The latest game of the famous video game creator Hideo Kojima, namely Death Stranding presents stories and gameplay which is slightly different from the Genre Open World in general. This game presents a fictional story with the theme of a "reconnecting" connection between humans in the world that has been destroyed.
When it was first announced, this game received the high enthusiasm of gamers considering this was the first video game of Kojima after coming out of Konami. The Death Stranding made by Kojima Productions provides very minimal information about the story and also the gameplay that makes people curious.
Then when this game was released for the first time for the PS4 platform on November 8, 2019, Death Stranding obtained criticism of the pros and cons of the gameplay. Many say death stranding has a world that is too empty and also quiet for an open-world genre. Not to mention the gameplay is called a walking simulator that is too repetitive or repeated makes some gamers feel bored quickly.
3 years later since this release game, Death Stranding Director's Cut was released for the PS5 platform. This version presents various additional new content and features to help players in the world of Death Stranding. Just like the previous version, this game does not seem to be separated from the criticism of gamers about how empty the world of Death Stranding is as an open-world game.
On this occasion, I get the chance to try the Death Stranding Director's Cut and provide a personal response through a review on this game based on playing experience for readers. What are the differences between the early version of the Death Stranding game with the Director's Cut version? Does this game still present repetitive gameplay and make the players bored?
All of these questions will answer through this Death Stranding Director's Cut review. Alright, let's just start the discussion!
Running 60fps smoothly
The first thing the most striking in this game when entering the story intro is this game comes with 60fps. For those of you who don't know, the previous Death Stranding version released for PS4 is only limited to 30fps, but the game runs smoothly.
It turned out that this made some gamers a little disappointed with these limitations. While for the PC version, Death Stranding can run with 60fps. Maybe because of the input, Kojima Productions finally released the Director's Cut version for the PS5 platform.
Back to our main topic, Death Stranding Director's Cut comes with 60fps which is very smooth. Not many of you find this game has a decrease in FPS when playing with 4K resolution, both when traveling calmly and facing the enemy.
Graphics increase that is increasingly amazed
For the graphics of the game itself, you don't need to doubt it. Death Stranding Director's Cut presents a graphic appearance that is getting better than the previous version on the PS4 platform. By utilizing Decima Engine belonging to Guerilla Games on the Ps5 platform, Death Stranding Director's Cut comes with incredible graphics improvement.
Each object and character in this game looks very detailed. The natural scenery also looks amazing with the previous version of the game. So for your graphic problems you don't need to worry about this game.
Gameplay Features that are too innovative and repetitive
Next, I will discuss my assessment of the Death Stranding Director's Cut in terms of gameplay. Same with the previous version, this game presents almost all gameplay delivery packages from point A to point B. Each package has a condition that you must pay attention to to keep the rating value when completing the mission.
The route itself can you choose freely, you will break through the hill with a high incline or you will circle the hill but must pass the nest of mysterious creatures named BT or hide the terrorist group. Every road condition that you have to always be considered, such as rocks, river depth, and land texture.
This game also makes you have to pay attention to weather conditions where water down can accelerate the aging process of living things. This also applies to the durability of goods or packages that you bring.
Some of the elements that I explained above were important points from the feature of the Death Stranding gameplay. There are still many important elements on gameplay, namely the balance of carrying goods, the position of the location of the item carried, FituCat, and others.
The number of gameplay features in Death Stranding is considered too innovative for a video game. For the first 2-4 hours you will spend time adapting to all the features of the gameplay to get used to a package courier.
The number of these features still cannot cover up in total how the Death Stranding game has a world that feels empty even for an open world genre game. Even the emptiness of the world of this game is similar to the previous Hideo Kojima game, namely Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Some point points, we will face various conditions such as the face of Homo Dence terrorist forces and BT creatures. Sometimes you will find a random situation that is a trigger of the story that runs. But still, almost a portion of the gameplay, you will find the moment the walk itself carries a package with a soft song from the soundtrack.
Unique stories and theories about sociology and science in Death Stranding
The same as the previous Hideo Kojima game, Death Stranding presents complex fiction stories with various unique theories in various branches of research science. In this case, Death Stranding or Death Stranding Director's Cut focuses on how human sociology tries to reconnect their relationship between the condition of the world's destruction.
Every dialog and background of the Death Stranding story will not separate how the main character of Sam Porter is trying to surrender to the condition of the world where humanity tries to decide on their brotherhood. Sam himself was forced to help recite the connection because of someone's request that tried to reunite the relationship between humans. The characters also have their background and their own goals, both from both parties and terrorists in this game.
Video games that have complex stories like this have become a characteristic of Hideo Kojima themselves where he used to have aspirations as a filmmaker. Death Stranding seems to be present as a game where he devotes all his ideas if he becomes a filmmaker and also the game creator becomes one. Not to mention the many famous film actresses and actresses who participated in this game.
I did not escape enjoying the "film" moment in the Death Stranding game by placing a PS stick to the table. Even unconsciously, each scene in this game can take half an hour with a long dialogue of each character.
Additional content and differences in Death Stranding Director's Cut with the previous version
If you ask, what is additional content and different from Death Stranding Director's Cut from the previous version? Here are some points that I found about additional content and differences in this game from the previous version:
- Graphics with 4K resolution and running with 60fps smoothly on PS5.
- Many options for adding customization on Sam and BB characters.
- Sam can rest anywhere without the need for a particular checkpoint location,
- Energy monster drinks are replaced with an original drink of bridge energy in the game.
- All special Death Stranding content on PC is present on the Director's Cut version.
- The highway can now be built through the hill area and mountains.
- Combat features face deepened enemies by presenting weapons such as Maser Gun.
- The place for the Combat feature tutorial on the game can you find in the same option on your terminal Find Private Room to rest.
- Various new equipment helps in taking packages.
- and much more.
Conclusion
I began to provide an assessment based on the review of the Death Stranding Director's cut from the play experience. If I think personally as a fan of Hideo Kojima, this game is good. Death Stranding and Director's Cut version presents innovative features and are rarely used in other video games. If based on a gamer's point of view in general, this game can make them feel bored quickly.
As I explained earlier, this game too gave innovative gameplay features and was different from other games. From the beginning of the announcement until the game was released, Death Stranding was too focused on the many concepts of the game according to the Ideology of Hideo Kojima. In the end, this game has a gap where this Open World game has a vacuum that is too thick in his world.
Okay if the emptiness corresponds to the theme of the Death Stranding story. But this will be a less preferred thing for gamers who want an open world full of various activities that can be done. For examples, such as GTA V and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You could say this game is not suitable for gamers who want the Open World game like that.
That's the review of the Death Stranding Director's Cut based on personal experience I played the game. What do you think? If you are interested in trying it you can download this game through Steam Store through this link.