Death Stranding |OT| Peace Walker

[chimpsteaks]

Just finished my playthrough. A few questions I have about the story:

Spoiler

What exactly was Higgs' purpose to Amelie? If her plan was to get Sam to connect the Chiral Network so that she could wipe out all life in one go, why would she bestow those powers to somebody that's going to fight Sam and try to prevent the Chiral Network from being connected? And when Higgs started to become a problem for her, why didn't she just take his powers away from him?

Another thing, the game reveals the Death Stranding was first caused when Bridget had her cancer surgery that split her into Bridget and Amelie (i.e. her Ka on the Beach was being separated from her Ha in the world of the living and this bridged the 2 dimensions). So why did her surgery trigger this? This seems like a pretty routine surgery that has happened so many times before to other people, how come this time it suddenly caused a Death Stranding? Was it because she was an extinction entity? Or was this what caused her to become an extinction entity?

 

[ukas]

Spoilers

 

[Schopenhauerian]

Posted this in the Game Soundtracks of 2019 thread, thought it was a cool story:

Silent Poets featuring Leila Adu -- "Asylums For The Feeling"
Death Stranding has been mentioned a lot, but I noticed a distinct lack of Leila Adu mentions. Leila's performance on "Asylums for the Feeling" -- a track licensed from the SILENT POETS album Dawn -- adds a great deal to contemplative moments in the game (as well as to the E3 2018 trailer).

"...Leila Adu is a New Zealand composer of Ghanaian descent who has composed for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Brentano String Quartet, So Percussion, Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Orchestra Wellington. She recently received her doctorate in music composition at Princeton University and taught music to prisoners at Sing Sing Correctional Facility as a faculty member of Musicambia – music for social change... London's 'Time Out' called her music, 'Avante-garde pop that recalls Nina Simone and Tim Buckley'..."​

Era member @FantasticMrFoxdie posted the story of how the track came to be featured in the game:

Man, the music is really something else. I dont know how Kojima finds these artists, because the song in this trailer is from an artist on Youtube who literally has no other song uploaded (except 1 instrumental tune)

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Cool Story Kojima mentioned in the PS Blog

"A serendipitous bond (strand) formed between myself and SILENT POETS, whose song is featured in the trailer. We had a number of performance capture sessions in Japan, and met some amazing people who were part of the catering staff. Not only was the food exceptional, their hospitality was outstanding. One day, we found out that one of their members [Michiharu Shimoda of SILENT POETS] was a veteran musician. When we started talking, we learned that they were about to release an album for the first time in 12 years. When I listened to the sample they gave me, an image of Sam walking in the wilderness naturally popped into my head. It was the song 'Asylums for the Feeling' from the album Dawn..."​

Watch the New Death Stranding Trailer From E3 2018

Get your first look at how Hideo Kojima's mysterious new game will play.

blog.us.playstation.com

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Apparently Leila sang the song live last year, back in October. Too bad she hasn't gotten a Kojima retweet yet, as far as I can tell (though I don't really follow any game developers on twitter, so I might have missed it): https://twitter.com/leilaadu/status/1187837235988533248

 

[DrFunk]

Sooooo DS got an update that allows you to turn off the BT warning cutscene:



lol GG Kojima

 

[hydruxo]

Sooooo DS got an update that allows you to turn off the BT warning cutscene:



lol GG Kojima

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Hype!!! Time to go back and finish up the trophies now haha.

 

[rude]

Sooooo DS got an update that allows you to turn off the BT warning cutscene:



lol GG Kojima

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Based. Going to finish up all the side stuff too now.

 

[k0decraft]

Sooooo DS got an update that allows you to turn off the BT warning cutscene:



lol GG Kojima

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Yes lawd !

Love that we live in a day & age where games can keep getting updated to make these experiences even better.

 

[NeoBob688]

What is the name of the instrumental track that plays at 8:30 in this video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKI5QXAFims&list=LLv0Z_XBEJ_fcYG2YQFvf-OQ&index=196

 

[Dever]

What is the name of the instrumental track that plays at 8:30 in this video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKI5QXAFims&list=LLv0Z_XBEJ_fcYG2YQFvf-OQ&index=196

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Bridges

https://youtu.be/hGnp2OdYrcY

 

[AllMight1]

According to this website 2.4 Million people played Death Stranding on ps4

http://gamstat.com/games/

Not as much as I thought. Although it's an estimate supposedly.

 

[SJRB]

Sooooo DS got an update that allows you to turn off the BT warning cutscene:



lol GG Kojima

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Two months too late, Kojima.

The hell were you thinking keeping this in the game, anyway.

 

[deepFlaw]

Yeahhhh, little bitter about that one, feels like they had to know how annoying that was vs keeping it happening for effect or whatever the justification was. At least they should have realized that even in-universe, where they're probably not gonna be quite as casual with BTs as I am, Sam's vehicle suddenly slamming to a halt due to it is more likely to harm him than help him.

Appreciate that it's now there for current/future players, though.

 

[Deleted member 46958]

Is that update essentially an one that eliminates the dramatic slow-mo effect that warns of BTs?

Also, I'm playing and finding MULEs to be pretty simple to incapacitate with the strand. Do MULEs become more of a threat later?

 

[Dever]

Two months too late, Kojima.

The hell were you thinking keeping this in the game, anyway.

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I'm guessing it's in the game because play testers would boost straight into BTs or something. Nice to have the option to remove it though, it's much nicer... But yeah if you're boosting on a bike now into BT territory, there's not much time to react at all

 

[MG310]

Definitely a good quality of life update - especially if you are using the highway out of South Knot a lot.

 

[deepFlaw]

Is that update essentially an one that eliminates the dramatic slow-mo effect that warns of BTs?

Also, I'm playing and finding MULEs to be pretty simple to incapacitate with the strand. Do MULEs become more of a threat later?

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You'll have to deal with them having actual weapons, yes. But the bola gun you'll get soon will always remain a very good option, and then there's a lot of other things you'll get access to that will help.

 

[gosublime]

I'm on chapter 3 and I can honestly say I don't think a game has gripped me this much in ages. It's odd as one of the reasons I loved Kojima's previous games was due to the story and the weirdness, whilst the actual gameplay (particularly after MGS 2) tended to leave me a bit cold with the heavier focus on mechanics.

Whilst here, I'm simply loving the act of planning, organising and making deliveries, then helping complete structures and mashing the like button. So addictive!

Also - and I love it when this happens - I was reading a review of J M Coetzee's new book and this paragraph jumped out at me:

There's a rumour that on dying you "wake up on some foreign shore" – as Simón and David did at the start of the first volume – and are forced "to play out the rigmarole all over again".

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[Deleted member 46958]

Wow, I really like Death Stranding. 20 hours in and I'm surprised at how much I enjoy it.

 

[Kas']

I'm absolutely in love with Death Stranding. Last fall I got to Delivery 28, around the end of Chapter 3, start of Chapter 4. I had to stop playing because I got busy and wanted to really sit down and play the game without any interruptions to the story. I restarted the game a couple of weeks ago and got to almost exactly where I am in the game now. I just love everything about this game. The soundtrack when you encounter the MULEs adds so much tension to the game. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. I love, love, love that Kojima took this kind of a risk. I can see how some people would not like DS. I see what Kojima is trying to do and appreciate the gameplay design(s) and all the little subtleties that make DS a Kojima game.

 

[Deleted member 46958]

I'm absolutely in love with Death Stranding. Last fall I got to Delivery 28, around the end of Chapter 3, start of Chapter 4. I had to stop playing because I got busy and wanted to really sit down and play the game without any interruptions to the story. I restarted the game a couple of weeks ago and got to almost exactly where I am in the game now. I just love everything about this game. The soundtrack when you encounter the MULEs adds so much tension to the game. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. I love, love, love that Kojima took this kind of a risk. I can see how some people would not like DS. I see what Kojima is trying to do and appreciate the gameplay design(s) and all the little subtleties that make DS a Kojima game.

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this is me rn. Coming off of Metal Gear Solid (huge fan myself), I had no idea what to expect. At first I wasn't even interested. Then I realized that I really like Kojima's vision (even if I disagree with some of his idea and views expressed in mgs) so I needed to give this a go.

I'm addicted only at episode 3. This world, the overall theme of "Building Bridges", whether that's through literal actions or metaphorical ones, is pretty great.

Deliveries themselves are just a simple pleasure, maintaining your cargo through meticulous organization is fun itself.

then there's the combat. I enjoy it more against MULEs than I do BTs. Engaging with BT's is fun though.

Last ai played I was building the third road out of Lake Knot.

Also, Mads Mikkelsen, in those mini scene when we see through the eyes of BB is really cool, and elevated through Mads' acting.

What grips me is that I have no idea who this Cliff is yet, and I want find out. I'll keep my expectations in check so I can keep enjoying it, but yeah, Kojima is the creative idol I still love.

 

[Dever]

The soundtrack when you encounter the MULEs adds so much tension to the game.

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Hell yeah

 

[Fallout-NL]

I know that the Bombcast/Giant Bomb view on this isn't representative of the critical reception of this game as a whole, but the more I play of Death Stranding (and I'm nearly finished now) the more I annoyed I get with how dismissive the GB crew was of DS during the game of the year deliberations. They spend a lot of their time, rightly, harping on the incredibly homogeneous output of most of the big budget video game industry, but when something comes along that's very different indeed, they tear it to pieces.

I will concede that this type of game is not for everyone, but at the very least I feel that - in this case - framing criticism with that caveat would have been warranted.

I also get the feeling that a lot of the vitriol comes from the need to establish a position of superiority towards perceived shortcoming in the games story or story elements that - yes - can be blunt, heavy handed on the nose and convoluted. But what is missed in doing so is that if you simply allow the feelings the game's trying to invoke to just sort of wash over you, the endearing and unrelenting sincerity of some of Death Stranding's moments do in fact achieve pathos.

There have been several moments in Death Stranding where I experienced a strong reaction to what the game was showing me, to the point of tears almost. That's a first for me and I've been playing video games for over 30 years now.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this game is phenomenal, in more ways than one.

--------------------------------

Holy shit, someone sell me this poster:

 

[gosublime]

Just played it on my birthday - thanks for the message, Mads!

 

[HotAndTender]

Just seen these are up for preorder

 

[Dever]

I know that the Bombcast/Giant Bomb view on this isn't representative of the critical reception of this game as a whole, but the more I play of Death Stranding (and I'm nearly finished now) the more I annoyed I get with how dismissive the GB crew was of DS during the game of the year deliberations. They spend a lot of their time, rightly, harping on the incredibly homogeneous output of most of the big budget video game industry, but when something comes along that's very different indeed, they tear it to pieces.

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The gameplay videos they put out were also painful to watch. Alex completely ignores the weight limit, loads as much random stuff on his back as possible, and then the whole crew jeer and mock the backpack looking stupid.

 

[Fallout-NL]

The gameplay videos they put out were also painful to watch. Alex completely ignores the weight limit, loads as much random stuff on his back as possible, and then the whole crew jeer and mock the backpack looking stupid.

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Yeah, one would almost call it negligent.

(That's not to say I'm angry about it or anything just... disappointed I guess in their shortsightedness).

 

[ket]

Vinny & Alex both liked the delivery, construction, and online aspects of the game. They just thought that the story, combat, and characters were bad. The rest of GB were either lukewarm on it or hated it.

 

[Deleted member 3183]

So I just picked up DS on the latest PSN sale. Really early on in the game, just starting Chapter 2 and I'm glad I ended up buying this. I had held off for so long due to a lot of the critical reaction (speaking of - Giant Bomb's for one) and not being sure if I'd like it.

So far, it is intriguing as hell. Not sure where this game will go, but it sure is unique.

 

[Footos22]

I don't get how I'm so addicted to playing this. Is like I'm not even doing much but I just can't put it down. It's so addictive lol. Must be near the end of chapter 3 and already done 19 hours. Taking out mules is so easy though and I'm playing on hard. R2 R2 win

 

[Deleted member 56065]

Just finished my playthrough. A few questions I have about the story:

Spoiler

What exactly was Higgs' purpose to Amelie? If her plan was to get Sam to connect the Chiral Network so that she could wipe out all life in one go, why would she bestow those powers to somebody that's going to fight Sam and try to prevent the Chiral Network from being connected? And when Higgs started to become a problem for her, why didn't she just take his powers away from him?

Another thing, the game reveals the Death Stranding was first caused when Bridget had her cancer surgery that split her into Bridget and Amelie (i.e. her Ka on the Beach was being separated from her Ha in the world of the living and this bridged the 2 dimensions). So why did her surgery trigger this? This seems like a pretty routine surgery that has happened so many times before to other people, how come this time it suddenly caused a Death Stranding? Was it because she was an extinction entity? Or was this what caused her to become an extinction entity?

Click to shrink...

Sorry if late for the answers:

Spoiler

1. Higgs was her way to push Sam to move to Lake Not City and to not stop connecting the chiral network
2.She just give up on Higgs after Sam beat him, she wanted the extinction to happen until Sam convinced her otherwise.
3.The surgery caused this because she was dead for a period of time and this connected her to the beach, her Ka became separated from her Ha when she chame back to life because she was an EE.

 

[Schopenhauerian]

I know that the Bombcast/Giant Bomb view on this isn't representative of the critical reception of this game as a whole, but the more I play of Death Stranding (and I'm nearly finished now) the more I annoyed I get with how dismissive the GB crew was of DS during the game of the year deliberations. [...]

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The gameplay videos they put out were also painful to watch. Alex completely ignores the weight limit, loads as much random stuff on his back as possible, and then the whole crew jeer and mock the backpack looking stupid.

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For anyone curious, Dever discussed the above points in more detail, earlier in the thread: one / two.

In any case, nice to see that some folks have picked this up during the sale. If anyone is having a tough time in the early chapters, it may be worth checking out the Gamespot Guide (here or here), or the reddit tips threads (Generic Tips / Episode 3 Tips).

A good number of people who say they had a hard time early on, also say that their experience changed significantly in Episode 3.

 

[ThLunarian]

This is a tough one for me. I like the themes it's going for. The gameplay is kind of a problem. Everything feels repetitive. I enjoyed the game for 15 hours and then my interest fell off a cliff because I rarely had to do anything different. I started to find everything tedious, and the game doesn't give you enough tangible rewards to produce a satisfying gameplay loop.

I also hate that you never interact with friendly people face to face except for in cut scenes. I get that they want you to feel disconnected, but it goes too far with it, IMO.

Maybe I'll try it again some day.

 

[AgentOtaku]

Just seen these are up for preorder

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Yup, day one!

 

[Schopenhauerian]

This is a tough one for me. I like the themes it's going for. The gameplay is kind of a problem. Everything feels repetitive. I enjoyed the game for 15 hours and then my interest fell off a cliff because I rarely had to do anything different. I started to find everything tedious, and the game doesn't give you enough tangible rewards to produce a satisfying gameplay loop. [...] Maybe I'll try it again some day.

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Out of curiosity, do you recall where you left off? The last story event you'd reached, or the last tool/upgrade you had unlocked?

Just curious, because there are tools, equipment upgrades, vehicles, and structures that are progressively unlocked during the course of the game, and several of them end up changing up the gameplay loop substantially, in various ways (if you decide to make use of the new tools, as you're frequently also given the option to refrain from using them).

So I'd say there's at least a chance that the gameplay might click with you more later on, if you eventually decide to start it up again. Depending on where you left off, though.

For example, I mentioned elsewhere that for some folks, getting the first of the various exoskeletons (the Power Skeleton in Episode 3) was a turning point, and for others, getting into mountains (which occurs several hours after getting the Power Skeleton) seems to have been the game changer.

From Corporate Clown in the Game of the Year thread:

[...] When I first started putting this list together I was still relatively early into Death Stranding and although I was enjoying it for the most part, I felt like it was a bit tedious as well and was seeing it fall into the bottom half of my list. The more I kept playing, however, the more I started to really understand the game, appreciate what it was and really love it. As I was making my way through the mountains everything started to click. Between mapping out the region to create optimal routes, really starting to get a sense of the story's characters and themes, and finding the best way to deal with both BT's and MULES, I could sense the game shooting up the ranks of my "Best of" list. If there is one thing I want to highlight about what makes this game special it is the online functionality. Too many times I found myself in a situation where I was not sure how to traverse over obstacles when I would come across a brilliantly placed bridge, dip line or generator put there by another player. I would then pound on the "like" button to let them know their work was appreciated and many times other players would do the same for me. Death Stranding is all about bringing people together and working cooperatively, and Kojima fucking nailed it.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-18#post-28274108

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Also, as I'm reading/searching through the Game of the Year thread (thanks to the many folks who posted such detailed and well-written descriptions), I'm noticing a good number of positive comments on how the gameplay loop changes over time, as new mechanics are introduced.

Big G:

[...] I've gotten a similar level of fulfillment from the core experience of Death Stranding. Structurally, it's easy to see why. You start off the game with pretty much nothing and immediately feel overwhelmed by the task at hand. It feels daunting, much like sneaking into a high-security military base with no weapons or gear and just hoping to not get spotted by a guard. But with the completion of each new mission, you get something a little bit better that helps with the next mission, and then the mission after that. This goes on for hours and hours. The game always seems to have something more to give, to keep you pushing forward. In MGSV, you get D-Dog and sniper rifles and optic camouflage that make sneaking in and out of hot zones quicker and stealthier. In Death Stranding, you get vehicles and exoskeletons and zip-lines which allow you to move more cargo at a faster pace. [...]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-15#post-27958263

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chimpsteaks:

[...] What seems like a simple (but addictive) gameplay loop at first grows more on more complex at the perfect rate as more tools and functions are trickled to you. Plotting a route is like nothing else: "oh, looks like there's gonna be some rough terrain, better bring some ladders and climbing equipment. Mules on the route too, gonna need a bola gun and a smoke grenade. Rain doesn't pass through my route for the next 20 minutes so I can get away without packing any extra anti-BT weapons as long as I move quick". Then the building mechanics start unlocking, and you're rebuilding the world with a bunch of strangers which was also really fun and unique. Definitely an experience worth having and I'm very glad this game was allowed to exist. If anyone likes games but has been on the fence about playing this because of the polarized reviews, you owe it to yourself to give it a try and at least see for yourself whether it clicks with you.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-16#post-28083111

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Miamiwesker:

[...] He turned the journey from point to point in an open world as the core gameplay, not the destination. Every journey becomes its own mission, I loved planning my routes, trying to understand the logistics of delivering the most packages in the least time. Then came the evolving mechanics, in true Kojima fashion the game keeps giving you new gameplay ideas constantly for so many hours. Surprise after surprises, what starts off simple becomes a massive enterprise of delivering packages. All this with a crazy sci fi story that is told with beautiful direction, great acting and mind blowing epic setpieces. It's not as good as MGS games but it's definitely one of the best games this year.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-20#post-28398478

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Thewonandonly:

What a unique game this is. In all my years of gaming I would never imagine I would spend 40 hours delivering packages and having an amazing time. This game success comes from its pacing and just how masterclass it is. You get equipment at a perfect rate and it really makes the progress feel worth it. The cinematography is also incredible and some of the best in gaming!! If only the story was better then this could have easily been numero uno!

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-23#post-28541097

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Rendering...:

[...] The very last thing I expected Death Stranding to be was a total blast to play, with moving themes that are made concrete by all the fun stuff you're doing. The basic gameplay loop is simple: You run through the world delivering packages to remote outposts, while avoiding enemies and corrosive rain. You connect these outposts to a futuristic internet. Each connection opens up more deliveries, and lets you build more and better tools for completing them. Some tools are for combat, some for traversal. Each connected area also fills up with structures and vehicles that other players have made. Progress becomes a cooperative enterprise. This might still sound kind of dull, but the sense of progression is phenomenal. You start by stumbling around on foot, trying not to break all of your packages as you use basic tools like ladders and climbing ropes to struggle through the terrain. You make a few deliveries, and suddenly you've got zippy electric bikes. You can build generators to recharge them, or use the ones that other players made. You can build huge bridges to span rivers and rocky fissures, then rebuild roads that stretch for miles. Soon, you have turbo-boosting trucks that let you transport huge volumes of material. Powered exoskeltons that let you lift heavy or run fast. Ziplines that rocket you over rocky or enemy-infested areas, up hills, down cliffs, across flooded chasms. Not to mention your bola guns, remote-activated shock grenades, and decoy packages filled with knockout gas.

Before you know it, you've created a full infrastructure and turned the wilds into your playground. You can handle yourself against any enemy. You're helping other players with dropped cargo and benefiting from their vehicles and structures. You've found the most fun, interesting, and efficient ways to get from one outpost to the next. [...]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-26#post-28565878

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Tain:

For as long as this game is, and as barren and desolate as the setting is, the core mechanics remain engaging throughout. It's fun to carry shit from point A to point B. The movement rules are surprisingly nuanced and take some time to learn. The survival elements hit that sweet spot of being something you're mindful of without being something you're annoyed by. The combat encounters, when they happen, are actually well-done and not throwaway. New wrinkles constantly appear at JUST the right time, balanced by a satisfying sense of progression as you see the infrastructure you're building help yourself and other players. The narrative is weird and nonsense at first but actually pretty fucking good by the end, and all of the cutscenes are well-shot and pretty well-acted. Watch out for the occasional long stretch of over-exposition, though. This is a great game, and one that I was hesitant to suggest to others at first but would now do wholeheartedly.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-27#post-28568966

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wbloop:

[...] And after finishing it at the beginning of December with about 46 hours on the clock I can safely say that I did not regret playing it. It actually was very motivating for me to improve my standing with all the NPCs to get the needed upgrades like the exoskeleton. Or to raid the MULE camps to get the neccessary materials to build roads, which in turn made the game much easier and made me drown in likes thanks to the online system. Same thing goes for the ziplines. It was so much fun to find the optimal way to place the zipline network. [...]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-28#post-28572529

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ghostemoji:

[...] Building out the infrastructure of the end of the world has been pure joy. Building a sophisticated network of zip-lines to cross the unforgiving setting is one of the most rewarding experiences I've had this generation. Getting the feedback that people appreciate my work and are taking advantage of the things I've created is even better. I have spent several afternoons running around in circles on my map delivering packages back and forth just because I enjoy how efficient I've made the process. I don't know why it works so well for me, but it does. The whole package is an experience that is unlike any other, and I'm so happy it was made.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-20#post-28401672

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Neiteio:

[...] The trek ahead is long and perilous, and you must carefully manage your stamina, hydration and blood levels if you're to reach your destination. It can be psychologically daunting, a feeling compounded by the alien atmosphere of a lonely landscape haunted by oily black ghosts and patrolled by bandits. But you plod on, wading through raging rivers and knee-deep snow, up steep inclines and down sheer cliffs, through dense foliage and high-speed winds that batter your cargo like a sail. You clamber up and over rocks, the smallest pebble of which can send you tripping and falling, damaging your haul. You steady yourself, squeezing the left and right bumpers to shift your weight to and fro, gently feathering them as you thread your way around obstacles, each breathtaking vista a pathfinding puzzle to unravel. As you connect each scattered outpost to this game's version of the internet, you also activate the game's online component for that region, peppering the map with vestiges of other players, from thoughtfully placed bridges to a patchwork of ziplines. This helps trivialize certain obstacles on subsequent trips, but the game's miniature recreation of the U.S. continues to ramp up the complexity with harsher terrain, trickier foes and more grueling deliveries. The gameplay loop just works, though. There's an engrossing sense of tension and release, from the planning stages of a delivery to the moment you hand off the goods. [...]

https://www.resetera.com/threads/re...-26th-8-59am-est.160832/page-28#post-28571802

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[ThLunarian]

Out of curiosity, do you recall where you left off? The last story event you'd reached, or the last tool/upgrade you had unlocked?

Just curious, because there are tools, equipment upgrades, vehicles, and structures that are progressively unlocked during the course of the game, and several of them end up changing up the gameplay loop substantially, in various ways (if you decide to make use of the new tools, as you're frequently also given the option to refrain from using them).

So I'd say there's at least a chance that the gameplay might click with you more later on, if you eventually decide to start it up again. Depending on where you left off, though.

For example, I mentioned elsewhere that for some folks, getting the first of the various exoskeletons (the Power Skeleton in Episode 3) was a turning point, and for others, getting into mountains (which occurs several hours after getting the Power Skeleton) seems to have been the game changer.

From Corporate Clown in the Game of the Year thread:




Also, as I'm reading/searching through the Game of the Year thread (thanks to the many folks who posted such detailed and well-written descriptions), I'm noticing a good number of positive comments on how the gameplay loop changes over time, as new mechanics are introduced.

Big G:


chimpsteaks:


Miamiwesker:


Thewonandonly:


Rendering...:


Tain:


wbloop:


ghostemoji:



Neiteio:

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The last thing I remember happening was meeting what I assume is the game's main antagonist, and I was supposed to get on a boat. I had used a motorcycle by then, but for the most part, 90% of the gameplay is holding down L2 and R2 and pressing forward, occasionally having to hold down the X button.

The really annoying thing is that it's not really feasible to do interesting things like build structures in a reasonable time frame because the materials are just too heavy to lug around. What use is a bridge if I can't build one without spending a half hour trudging back and forth to town to resupply?

 

[Deleted member 13155]

Bought this for 25 bucks and if I had bought it last year it would've been a GOTY contender. I shouldn't listen to reviews. This game is so well done, I love all the mechanics it throws at me. Building things is satisfying and seeing the world getting traversable over time is something. Never has a UPS simulator been so addicting. One of Kojima's very best works.

Finding a generator when you're nearly out, or using a ladder for a smart shortcut, its all very satisfying. And the core mechanics are fantastic, everything feels weighted and personally I like balancing myself during a run.

 

[CrichtonKicks]

After finishing the game a couple of weeks ago and stewing on it a bit, I really feel let down with the ending. Or, moreso, with the structure.

Spoiler: End Game Spoilers

The game kind of peaked to me with the Higgs fight in Chapter 10 or 11 (can't remember which). Really well done and I especially appreciated the bespoke one on one fighting sequence (shades of the end of MGS4).

But I don't understand why Kojima went with a sequenced ending of Higgs fight->trek back across the country the opposite way->Clifford Unger finale->Amelie finale->Die Hardman/Bridget instead of, ahem, tying all of these strands together into a single end sequence. The approach in the game makes the entire story feel disconnected. Given how many people (including myself) were confused about Higgs' role in Amelie's plans it would have made more sense to play off their respective finales simultaneously.

 

[Kas']

Holy fucking shit @ the end of Chapter 3/Start of Chapter 4

Spoiler

One of my favorite trailers ever, for any piece of media, is the Death Stranding TGA 2016 trailer with Mads and Del Toro. The music, the mood, the facial expressions. Sam goes outside to check on a disturbance and next thing you know, BAM, your in a timewarp vortex and Sam is in some hellish World War 1 existence. I just want to know what it all means!

I'm just in awe of Kojima's brilliance. I'm not saying wizards exist but if they do exist, Hideo Kojima is a wizard.

 

[gdt]

Just unlocked the Zip Line. Holy shit. Immediately hit the choral network limit for the first time playing with those lol. I'm dreaming of a spiders network so I can hit everything fast. But nowhere near that. Need to upgrade them too....

 

[CrichtonKicks]

Just unlocked the Zip Line. Holy shit. Immediately hit the choral network limit for the first time playing with those lol. I'm dreaming of a spiders network so I can hit everything fast. But nowhere near that. Need to upgrade them too....

Click to shrink...

You only need to upgrade them if you need the extra distance provided by a Level 2 zipline.

 

[Schopenhauerian]

[1] The last thing I remember happening was meeting what I assume is the game's main antagonist, and I was supposed to get on a boat. I had used a motorcycle by then, but for the most part, [2] 90% of the gameplay is holding down L2 and R2 and pressing forward, occasionally having to hold down the X button.

[3] The really annoying thing is that it's not really feasible to do interesting things like build structures in a reasonable time frame because the materials are just too heavy to lug around. What use is a bridge if I can't build one without spending a half hour trudging back and forth to town to resupply?

Click to shrink...

I see, so you were at the end of Episode 2. In that case yeah, as others have mentioned, there's at least a chance that your experience might change with the new tools in Episode 3, like the Power Skeleton.

I'll also mention that Dever wrote a lengthy thread recently on certain mechanics that are introduced in Episode 5: Wanted to gush over this one part in Death Stranding (With pictures!).

Holding both backpack straps (L2 and R2) definitely helps to keep you from falling in most situations (system is very forgiving in that sense), but holding both straps comes at the cost of speed, and depletes stamina more quickly (especially if you have a heavy load, and especially if you're on an incline), so there are some nuances that become more significant once you get fully oriented towards efficiency (maximizing speed and load size in your deliveries, and/or carrying materials for structures and structure upgrades).

Carrying materials and carrying a heavy load also becomes easier once you get the Power Skeleton, and although Bridges do require materials up front, in the case of Generators, Postboxes, Watchtowers, Timefall Shelters and Ziplines, you only require a PCC (to create a level 1 structure). Of course, you also have regional 'chiral bandwidth' to manage, if you're building a lot of structures (chiral bandwidth increases as you unlock and level up Distribution Centers, Knot Cities, and other locations).

Just finished my playthrough. A few questions I have about the story:

Spoiler

What exactly was Higgs' purpose to Amelie? If her plan was to get Sam to connect the Chiral Network so that she could wipe out all life in one go, why would she bestow those powers to somebody that's going to fight Sam and try to prevent the Chiral Network from being connected? And when Higgs started to become a problem for her, why didn't she just take his powers away from him?

Another thing, the game reveals the Death Stranding was first caused when Bridget had her cancer surgery that split her into Bridget and Amelie (i.e. her Ka on the Beach was being separated from her Ha in the world of the living and this bridged the 2 dimensions). So why did her surgery trigger this? This seems like a pretty routine surgery that has happened so many times before to other people, how come this time it suddenly caused a Death Stranding? Was it because she was an extinction entity? Or was this what caused her to become an extinction entity?

Click to shrink...

Sorry if late for the answers:

Spoiler

1. Higgs was her way to push Sam to move to Lake Not City and to not stop connecting the chiral network
2.She just give up on Higgs after Sam beat him, she wanted the extinction to happen until Sam convinced her otherwise.
3.The surgery caused this because she was dead for a period of time and this connected her to the beach, her Ka became separated from her Ha when she chame back to life because she was an EE.

Click to shrink...

To follow up on what NathanDrakeAlves said, there was some related discussion in a recent thread. *Ending spoilers* at the links: one / two

 

[chrominance]

The last thing I remember happening was meeting what I assume is the game's main antagonist, and I was supposed to get on a boat. I had used a motorcycle by then, but for the most part, 90% of the gameplay is holding down L2 and R2 and pressing forward, occasionally having to hold down the X button.

The really annoying thing is that it's not really feasible to do interesting things like build structures in a reasonable time frame because the materials are just too heavy to lug around. What use is a bridge if I can't build one without spending a half hour trudging back and forth to town to resupply?

Click to shrink...

Oh yeah, as previously mentioned, you've only just scratched the surface. Almost immediately after you get off the boat you'll start finding new ways of getting around and new structures to build that fundamentally change the way you think about the game. The section you're about to leave is basically a tutorial.

I'd understand if you decided you didn't want to continue on, but I think you'll find the game feels significantly different once you put a few more hours in. Systems you've already been exposed to, like the ability to use other people's structures in your world, will make more sense, and entirely new systems will begin to appear.

 

[gosublime]

Just unlocked the Zip Line. Holy shit. Immediately hit the choral network limit for the first time playing with those lol. I'm dreaming of a spiders network so I can hit everything fast. But nowhere near that. Need to upgrade them too....

Click to shrink...

Can you see other players zip lines? I can't am I wondering if it's only for your use, or if something happens later on that let's you see others. I've laid a few and wondering if there's a problem.

Also, the gaming drought at the moment is really helping this game - the bug has hit me hard and I've just spend the last night getting stars from the first area's peppers.

 

[CrichtonKicks]

Can you see other players zip lines? I can't am I wondering if it's only for your use, or if something happens later on that let's you see others. I've laid a few and wondering if there's a problem.

Also, the gaming drought at the moment is really helping this game - the bug has hit me hard and I've just spend the last night getting stars from the first area's peppers.

Click to shrink...

Other player ziplines will show up in your world just like their watch towers, safe houses, etc. The area has to be on the chiral network, though.

 

[gosublime]

Other player ziplines will show up in your world just like their watch towers, safe houses, etc. The area has to be on the chiral network, though.

Click to shrink...

Odd. Not seen a single one yet.

 

[CrichtonKicks]

Odd. Not seen a single one yet.

Click to shrink...

Probably a dumb question but are you online?

 

[gosublime]

Probably a dumb question but are you online?

Click to shrink...

Not dumb at all - definitely am as I can see all the other structures, with names that are clearly peoples owns. It's why I was wondering if there was something different about them as I can access all the other structures!

 

[CrichtonKicks]

Not dumb at all - definitely am as I can see all the other structures, with names that are clearly peoples owns. It's why I was wondering if there was something different about them as I can access all the other structures!

Click to shrink...

Did you make sure that you weren't booted offline? Previous player structures will remain in your game but you just wouldn't see new ones.

 

[gosublime]

Did you make sure that you weren't booted offline? Previous player structures will remain in your game but you just wouldn't see new ones.

Click to shrink...

Don't think so as I kept on getting notes about people using my roads and signs. Will have a look tonight when playing. Thanks!

 

[ThLunarian]

Oh yeah, as previously mentioned, you've only just scratched the surface. Almost immediately after you get off the boat you'll start finding new ways of getting around and new structures to build that fundamentally change the way you think about the game. The section you're about to leave is basically a tutorial.

I'd understand if you decided you didn't want to continue on, but I think you'll find the game feels significantly different once you put a few more hours in. Systems you've already been exposed to, like the ability to use other people's structures in your world, will make more sense, and entirely new systems will begin to appear.

Click to shrink...

Ok. Maybe I spent too much time hoofing it back and forth between the first 4 towns doing sidequests and just burnt myself out. I'll give it another shot soon. Thanks for the insight