Technology

Death Stranding: Director's Cut adds necessary quality-of-life improvements, but is it good enough for first-timers?


I’ll be honest. When I got the opportunity to review Death Stranding: Director’s Cut on the Playstation 5 (PS5), it wasn’t one that I immediately leapt upon and embraced with open arms.

Mostly because I didn’t know what to make of a polarising game created by Hideo Kojima and was afraid his legions of adoring fans would set upon me like a figurative mob of angry rioters if I didn’t like it.

Also, because I hadn’t played the original cut and it would take about 50 to 60 hours (from what I’ve read) to get through.

When I finally loaded up the game — secretly pleased that I got to play it ahead of everyone — I really enjoyed my initial experience and for a couple of hours, it seemed like my concerns might be unfounded.

I was feeling relieved that perhaps Hideo’s fans might not be that mad at me after all.

The game doesn’t treat you like you’re stupid

For the uninitiated, Death Stranding takes place in a fractured, post-apocalyptic America that has been ravaged by a cataclysmic event known as Death Stranding. This has caused invisible spirits known as Beached Things (BTs) to roam the lands, creating massive explosions (known as voidouts) when they completely consume a corpse via necrosis.

Due to these events, the remaining population have confined themselves to remote colonies (known as Knot Cities) and rely on porters (under the employ of a company known as Bridges) to deliver supplies to the various cities while contending a harsh landscape dotted with BTs, bandits and terrorists.

The player takes control of Sam Porter Bridges (played by Norman Reedus), the one guy who chose this life to get away from everyone but ironically ends up being tasked to reconnect the various colonies to recreate a united America.

If that synopsis seems like an information dump, that’s because it is and honestly, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Oh, and all that information is downloaded into the player through lengthy cutscenes and equally lengthy expositional dialogue. Much like watching an indie film – which Death Stranding is very reminiscent of – Hideo provides players with just enough context to comprehend the next information dump.

Technical terms, like BTs, are explained, but, for example, its appearance in the world is taken as a natural result of Death Stranding without much fuss or consideration. In other words, Hideo doesn’t bother with trying to explain every single detail of his world-building and you just have to live with it.

Learn as you go

Unlike most video games, there is a distinct lack of handholding here and it’s an approach that influenced the way the game was developed. An approach that becomes increasingly obvious as you navigate the treacherous lands that threaten to kill you.

This brings to mind a particularly scathing (but hilarious) review of The Last of Us 2 where the reviewer was lambasting Naughty Dog for its heavy-handed approach in driving across the simple message that “violence is bad”.

Death Stranding, on the other hand, lies pretty far down the other end of the spectrum where it forces you to learn on-the-go — much like in real life — and you either sink into a thick, icky, gooey, black puddle of BTs or you wearily plod through the unfamiliar lands until you’re familiar enough to get through it safely

Trust me, you’ll be walking up and down the same route multiple times as you make multiple deliveries.

Oh yes, in case it’s unclear, the game is an extended walking simulator for the most part. So let’s take a look at some of the new features in the director’s cut that makes it more bearable.

Always plan before you walk

In your first main mission, you’re tasked with transporting a corpse up to the incinerator that’s built some distance away from the city on top of a mountain.

One of the new features is early route planning — a fancy name for a common feature in other video games that automatically plots your route for you.

What was incredibly useful wasn’t just having my route laid out for me, but that I had multiple options and a breakdown on what kind of terrain it had, the enemies along the way and its difficulty level.

Being a noob and a conservative player, I opted for the easiest route simply because I had no idea what to expect and I was actively avoiding an encounter with a BT.

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Making my way there was easy enough but when I was planning my way back, in my hubris, I decided to take the one that was categorised as moderately difficult because I had just travelled from that direction. I figured it would be easier.

Alas, BTs are swarming about the entrance of the incinerator so the moment you exit, you’re kind of tossed into an encounter with them.

I assume it’s possible to stealth your way through but I never got a chance to try that because, due to my inexperience, I was detected, pulled into a black puddle by angry BTs and unceremoniously slithered off my route into an encounter with a shark-like BT creature.

Without any weapons at that time, I had to clumsily lumber through the sludge and make it out of the black tar before it got me.

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On a side note, kudos to the game for effectively making use of the PS5’s adaptive triggers to simulate the resistance and tension when Sam is straining to navigate difficult terrain. I was pushing down on those buttons for dear life while the raspy, ghoulish wails of the BTs haunt me through the controller’s built-in speaker.

Fortunately, I survived to walk another day and to my surprise, I found myself being gifted a Support Skeleton shortly after that mission.

For the original Death Stranding fans, the Support Skeleton is seemingly meant to be a combination of the Power Skeleton (for carrying much heavier loads) and the Speed Skeleton (to boost your speed) but not as effective as those specialised contraptions.

Essentially, it’s a jack of all trades that you can switch out for based on your needs.

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For me, though, it was a contraption that made the chore of walking faster and increased my carrying capacity, making deliveries quicker and more efficient.

It really was a stark improvement that incentivised me to continue the monotonous chore of ferrying stuff to people, even if they don’t offer the admiration and reverence I deserve for risking my neck.

Zap, zap, b****

Another new feature you’ll get really early is a weapon known as the Maser Gun. Apparently, combat in the original cut left much to be desired so they beefed it up this time.

It’s a taser in the form of a gun and you shoot continuous streams of electricity to stun or — if you get a headshot — incapacitate human enemies.

The gun is surprisingly fun despite the targeting mechanic being a little wonky as there are two targeting reticles and you have to wait for an opportune time when both overlap and turn red before you fire.

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While that is generally how it operates, it’s not always foolproof.

I found that when I was crouching behind a short wall for cover, despite my target being in my line of sight and targeted successfully, the game somehow fails to account for the height of the wall and my gun ends up blasting it.

Yes, I did use the new firing range that comes with the director’s cut to practise my snazzy new weapon but that’s where I ran into those inconveniences. In the end, I just attempted to stealth without relying on cover and prayed that the enemies would mindlessly stand there so I can just zap them into oblivion.

These boots were made for walking until it’s not

Remember how I said that I enjoyed my initial experience and thought all was fine?

Yeah, unfortunately, everything took a nosedive after a few things happened during the ‘tutorial’ episodes.

The quality-of-life improvements, while helpful, don’t change the core of the game, which is essentially a walking simulator through frightening situations.

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While I do understand that the game and its narrative are meant to be a highbrow metaphor for Hideo’s perspective on loneliness, connecting people, and death, I’m also the kind of person who plays games to unwind and have fun.

Walking made easier doesn’t change the fact that I’m just constantly traversing vast swathes of ruined lands peppered with greenery. Those panoramic sceneries are a visual treat but the game forces you to focus on your character instead of giving you space to take in the gorgeous views.

Add to that the list of things hunting you down — with BT encounters being more frequent once you unlock weapons to fight them — and it got pretty emotionally exhausting after a while.

Case in point, I was making a series of deliveries and realised I had forgotten to pick up a piece of cargo when I arrived at one of my destinations.

Going back for it meant travelling through — in succession — an area where bandits are waiting to ambush you and another where BTs are lying in wait. At this point, I was also about seven to eight hours into the game and had gone through those areas at least twice while travelling up and down the route.

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After weighing my options, I decided to brave the dangers but failed after getting groped by the BTs. I decided to call it a night as I was just too tired to continue.

Every encounter with the BTs felt like an unnecessary harrowing experience and I didn’t sign up for Halloween Horror Nights. If I wanted to be traumatised, I would lie awake at night and force myself to reflect on my bad choice of romantic partners.

It didn’t help that the game somehow disappeared from my PS5 home screen and I had to spend two nights downloading it all over again, thus wearing my paper-thin patience down even more.

I convinced myself that the next gaming session would be better because I was moving on to a new episode where things would supposedly pick up and for the most part, I was right.

Unfortunately, a mission that had me collecting precious cargo in the middle of BT territory went awry and that pretty much meant that the game had worn out its welcome for now.

As much I wanted to push on, I wasn’t prepared to spend my time constantly feeling anxious and under pressure.

It also reached a point where the only reprieve I got was the cinematic cutscenes that had Norman Reedus acting his heart out opposite other thespians like Lea Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen and Lindsay Wagner.

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As someone who is a fan of both video games and pop culture and fanboys whenever those two worlds intersect, the cutscenes were like my haven; where I was allowed a pocket of time to unwind and enjoy masterful performances by brilliant performers.

Frankly, it’s also not hard to just sit back and relax because Hideo has an eye for directing and the cutscenes just felt so cinematic in nature that I was spellbound.

Conclusion

There is much to be said about Death Stranding and I can understand how it garnered polarising reviews despite it being created by a visionary like Hideo.

To address the question I posed in the headline, yes, the improvement in the director’s cut is definitely good enough for first-timers (like myself) who are concerned about the dreariness of walking and the combat experience.

Apart from the contraptions I listed above, there are also other items that I’ve yet to try. There’s the Buddy Bot, which will assist you in carrying cargo and you can even sit on it and let it transport you if you’re feeling lazy.

There’s also the Cargo Catapult that enables you to shoot cargo over longer distances, and a Manoeuvre Unit that allows you to land safely when descending from high places.

However, the core of the game doesn’t change and here’s where your mileage varies based on your preferences.

My inability to press on further is purely down to a matter of preference and not an issue with the game itself. To me, it’s a game that is stressful to rush through and is very clearly meant to be appreciated over time — not surprising considering its 60-hour playtime.

In terms of a traditional review, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is a technical masterpiece and aside from a clunky climbing animation, the game looks gorgeous and runs beautifully.

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Its crowning glory has to be the cinematics, which is one of the best in the business. Though lengthy, I never once got bored of watching this stellar cast of Hollywood actors put on a sublime performance, in a video game no less.

The result? An arthouse film that was interjected with moments of gameplay and while I recognise the themes of Death Stranding, I don’t know if a video game was necessarily the best medium for it.

A film adaptation of Death Stranding, though, that I’ll watch.

And let’s hope that Hideo never has to compromise his vision for a director’s cut.

For now, I’ve come to realise that Death Stranding is an acquired taste and one that I hope to slowly appreciate in its full glory over the next few weeks.

bryanlim@asiaone.com



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