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[Fbh]

Death Stranding was, in a way, similar to No Mans Sky to me in that I was hyped at first but then with each new trailer and showing it was like "ok that's cool but what's the game actually like?". By the time it launched and it was clear it was almost exclusively a delivery game I lost a lot of interest, which only got worse when even positive reviews often called it boring. So I decided to wait for a steep sale which we got like a month ago on the Epic store (between regional pricing and the coupon it was like $12)

And you know what? It has been surprisingly more fun than I expected. The intro is pretty story heavy which I enjoyed, and the traversal has been quite fun specially since I've grown tired of open world games where you basically just hold down a button and your character does everything automatically (like AC), actually having to look at the world and having to figure out how to get to places is nice.
If anything I sort of wish it was even more about traversal and "man vs nature" and less about BT's and Mules.

The multiplayer aspect is also fun, both taking advantage of structures build by other people as well as being notified about other people using stuff you have left behind. Ever since Demon Souls I've been a fan of these indirect types of multiplayers and this is one of the best implementations yet aside from the Souls Games.

With that said, I'm now 30 hours into the game and I'm starting to get tired, they've added some new elements here and there but overall it's still pretty monotonous and I have threshold of how long I can do the same thing over and over again before it just stops being fun. BT and terrorist encounters also getting more frequent and I find them mostly annoying. It also doesn't help that I'm 30 hours into the game and I feel like I'm in some filler arc where my BB gets desynchronized or something and they've had me running from one inconsequential place to the other (and then back) for a couple of hours, which came right after another big quest which had me traveling aaaaaall the way across some mountains, triggering a cutscene and then traveling aaaaaaall the way back.

So yeah. I think I'm near the end of Chapter 6.
How much longer do I have? And do they change things up a bit towards the end or will this back and forth you keep going for another 30 hours?

 

[SlimySnake]

You are at the half way point at this point. How did it take you 30 hours to get there lol.

Just do the story missions from here on in. You are almost at the end of the open world segments and after around chapter 8, it's all action for the next 5-6 chapters. Not gonna spoil anything but just push through the next couple of chapters in the mountains and you are gonna get to the good part and not having to worry about all the stuff that you are getting sick of.

 

[bender]

I have OCD when it comes to games and the game quickly became monotonous.

 

[KyoZz]

I think I stopped playing the game at roughly the same chapter as you OP because I was so annoyed with the walking sim. It was on PS4 on release and now I'm waiting for the Director's Cut on PC to try again.

 

[Outlier]

*Barer of bad news*

I'm going to tell you this Fbh ...
If you don't want to do the "side deliveries", then feel free to SKIP ALL OF THEM. They have ZERO effect on the story.

Biggest waste of 130 hours of my gaming life.

Also... Unless you LOVE Kojima, be prepared for a very undeserved final boss fight.

 

[Elbow Identity Shallow]

I absolutely understand why some people get bored of the game or just don't want to go anywhere near it but I absolutely loved playing it. I know that won't make sense to a lot of people and it's trange in some ways that you mention No Man's Sky as that's another game that I've spent so much time just wandering around and exploring.
I had been considering playing it again so maybe I'll just see what the new version is like.

 

[Kerotan]

Just focus on the main story missions.

 

[Danjin44]

For me the whole famous actors as characters completely turn me off from this game, but I suggest maybe you play this in small burst.

 

[JOEVIAL]

Eeek... 30hrs and only on chapter 6. You must have done a bunch of the side deliveries then. There is a rather size-able lull around Chapter 5 and 6 (which is where most people seem to stop playing) but the story really picks up and moves at a blazing pace starting in Chapter 7. I would suggest not really doing many of the side deliveries. Just pick up ones that are on the way to main delivery stations.

I completed the story in 50hrs. It wasn't a brisk play-through either, I definitely took my time and explored the sights. I too really enjoy the traversal mechanics. Trying to find the best route up /down mountains or through rivers was extremely enjoyable for me.

With all that said, I mainly played the game to experience the beautiful landscapes, wonderfully strange story, and superb cutscenes. It was an unforgettable experience and it is up there as one of my favorite PS4 games next to The Last Guardian. But like most all the reviews said, it's not for everyone.

I wouldn't call it boring, but I would call it slow. It is a very chill game, tension only picks up in BT areas and some of the more scripted story moments.

 

[Shubh_C63]

Just put it down, don't marathon it.
The game really is an acquired taste. Everything is so fine tuned but with a terrible plot and pacing.

 

[Zambatoh]

*Barer of bad news*

I'm going to tell you this Fbh ...
If you don't want to do the "side deliveries", then feel free to SKIP ALL OF THEM. They have ZERO effect on the story.

Biggest waste of 130 hours of my gaming life.

Also... Unless you LOVE Kojima, be prepared for a very undeserved final boss fight.

Unless you did the pizza deliveries. In which case he has it coming.

 

[Fbh]

You are at the half way point at this point. How did it take you 30 hours to get there lol.

Just do the story missions from here on in. You are almost at the end of the open world segments and after around chapter 8, it's all action for the next 5-6 chapters. Not gonna spoil anything but just push through the next couple of chapters in the mountains and you are gonna get to the good part and not having to worry about all the stuff that you are getting sick of.

Guess I'll give it some more hours the more linear later chapters sound interesting.
thx

Unless you did the pizza deliveries. In which case he has it coming.

I did the first one lol, also some of the Half life ones and some other optional stuff along the way.

But I think I'll stick exclusively to the main story from now on,

 

[Roufianos]

Pretty sure I beat the game in 35 hours or so and had a blast. If you drag it out and do all the side stuff then I can imagine it gets pretty tedious.

 

[Shmunter]

Keep on keeping on

 

[eyesabitdull]

Pretty sure I beat the game in 35 hours or so and had a blast. If you drag it out and do all the side stuff then I can imagine it gets pretty tedious.

Huh.

Going to have to revisit the game and just do this.

I can't leave the house for goodness how long, so this is a good time as any to pretend I can travel across the land without being arrested.

 

[Buggy Loop]

I got the game for free from a friend and I put it on the backlog after ~4 hours or so. Not super engaging. Had more exciting games to play. I think I got Batman Arkham knight on sale and I got hooked (freaking amazing game on a good PC )

 

[Captain Toad]

don't marathon it

There's another way to play video games?

If I start another game before I finish my current one, I'll never return to it.

 

[anothertech]

All the good stuff towards the end. So at least there's that

 

[ethomaz]

I could not stop to play it until the very end with 150 hours playthought.

The game is super addictive.

 

[kyliethicc]

Death Stranding was, in a way, similar to No Mans Sky to me in that I was hyped at first but then with each new trailer and showing it was like "ok that's cool but what's the game actually like?". By the time it launched and it was clear it was almost exclusively a delivery game I lost a lot of interest, which only got worse when even positive reviews often called it boring. So I decided to wait for a steep sale which we got like a month ago on the Epic store (between regional pricing and the coupon it was like $12)

And you know what? It has been surprisingly more fun than I expected. The intro is pretty story heavy which I enjoyed, and the traversal has been quite fun specially since I've grown tired of open world games where you basically just hold down a button and your character does everything automatically (like AC), actually having to look at the world and having to figure out how to get to places is nice.
If anything I sort of wish it was even more about traversal and "man vs nature" and less about BT's and Mules.

The multiplayer aspect is also fun, both taking advantage of structures build by other people as well as being notified about other people using stuff you have left behind. Ever since Demon Souls I've been a fan of these indirect types of multiplayers and this is one of the best implementations yet aside from the Souls Games.

With that said, I'm now 30 hours into the game and I'm starting to get tired, they've added some new elements here and there but overall it's still pretty monotonous and I have threshold of how long I can do the same thing over and over again before it just stops being fun. BT and terrorist encounters also getting more frequent and I find them mostly annoying. It also doesn't help that I'm 30 hours into the game and I feel like I'm in some filler arc where my BB gets desynchronized or something and they've had me running from one inconsequential place to the other (and then back) for a couple of hours, which came right after another big quest which had me traveling aaaaaall the way across some mountains, triggering a cutscene and then traveling aaaaaaall the way back.

So yeah. I think I'm near the end of Chapter 6.
How much longer do I have? And do they change things up a bit towards the end or will this back and forth you keep going for another 30 hours?

Just take your time and enjoy it all. Don't rush it.

Some truly special moments in that game. Lots of cool little things too.

 

[22:22:22]

Around 220+ hours.. Game has a great vibe

 

[M.W.]

I tossed it in the trash after 25 hours. I went digital.

 

[Twinguistics]

I'm just at chapter 3 after ten hours. Am I slow? I've not being doing side missions. Loving it so far. It's awesome.

 

[Aion002]

That also happened to me. I took a break from it and returned a few months later and the game was great again... It also helped that I stopped doing the side missions... They get repetitive really fast.

Overall, in my opinion, the game is awesome and worth the time spent to finish.

 

[jonnyp]

I finished this the other day. I thought MGSV's story was as bad as it could get but Kojima managed to outdo himself in stupid writing with this one.

Having said that, he also managed to make a game about a post-apocalyptic postman fun and downright addictive - I don't know how the fuck he did that - but I enjoyed the gameplay for the most part. Think it could've done with more diverse combat/stealth scenarios and boss fights of course.

If only he had a good story writer and editor for his ideas...

Low Roar's hauntingly beautiful soundtrack is perfect for the game too. Looks amazing too, as expected.

 

[SJRB]

All the good stuff towards the end. So at least there's that

Super hard disagree on this. The game goes completely off the rails once you reach Hartman. If any, the first couple of hours are easily the best because they're the most focussed.

The last half of this game is terrible. The narrative is beyond pretentious and tiresome, the backtracking is insane and straight up unacceptable, the boss fights are terrible. And it takes FOREVER to end. I felt like aged 43 years "playing" that last bit.

 

[PleaseDontBanMe]

You are at the half way point at this point. How did it take you 30 hours to get there lol.

Just do the story missions from here on in. You are almost at the end of the open world segments and after around chapter 8, it's all action for the next 5-6 chapters. Not gonna spoil anything but just push through the next couple of chapters in the mountains and you are gonna get to the good part and not having to worry about all the stuff that you are getting sick of.

Is it possible to play this game only doing story missions?

i have no desire to deliver packages all day

 

[NinjaBoiX]

I hate pretentious games.

I hate walking sims.

I think Kojima is an absolute hack.

Surprisingly enough I’ve dodged this game with a ten foot pole.

(I thought MGS1 was cool for the novelty of such a cinematic game at the time. All his games after that have been self-indulgent swill.)

 

[MrS]

I hate pretentious games.

I hate walking sims.

I think Kojima is an absolute hack.

Surprisingly enough I’ve dodged this game with a ten foot pole.

(I thought MGS1 was cool for the novelty of such a cinematic game at the time. All his games after that have been self-indulgent swill.)

and yet you keep posting in Death Stranding threads...

 

[NinjaBoiX]

and yet you keep posting in Death Stranding threads...

What can I say, they’re more interesting than his games.



(PT was cool though.)

 

[Birdo]

I want to try it, but I don't want other people's crap in my game, and people say it sucks without online help.

 

[PaddyOCanager]

Jesus....30 hours to get to Chapter 6? I skipped all the side missions, they are not worth it to me. I stuck to the main path, only doing side missions that were conveniently on the way and I loved the game. Also, I rarely encountered BTs in my playthrough and ignored the MULE camps completely - unless the main story dictated it. For me, the entire game was traversal mechanics which were relaxing and fun - broken up by the rare BT or MULE encounter. Once I got the blood/shit/piss grenades or whatever, BTs were barely an annoyance if they ever did show up.

Honestly, if you've invested 30 hours up to Chapter 6 I don't think there is a way to salvage this game for you. I'd be completely burnt out.

 

[MrS]

What can I say, they’re more interesting than his games.

Clever girl

 

[Certinty]

This is one game I’m happy I just mainlined completely and ignored everything else. It took me 25 hours to complete and only the five or so hours dragged on. As repetitive as it was I felt like at that length of a game it worked well.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Platinumed this game 2 weeks ago, clocked in at 71 hours.

Death Stranding is an exercise in masochism and frustration; the amount of exposition alone is enough to kill a man. And somehow, by the end of it, I couldn't help but reflect longingly on my time with it.

 

[Nemesis Prime]

Death Stranding was, in a way, similar to No Mans Sky to me in that I was hyped at first but then with each new trailer and showing it was like "ok that's cool but what's the game actually like?". By the time it launched and it was clear it was almost exclusively a delivery game I lost a lot of interest, which only got worse when even positive reviews often called it boring. So I decided to wait for a steep sale which we got like a month ago on the Epic store (between regional pricing and the coupon it was like $12)

And you know what? It has been surprisingly more fun than I expected. The intro is pretty story heavy which I enjoyed, and the traversal has been quite fun specially since I've grown tired of open world games where you basically just hold down a button and your character does everything automatically (like AC), actually having to look at the world and having to figure out how to get to places is nice.
If anything I sort of wish it was even more about traversal and "man vs nature" and less about BT's and Mules.

The multiplayer aspect is also fun, both taking advantage of structures build by other people as well as being notified about other people using stuff you have left behind. Ever since Demon Souls I've been a fan of these indirect types of multiplayers and this is one of the best implementations yet aside from the Souls Games.

With that said, I'm now 30 hours into the game and I'm starting to get tired, they've added some new elements here and there but overall it's still pretty monotonous and I have threshold of how long I can do the same thing over and over again before it just stops being fun. BT and terrorist encounters also getting more frequent and I find them mostly annoying. It also doesn't help that I'm 30 hours into the game and I feel like I'm in some filler arc where my BB gets desynchronized or something and they've had me running from one inconsequential place to the other (and then back) for a couple of hours, which came right after another big quest which had me traveling aaaaaall the way across some mountains, triggering a cutscene and then traveling aaaaaaall the way back.

So yeah. I think I'm near the end of Chapter 6.
How much longer do I have? And do they change things up a bit towards the end or will this back and forth you keep going for another 30 hours?

Wow what a coincidence...legit I am also playing it for the first time, also around chapter 6 (on the BB de synchronization bit) playing it on PC with max graphics.

There are aspects of this game I LOVE. Like you mentioned the multiplayer aspect is fucking amazing, it's my favorite part of the game, building structures others can use, using other people's structures and items and vehicles, collectively pooling ur resources to build roads, sending and receiving likes etc... I also love the general game traversal mechanics, I love the focus on traversal, its something different and unique and a breath of fresh air from standard AAA games. The art style is STELLAR and the game is stunning, not many games this gen has come close imo, I can't get enough of it, my jaw drops every time I walk out of a bridges base and I see the surroundings come into frame. The game really knows how to build an atmosphere, and whenever the music kicks in I legit take my time to just soak it all in and enjoy the Low Roar soundtrack.

The negatives is more to do with the story and the pacing of the game, I don't feel like there is any progression with the story rn, things happen but it doesn't really change anything to the overall plot. It's also getting to the point where its just WAYY too many deliveries and backtracking, and the fact that I am 20-30 hours in doing the same shit and that probably means I'm only half way through the game is daunting, and there isn't enough variety to the game. But the worst part is when it turned into a shitty 3rd person shooter, I really didn't enjoy that part, the shooting mechanics aren't that interesting, especially after playing superior games in that genre such as Gears of War. Also coming from the creator of MGS V the combat mechanics are very shallow, attacking mule camps can be quite monotonous, there isn't much to do to leverage the environment in your advantage in combat, and the game can be super cheesy with how easy it is to dispatch an entire mule camp or defeat a BT area by just facing the boss. It's like the game looks scarier and harder than it actually is, once I realized how easy the bosses are the game opened up to me more and allowed me to be more cheesy with my strategies.

Overall I can forgive a lot of these negatives because of how forward thing, unique, and different the game is. I expected nothing less from Kojima and he really killed it with the general concept of the game, excited to see how the story ends because I do remember dunkey saying the story is mainly focused at the start and end of the game so I hope it can finish on on a strong note.

 

[RaduN]

Excited to see how the story ends because I do remember dunkey saying the story is mainly focused at the start and end of the game so I hope it can finish on on a strong note.

Expect something mind blowing, that will make you head spin (but you are already expecting something like this, right?)
Be aware that the ending is more than 2 hours long, so after a certain delivery and boss fight (you will know), grab your pop corn

 

[GymWolf]

When i played the game i thought that the cutscenes with story bits were the carrot between the non exactly super exciting gameplay sections, then i completely changed my idea, story bits were mostly crap and i had more fun just playing the damn thing while unlocking new gear.

But yeah, it get kinda boring after a while if your interest for the story is not super high.

 

[nemiroff]

Doing too many side missions, inventory management overload, and the ocd of needing to completing all the roads killed it for me. I did have several moments of feeling entertained though, I liked the unconventional atmosphere and the production value.

 

[22:22:22]

I'm just at chapter 3 after ten hours. Am I slow? I've not being doing side missions. Loving it so far. It's awesome.

If you're slow? Who cares man. Just play it at your own pace like you're probably already doing; there's no need tot rush. No need a all.

Keep on keeping on

 

[Twinguistics]

If you're slow? Who cares man. Just play it at your own pace like you're probably already doing; there's no need tot rush. No need a all.

Keep on keeping on

Just wondering if I'm fiddling around in menus a lot etc.

Anyway, game is amazing and I don't understand the criticism at all.

It's a huge, beautiful breath of fresh air in the AAA space. It's hard to describe but it feels like playing something new again, with new rules and ways of playing.

 

[Rodolink]

Super hard disagree on this. The game goes completely off the rails once you reach Hartman. If any, the first couple of hours are easily the best because they're the most focussed.

The last half of this game is terrible. The narrative is beyond pretentious and tiresome, the backtracking is insane and straight up unacceptable, the boss fights are terrible. And it takes FOREVER to end. I felt like aged 43 years "playing" that last bit.

this.
game is technically amazing. some game design is good too.
rest was very tedious for me.
in your place i would just stick to the main quest without sidetracking to finish it and be done with it.

 

[Fbh]

Update!:

Ok so I did stick with it and in the end I'm glad I did. My overall opinion hasn't changed a lot but I did still enjoy seeing it through and thankfully the pacing significantly picks up after chapter 8. Completely ignoring all optional stuff was also good advice, so thanks for that.
In the end I enjoyed the traversal and world but I do think the game could have been shorter and I do wish they'd have focused a bit more on the actual traversal and less on BT's and Mules when it comes to challenge. Would have liked if more areas of the world were designed in a way where I really needed to use my items, but instead it was often all too easy to just face the objective and walk there in a straight line.

The story does pick up in the second half and kept me interested, though after finishing it I couldn't help but think it was mostly style over substance.
It also has the single worst line of dialog in all of media:

Spoiler

The world and aesthetics will definitely stay in my mind way longer than the actual plot, which is a bit of shame as the potential for something greater was definitely there.

 

[SlimySnake]

The Princess Beach line is supposed to be tongue in cheek. I really dont see whats so wrong about it. We are playing a kojima game after all. This guy goes out of his way to add stupid shit in games. You literally get peed on in MGS2. You walk around naked for a good 10 minutes literally holding your junk. You watch characters get diarrehea and literally shit their pants in MGS4. Someone grabs your junk in MGS3. Even in this game you have Deadman act all rapey in the shower with you.

Kojima knows what he's doing. This isnt bad writing like 'I am Rey Skywalker'. This is done on purpose to keep the game lighthearted in a breaking the wall kind of way. I mean she pretty much looks at the screen when she says it.

 

[TheGodfather07]

I almost dropped it around the snowy mountain area but pushed through too see out the story. Overall i give it solid 8/10

 

[Amory]

I found the game very relaxing when it was just a delivery simulator, walking around enjoying the landscape and completing tasks and building bridges and whatnot.

But the combat and sneaking around to avoid enemies and all that shit really got in the way for me. Just made the game too much of a slog. I played probably 15 hours and stopped. Maybe I'll go back someday.

 

[Chris_Rivera]

Still waiting for PS5 version. Looking forward to it on dual sense and 3D audio headset

 

[Shmunter]

I found the game very relaxing when it was just a delivery simulator, walking around enjoying the landscape and completing tasks and building bridges and whatnot.

But the combat and sneaking around to avoid enemies and all that shit really got in the way for me. Just made the game too much of a slog. I played probably 15 hours and stopped. Maybe I'll go back someday.

You need to craft the BT destroying blood or piss viles in the shower - can’t remember which, then you can sneak and destroy as you go along

 

[Bridges]

I adored this game, pretty unlike anything else I've ever played. It's absolutely for sure not for everyone, but for some reason every single aspect just hit perfectly for me. The story is ludicrous, for sure, but that's all part of the charm. Loved every second of it.

Please Kojima, make me another Strand game

 

[RaduN]

This is done on purpose to keep the game lighthearted in a breaking the wall kind of way. I mean she pretty much looks at the screen when she says it.

On top of that, the line (viewed through the lenses of Mario story) is a forshadowing.