Customer Ratings & Reviews

So far, I've only devoted a few hours to it and I can already tell that Death Stranding is something unlike anything I've ever seen before in a video game, and it's certainly one that has to be experienced 1st hand. Now I've played many a Hideo Kojima title and would definitely consider myself a fan of his work, the Metal Gear Solid series is one of my most favorite game franchises, but Death Stranding certainly takes the cake as one of his weirder endeavors. Lengthy, beautiful, enigmatic cutscenes and story telling aside, the actual gameplay has the main protagonist, Sam, acting as a courier for Bridges, a company whose primary M.O. focuses on reconnecting the people of the United Cities of America to ensure humanity's survival. There's a small bit of combat sprinkled throughout game, but the main draw seems to be the micromanagement of Sam's delivery inventory, and traversing across some truly gorgeous vistas, trying your best to keep said delivery in tact. The better condition your order is in when delivered, the more likes Sam receives upon completion, which, in turn, helps him to level faster and become more efficient. It all sounds nuts trying to explain on paper, but there is something very alluring and satisfying about how it all works, and I really do enjoy it the more I play. I only took off a star because this game definitely won't appeal to everyone since it is so different, but the presentation, the quality, the soundtrack, and the mystique of the story, in my opinion, is worth the price of admission, especially if you're a fan of Kojima's work.

Death Stranding is a unique game from every corner you look at it. Design, graphics, story. You have to play it for a while to get into it. give it sometime and you will be rewarded. I hope the sequel does things differently though.

I will say this game isn’t for everyone, but I enjoyed the story, the graphics, and concept overall. This is definitely a slow burn kind of game, so take your time with it.

So this game was polarizing. Some people wrote reviews destroying the game, others fell in love. I fell into the latter half. The game starts out slow, and that's where most critics focused their reviews. The first 3-4 hours of gameplay it does feel like a "walking simulator", but the first 3-4 are in a "starter" area that isn't meant to give you all the perks. Once you begin to understand the mechanics and reach upgrades and vehicles the entire gameplay changes. I spent two weeks straight playing this game. I woke up, Death Stranding, and I would continue playing throughout the day. The mechanics are a blast once you figure them out, and the tone of the atmosphere matches the game beautifully. The story is what really got to me. I'm very impatient with games and usually skip cutscenes to hop to the action. This isn't what Death Stranding is about. The combat mechanics are fun and unique, but the story is mind-blowingly good and one of the few games that made me emotional at various points throughout to the point that without giving spoilers, as I'm completing the final mission I was in tears. I spent 90 hours or so to beat the game since I took a slow approach to really enjoy it, and once I finally finished it I had that "hollow" feeling that most people that have played a truly amazing game feel. If you keep an open mind to something unique and enjoy a fantastic plot, this is the game for you and I've recommended it to every friend of mine. I beat it 7 months ago and I've yet to find a game that even comes close to filling the void this game left. Probably going to pick up the PC version to do another playthrough.

This is by far my favorite game of 2019. Great graphics, soundtrack, story, and world to explore. While there isn't much action, it's refreshing to see a game that doesn't totally consist of shooting the "bad guy". This won't be a game for everyone but as long as you understand what it's about going in, you'll enjoy it. Most of the time you'll be walking (or driving) from place to place delivering things for people. While this did get old after a while, the world building from other players by way of ladders, bridges, and roads was really nice to see. I actually went back after I finished the game and built most of the road sections in hopes it would help someone on their play-through later. Really great concept and glad I played through this game.

Great game! I'm only about 3hrs in so far but it has been a lot more fun that I expected it to be. If you are expecting tons of action or a call of duty type game, then this is definitely not for you. However, if you are open something new, give a try. If I explained that so far all you do is balance yourself and deliver packages across a crazy town, it'll sound pretty boring..but once you are playing, it is actually a lot of fun. This aside, I have a high quality surround sound system I have invested over 10k in by now and the soundtrack on this game is absolutely awesome. Great LFE and wonderful use of surround speakers. Last but not least, the graphics and in game visuals are great. Highly recommend the game!

The game has great graphics and a very complex and detailed storyline. The game is a little slow in the beginning but does pickup as you go along.

This was one of my most highly anticipated games of the year. The name Hideo Kojima holds a lot of weight in the gaming community. While I did enjoy the game, it wasn't exactly what I expected or wanted from this A-lister project. Despite Excellent Graphics, fantastic voice work, and a completely Original story. I couldn't recommend this game to most people. As it's a very slow burn at the start. Not suitable for the A.D.D. attention span many have today. But, if you enjoy a strange though provoking single player experience check this game out. It's nice to know they still make unique original games, and not just remakes, and sequels with a large budget.

Do you like Shadow of the Colossus? The Last Guardian? Did you get enthralled by Journey? Do you play Silent Hill games for the atmosphere and feeling evoked by the game? If yes, I think you will be able to see the value in Kojima's latest offering. The game is wonder-filled, beautiful, and haunting. It's not MGS6, although there is more action here than has been described in many reviews or seen on YT. For example, you've probably read the "first 10 hours are a slog and filled with backtracking." Well, I didn't have to backtrack til hour 6 and when I did, it was on a motorcycle and took like 2 minutes. Before that point, I was pulled into an amazing world and gameplay loop that alternated between top tier storytelling cinematics and tight, compelling gameplay. Each loop added a bit more to each. Within 3 hours, I had seen and done more crazy things than most games dream of, had heart pounding moments, strategized about my moves, ran for my life, explored in wonder, and got pulled into the mystery of terms, characters, and visuals Death Stranding offers. Give the game a rental or if you have the disposable income, go with your gut. This isn't No Man's Sky launch part 2. This is a masterpiece in its own right and playing it will be immensely satisfying and emotionally engaging. History will look fondly on Death Stranding after the initial polarization stabilizes. UPDATE: So why this would not be a good game for you: -It’s a timesink. It took me 30 hrs to clear episode 3 of 14. Granted the game is basically a sprint to the end after episode 8, but still. -You’re not into story-heavy games told through Hollywood-esque cutsenes. -You don’t like the core gameplay premise. While this is anything but a “hurr derr walking sim”, delivering stuff by journeying (via walking, hiking, vehicles, and other means) is a primary facet of the game. -You’ve never liked Kojima games. While this one is fresh and something new, there is a classic Kojima feel to the game. -You want a straightforward point A to point B experience. Death Stranding is mostly pure freedom. At any given time you could do one of a dozen or more things. So why this would be a good game for you: -Kind of the opposite of the above: you want a lot of content, you like story heavy games, the core premise of journeying looks interesting to you, you’re a fan of Kojima, and you want a truly free gameplay experience. -You’re fascinated by the genre mashups of worldbuilding (a la Minecraft), third person stealth/shooter (a la MGS), horror (a la Silent Hills), adventuring/hiking, management and planning, and strong narrative in a fresh beautiful world….all overlaid with the social strand system where you give and get likes, help other players and are helped, and see what the community is doing in the game’s world.

Very good game with a very slow start. Honestly is a walking simulator for a large portion but when things start kicking they don’t stop. Good experience but not for everyone

Great game from Kojima! The graphics are amazing and it's got a sci fi thriller storyline to go along with it...you just get immersed into all the action and environments...Excellent game!

The story and the graphic are what this game is made of. It took awhile to figure out what to do but there is some fun once things get going.

Deep scifi story, beautiful landscape to traverse and explore, great cutscenes and acting. Social experience in making deliveries and getting "likes". Yes, essentially this is a slow paced fetch quest of delivering packages (at its surface). But dig deeper and its so much more. Game really picks up after Chapter 3. Unlock weapons, battle Mules and BT's. WARNING: Not for twitch gamers or those with ADD...dont even bother, you all can go back to Fortnite. This will be "boring" for those with low attention span and low EQ. For the rest of us, its an awesome and emotionally compelling experience. Video games as art.

This game will stay with you long after you finish it. It does take a long time to finish, and it's probably not for anyone looking for a lot of action. Deathstranding is more about the story and cinematic, but lets you feel like you are part of the story. It can be a little tough to follow if you aren't familiar with Video Kojima's style of storytelling and gameplay. It's a deep and involving story, and the gameplay feels very immersive and melancholy. If I had to compare this game to a style of music it would be the Smashing Pumpkins of video games. I loved it, and couldn't put it down.

Death Stranding is a tough game to rate. I'm giving it 3 stars because I feel that's the right rating, but I also think that it's a slightly above average game due to some of its brilliance. Sadly, though, the repetition of busywork brings down the enjoyability of the game. Graphically, Death Stranding is a largely impressive & beautiful looking game. The environments & character models are simply superb, and it all looks incredibly crisp on the PS4 Pro. That said, there could be a little more diversity to the setting. Traversing the world often looks very samey. Gameplay wise this is a game about busy work. You're a delivery man. That's literally the entirety of the game. Yes, there are some combat encounters, but they're a small part of the overall game. I didn't love the gameplay, but I also didn't love it. There were times where I got bored, though. Now what I really loved about Death Stranding was the story and characters. Everything is so odd, out there, and quirky in true Kojima fashion. If you're a Metal Gear fan, you'll definitely enjoy this aspect. Death Stranding is a weird game thus it's hard to rate, but I feel 3 stars is fair. Not amazing, not bad. It has some good, it has some bad, but it's a very interesting game just because it's so different and weird. If you like weird, give it a try. Why not?

Look, I was incredibly excited for this game to finally release. I started it up right away once delivered on release day, and I almost immediately knew what this game was. It’s slow. Like really slow. You spend hours simply walking (eventually you do get a vehicle) from place to place hiding from this game’s version of the bad guys. Yes, eventually you can engage them, but that’s really not the purpose of the game for the majority of it. The game is beautiful if not a bit clunky. The weight system is tedious and having to constantly keep him balanced feels more like work than it does fun. I read a review prior to this game releasing that said “This game isn’t fun, and that’s okay.” Is it though? I play games to escape the real world where I can have a few hours of stress free living (in most games!). This game just feels like a job and can absolutely be stressful but for all the wrong reasons. Stressing out because an enemy is breathing down your neck in Alien, carefully maneuvering around clickers in The Last of Us, these are proper examples of good stress in games. The stress in Death Stranding feels like the same stress we get at work. I can’t give this game less than 3 stars because I do appreciate the obvious amount of time and work spent to create it. It looks really well done, and the voice acting is pretty great for the most part. However, I play games to have fun, and this game just isn’t meant for that I suppose.

I’m only about ten hours into it but the story is so mysterious and intriguing that I can’t stop playing. The act of taking packages from here to there is fun itself but it’s the story that captivates me. If you’ve played any Metal Gear games then you know about half the game is a movie and Death Stranding is no different so far. That’s what I love about his games though. I highly recommend this game if you’re a story lover and enjoy beautiful graphics. Two thumbs way up!

Great game. It definitely takes some getting used to. There's plenty of side quests and other goal oriented game mechanics. Lots of cutscenes! I wish the PS upgrade was included but it was worth it for the visual and gameplay upgrades.

Definitely a unique experience. Lots of terrain traversal and delivering goods back and forth. Strange and unique characters and story that only Kojima can conjure up. The idea is that this game parallels our current world and society. We are increasingly becoming more isolated and losing important real life relationships and experiences. Your character Sam is trying to reconnect everything. The more selfless acts you put into the world (building roads, delivering goods, creating ziplines etc.) the more you will see appear in your world from other players, helping you traverse it easier. It is not an extremely exciting game, rather a reflective experience. There are scavenger human enemies and beings from the stranding side, along with bosses and evil characters. When you reach the top of a beautiful mountain and look down over the Icelandic plains, and the trance like soundtrack is playing, it can trigger really reflective personal moments. A very interpretive game. If I was a kid, teen, or in my 20s i would probably abandon this game quickly. If your someone who is a little older and has watched society change and become increasingly isolated due to the internet, there is a deep emotional experience on offer here. Running packages is tedious but becomes easy when you become integrated with other players and help eachother out. You will either love or hate this game, very interpretive. Wasnt the most exciting game but very appreciative of the message and teaching Kojima had on offer. Proud to have understood it. Affected me.

Story is intriguing, the game-play varies between relaxing and full of action. Story will definitely get you to want to keep playing, since not only is it long enough, but stays interesting all the way to the end, always unexpected but fascinating. Almost one of the best video games I've ever played. Seen a few bad reviews. Game is not for everyone. It's not a instant rush and gratification game.