete x task to get rewards, upgrades, story cutscenes, etc., much in the same way that Peace Walker was split into bite-sized missions or MGSV was split into short self-contained missions. Death Stranding is a further refinement of that, except with asymmetrical multiplayer. It's not just walk A to B. I've done Metal Gear-like stealth. I've choked dudes out. I've fought at least one ridiculous boss that was preceded by a Kojima-esque boss soliloquy. Really it's the same basic loop of gameplay task=reward like you saw in Peace Walker and MGSV. Remember unlocking all the cool shit from research at Mother Base? It's like that. That's where the fun comes from. It's about getting increasingly meaningful equipment to complete your objectives, much in the same way that you earned better and better weapons and equipment in MGSV/Peace Walker. Couple that with your typical Kojima drip feed of cool story segments and that's Death Stranding. It's certainly more contemplative and slower paced than MGS, but all the same building blocks are there. It's definitely fun IMO, but I can see why people don't like it, since it's not as balls to the walls action as MGS, but I certainly wouldn't call it dull. It'd be like complaining that Shadow of the Colossus is boring because the world is empty and all you do is fight bosses.

 

[eXistor]

Divisive game is divisive. I love it.

 

[Splader]

Zelda copypasta on 4Chan.

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Damn, I had a feeling it was.
Can't believe I fell for it.

 

[benzopil]

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.

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Yeah it's strange. I just pressed triangle in the terminal and ran during every mission, that's it. Death Stranding is one of the easiest games of the year but for some reason people are saying that it's like a Dark Souls of videogames with inventory management and traversal mechanics

 

[Ferrio]

Mmmm, I think that's not a good example. If I had to describe MGSV in a short sentence, I'd definitely say "you stealth into places you're not supposed to be", not "you shoot people". It's easy to argue against a strawman.

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Well I guess that matters on the type of player you are (guns blazing/stealth). The point being you can reduce both games to a single objective, and the single objective isn't what makes the game. What makes both games great is your ability to choose how to go about doing it, and both games give you tons of options in that. The same here, you can kill enemies or you can stealth around them. You can take vehicles or you can go by foot. You can take a direct but more dangerous path or you can go around. You can try boarding down a mountain to get to a place faster but eat shit cause you hit a rock. You can try a harder mission/multiple at once to save time or play it safe and do 1 by 1.

I would also say I don't have vitriol, it's just sad people are reducing this game down to it's objective when there's so much actually going on in the game. It just makes it even more sad when it has direct comparisons to MGSV which is often praised for it's amazing gameplay. Videos are never going to make the game look fun, and I absolutely thought I'd hate the game when I saw clips of it.

 

[MegaSackman]

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.

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I know how it sounded but it wasn't my intention, it irrelevant tho.

Anyway again, my gripe was watching him play and complain, it feels weird to me that he's accusing the game for having the mechanics that it has like it shouldn't and it seems he wanted something more fast paced. The video screams "I don't want the game to be like this, I want it to be this other way" to me.

 

[?oe?oe]

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

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What about all the videos of people playing the game who don't like it? Fake news?

 

[mutantmagnet]

It does spoil the cringiest line in the game.

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Easily the best game spoiler of all time.

The spoiler has nothing to do with the plot but a meta joke that is made infinitely better by being in this review. I never laughed so hard at lame line that wouldn't warrant a chuckle in game.

 

[snausages]

I like Dunkey's videos but it's pretty clear in his own gameplay how he tried to Skyrim his way through everything. Jumping up rocks and pushing bikes up rocky hills. That's not how you play the Gran Turismo of walking simulators 😅

The boss fights are a comedic joke though, that part is true.

 

[Altair]

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

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This is a lazy way to denounce criticism and is completely baseless as well.

 

[stan_marsh]

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 themselves. All I really hope for is if someone's still on the fence that they give the game a shot and decide for themselves.

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Great post.

 

[Tibarn]

Yeah it's strange. I just pressed triangle in the terminal and ran during every mission, that's it. Death Stranding is one of the easiest games of the year but for some reason people are saying that it's like a Dark Souls of videogames with inventory management and traversal mechanics

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Yep, I NEVER changed my equipment/cargo distribution manually, and never failed a single mission because of it. Maybe the Elite optional deliveries make you think more about it, who knows.

 

[smocaine]

What about all the videos of people playing the game who don't like it? Fake news?

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90%

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This is a lazy way to denounce criticism and is completely baseless as well.

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True.

 

[Leviathan]

I know how it sounded but it wasn't my intention, it irrelevant tho.

Anyway again, my gripe was watching him play and complain, it feels weird to me that he's accusing the game for having the mechanics that it has like it shouldn't and it seems he wanted something more fast paced. The video screams "I don't want the game to be like this, I want it to be this other way" to me.

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Tone is very relevant, but I think the way he wanted it to be was well-written and well-executed in the mechanics that it offered. It sounds like he would have certainly enjoyed having more game to the game, but most of the focus of the video was on how poorly done what was there was.

 

[mutantmagnet]

Dunkey loves system driven sandboxes like MGSV and BotW so I really thought I might like that one.

The thing that really baffles me about Death Strnding is why it doesn't use ragdoll and physics for the falls. So much of the game is based on climbing and the terrain and yet it goes full animation priority which looks terrible and not nearly as fun as a good ol' tumbling down a mountain in Havok.

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Thanks for reminding me how Kojima could make this game more punishing. I hate ragdoll physics in games that shouldn't have it and Death Stranding is definitely one of those games that would be worse off.

 

[unholyFarmer]

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 themselves. All I really hope for is if someone's still on the fence that they give the game a shot and decide for themselves.

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Well said my friend, I also agree it is a masterpiece. Unfortunately DS is the kind of game for which you get more views by going full memey and shitting on Kojima.

 

[Haze]

That's not filler lol, that's just gameplay. Most open worlds have gameplay that include both traversal and combat. And they also encourage exploration to find things that are off the path. Gold, chests, gear, etc.

Games have been doing this for years. What Death Stranding does different is that it prioritizes the traversal part of the game rather than the combat part.

It's actually pretty similar to Sea of Thieves, now that I think about it.

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In most of those game's the traversal isn't even taken into account because its a relatively trivial thing. You can skip all of the filler thats between cities/bases/locales in those games and often you experience will be better for it. Death Stranding doesn't and can't pad its world out because its world and traversing is intrinsic to it as an experience. It wouldn't be the game it was if it was a linear game.

Conversely, a lot of open-world titles are made into better games if they are in fact, not open world.

 

[?oe?oe]

.

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Need receipts.

 

[Antiax]

Absolutely hilarious video but hyperbole aside, Dunkey is right about this game.

 

[Asriel]

Such a hyperbolic video, lol. I admit, I did laugh at the motorcycle part around 3:51.

Although that "

Spoiler

damaged goods

" line? Woof.

 

[Tibarn]

Well said my friend, I also agree it is a masterpiece. Unfortunately DS is the kind of game for which you get more views by going full memey and shitting on Kojima.

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Of course, because his opinion is mostly based on having more views and he secretly loved the game... /s

 

[ohitsluca]

Holy shit is the writing really that bad?

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i won't say it's incredible, but he literally picked the two worst lines I can remember from my 85 hours with the game lol

 

[TheModestGun]

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.


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.

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Yes, plenty of people find all sorts of games not fun. I really severely disliked lots of games that other people enjoyed. Doesn't change that this game is neither broken nor unpolished, and its trying to be presented like the game is objectively bad, when the fact still remains that the majority of reviewers had very positive impressions and reviews. And judging by the OT for Death Stranding the majority of people are very pleased with the game, with the occasional person that it's not resonating with.

so I'm not sure by what metric on the whole the game could be considered a "failure". Maybe personally for you it does nothing, but don't conflate your impressions with the majority who've played it.

 

[Ferrio]

Yeah it's strange. I just pressed triangle in the terminal and ran during every mission, that's it. Death Stranding is one of the easiest games of the year but for some reason people are saying that it's like a Dark Souls of videogames with inventory management and traversal mechanics

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Prepping is about choice, not merely necessity. You can go through MGSV just sneaking around and tranqing everyone every single mission just fine, being creative or doing something different wasn't ever needed.

 

[Deleted member 58846]

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.

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Calm down, friend. It's just a video game.

 

[Courage]

Dunkey exists for comedic purposes.

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the whole point of prefacing his "dunkviews" is to let his audience know it's a serious video

 

[MegaSackman]

Tone is very relevant, but I think the way he wanted it to be was well-written and well-executed in the mechanics that it offered. It sounds like he would have certainly enjoyed having more game to the game, but most of the focus of the video was on how poorly done what was there was.

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Honestly I didn't see that in the video at all. There's a guy here that played the game and didn't like and make an analysis of why and while I didn't share his opinion it was nuanced and made sense in relation to the game's focus.
I guess a bit of Dunkey is made with comedy purposes but it'd undeniable he had a bad time. The video tells me he did whatever felt more funny with the game and his criticism felt weird to me.

 

[Flipyap]

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.

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At least until you build ziplines, which are everyone's favorite thing in the game despite being a total failure of design which renders the core gameplay meaningless. It's a game designed in a way that makes people want to skip the gameplay.

Disclaimer: I'm a zipline user and I hate myself more and more with each zip because I'd rather walk, but it's impossible to resist the temptation when dealing with repetitive objectives.

 

[zoabs]

Yeesh this thread. People using the OT as sign that word of mouth is good and the game is actually well loved.

OT: Dunkviews are his genuine views towards a game but with humor thrown in to not make it palatable to his viewers who are used to humor and don't want just another video review. Because if dunkey didn't have the humor in this video, he would just repeating what many other reviewers have said without a truly unique voice. That's not a knock on dunkey, but rather usually on the games he reviews. His humor and rating are inversely related. If he loves a game in general he'll make less jokes about it in the review; if he hates a game, as is the case with DS, it'll be filled with him making jokes about how bad it is.

 

[Charamiwa]

Thanks for reminding me how Kojima could make this game more punishing. I hate ragdoll physics in games that shouldn't have it and Death Stranding is definitely one of those games that would be worse off.

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More punishing? It's as punishing as the devs want it to be. It's mostly a visual and interactive choice. Those canned animations don't fit at all and are there constantly, it's just a terrible choice.

 

[ChrisJSY]

I understand the criticism but he's playing it out purposefully in those vids to show the worst of it, or he doesn't understand that you can't be going about brute forcing your way like a neanderthal slamming two rocks together.

 

[Pryme]

Yes, plenty of people find all sorts of games not fun. I really severely disliked lots of games that other people enjoyed. Doesn't change that this game is neither broken nor unpolished, and its trying to be presented like the game is objectively bad, when the fact still remains that the majority of reviewers had very positive impressions and reviews. And judging by the OT for Death Stranding the majority of people are very pleased with the game, with the occasional person that it's not resonating with.

so I'm not sure by what metric on the whole the game could be considered a "failure". Maybe personally for you it does nothing, but don't conflate your impressions with the majority who've played it.

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it dropped 71% in its second week in the UK charts. Doesn't seem indicative of a game with strong word of mouth.

 

[Haze]

At least until you build ziplines, which are everyone's favorite thing in the game despite being a total failure of design which renders the core gameplay meaningless. It's a game designed in a way that makes people want to skip the gameplay.

Disclaimer: I'm a zipline user and I hate myself more and more with each zip because I'd rather walk, but it's impossible to resist the temptation when dealing with repetitive objectives.

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The ziplines are satisfying because they give you a means to completely overcome something that has been an obstacle for dozens of hours. Even then, its not like they are littering the map. There are some that I have placed or assisted in making in a few very convenient spots, but the game does a good job of balancing how many things you're able to build and how many things appear in your game from other players' worlds.

It's never like you reach a certain point where you're constantly using ziplines to the point where you completely undermine the gameplay. They give you a momentary victory.

 

[Doomburrito]

Dunkey is nitpicking and prejudiced. I win, bye bye.

 

[DSP]

Holy shit is the writing really that bad?

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I ended up liking how it plays but the story is a piece of shit with horrible horrible dialog, as if it is written by a child. Maybe it works better in Japanese and we got a literal translation that doesn't work at all but I really doubt that.

 

[unholyFarmer]

Of course, because his opinion is mostly based on having more views and he secretly loved the game... /s

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The game clearly didn't click for him and that's completely fine. But he went overboard messing around with the game for the lulz. Surely he wasn't thinking about views or anything, he just did it for his own enjoyment.

 

[Bundy]

This is a lazy way to denounce criticism and is completely baseless as well.

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Criticism is perfectly fine. Because no game is perfect. But I think it's hilarious how some people here act as if the love/hate relationship for Death Stranding is 50/50. The majority of the reviews are positive. The game is receiving award-nominations left and right. It's okay if you don't like the concept of the game, because it is "different" and tries some new things. But some of the hate this game gets here is just pure comedy gold.

 

[Goro Majima]

I rarely agree with him and this one is no exception. The game is amazing.

 

[Splader]

Yes, plenty of people find all sorts of games not fun. I really severely disliked lots of games that other people enjoyed. Doesn't change that this game is neither broken nor unpolished, and its trying to be presented like the game is objectively bad, when the fact still remains that the majority of reviewers had very positive impressions and reviews. And judging by the OT for Death Stranding the majority of people are very pleased with the game, with the occasional person that it's not resonating with.

so I'm not sure by what metric on the whole the game could be considered a "failure". Maybe personally for you it does nothing, but don't conflate your impressions with the majority who've played it.

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But the video you're referring to is just that. A personal video by one person. Why are you thinking that applies for everyone else, or that Dunkey intends it to?