Death Stranding is the love child of Hideo Kojima, the man behind the iconic Metal Gear franchise, and Sony. When Kojima decided to leave Capcom, Sony was more than willing to sweep in and claim him for themselves. Starring the likes of Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Guillermo del Toro, Death Stranding is by far the most anticipated games that’s coming out exclusively on the PlayStation 4. It’s looking like it’s going to be just as mind-blowing and innovative as every other game Kojima has been a part of but the game has a lot more going for itself besides Kojima as well which is what makes it so awesome.
We haven’t got to see a lot about the game except the 10 minute long reveal trailer at The Game Awards 2017. To start things off, the game looks absolutely beautiful with some amazing cutscenes and even more amazing character animations that make the characters feel alive. The fact that Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen have the leading roles in the game might be more than enough to certify the game as a success but the “Baby” just might be the real star of the show.
Hideo Kojima has gone on record to say the baby we’ve been seeing everywhere will be a crucial part of the game and will play a major role in the game mechanics. But what really makes it even more unique is that how different it looks and feels from the current games we have right now. The current game market is getting blander by the day as more and more game developers shy away from taking big risks which might also be the reason why Kojima left Capcom in the first place.
The entire game is jam packed with incredibly innovative elements and gameplay mechanics. One such new mechanic showcased in the trailer was “Timefall” which is rain that makes plants and humans age as soon as it hits them along with a healthy dose of sci-fi and mythological elements like robots and Lovecraft-esque like beasts.
When the player dies, it’s game over and the player has to reload from a previous save file or checkpoint which erases everything they’ve done or accomplished. That’s not how things are going to be in Death Stranding. Kojima has said that the player will be unable to die and the action they make will have lasting effects. When you die in the game, you’re transported to purgatory or some other similar place which is where we see Norman Reedus when he was underwater. After waking up you can backtrack to where you died to collect your body and all your belongings but what really makes it so mind-blowing is that no matter what you do it stays there. Even if you make a giant crater it’ll stay there for the rest of the game.
Overall, the game is looking like exactly what the gaming industry needs – a breath of fresh air. Death Standing is expected to come out sometime in 2019 exclusively on the PlayStation 4.