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For the followers of Hideo Kojima, the release of a new game of the prodigy is an event. After the Metal Gear Solid saga, the Japanese was absent from the scene for a while to work on a new project: Death Stranding. Expected by fans like the Messiah, back on what we could call the GOTY.
Undoubtedly, Death Stranding is THE game of the year. Admittedly, this is a purely subjective opinion, but the proposition that the game makes in terms of storytelling and gameplay make it a special being in the gaming landscape of the year or even the decade, dare we say it.
Death Stranding is the kind of game that is complicated to explain because it is a tasty mix of philosophy and shamanism. But I’m still going to practice.
You play as Sam Porter Bridges, a modern-day messenger in a world where strange and paranormal creatures have decimated part of humanity. Nothing remains, well almost. The United States, this vast territory, is almost empty. Each person now stays in their space and no longer communicates for lack of necessary equipment and technology, thus creating abandoned areas where militias take control of the territories. Earth on which it is not good to die since after death, it takes 48 hours for the body to mutate and transform.
That’s when you come in. Your goal: to reconnect the world to life, to the universe.
To do this, you will have to walk a long, very long time on a gigantic map, all accompanied by a magnificent soundtrack. You will have to transport everything and anything. Getting from point A to point B may sound simple like that, but the paths will be full of pitfalls. The game offers mutual assistance between players thus betting on the participative. Very simple example: a mountain appears before you. Another player placed a rope on the top allowing you to climb it. It’s as simple as that. And in turn, you can also offer this kind of help to other players.
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Even death has shamanic significance. The hero carries a virus, a discomfort, which links him directly or indirectly with the creatures and in fact cannot really die. When your life bar reaches a more than critical level, you land in a dark and dull world, all in the first person. You will have to advance until you reach a form of resurrection. None of your actions will be lost and you can resume the adventure.
The more you advance in the game, the more experience you will gain, making your character evolve. You will also have access to driving vehicles, let’s put it simply, complex which can even create a significant form of frustration.
Death Stranding is a pure metaphysical object. You have to project yourself beyond the basic story to discover another universe. It’s beautiful, it may seem anecdotal for some, or even too long, for others. Death Stranding is like a work of art. It will cause anxiety, shock, boredom, but will inevitably generate interest.
So yes, Death Stranding is a very nice game proposal. With its 5-star cast (Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, Guillermo Del Toro, Mads Mikkelsen…) Hideo Kojima is making video games grow and for that alone, he deserves to to be greeted. Score: 9.5 / 10
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