The world finally got an extended look at Death Stranding yesterday, and in the over eight-minute trailer, a lot about what to expect from the game was revealed. Hideo Kojima is known for his deliberately obtuse storyline structures and not much has changed in that regard, with each scene feeding into more confusion than understanding. One thing that fans got that we never had before, however, was a look at the actual gameplay, including the feedback loop that might be established for Death Stranding and keep players returning to its grim, often terrifying world.
Death Stranding has been one of the most anticipated releases for the PS4 ever since it was first announced way back in 2016. Since then, information has been difficult to come by, but Hideo Kojima's first project after a messy split from Konami was always going to be ambitious, as the director has stated that he feels he has the support of his peers to pursue the kinds of projects he really wants to. Death Stranding is also famous for the many celebrities involved in its production, which includes Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Guillermo del Toro, all of whom are friends of Kojima. For as much information about who was involved and how excited they all were about the game, though, yesterday marks the first time concrete gameplay info about Death Stranding really came to light.
Hideo Kojima himself introduced the trailer with a brief description of the story behind Death Stranding, which also gives away clues about how it's going to be played. Kojima stated the game is a "completely new type of action game" that will task the players with reconnecting isolated cities. The game will also be about connecting with other players around the globe, although that aspect remains murky, even with the new gameplay footage available. Here's Kojima's tweet:
What We Know About Death Stranding
Luckily, the gameplay trailer gives us more to go on. It's a third-person sci-fi action game that centers around a huge explosion that causes rain to fall on the planet and age everything it touches, outside of plastic. Sam, Norman Reedus' character, navigates the world through the use of a plastic suit to protect himself and makes deliveries between survivors. The journey will navigate through a dynamic world map that players can use ladders and other devices to explore, and will focus on survival as much as it does action. From the gameplay we saw, though, action will be available too—between vehicular gameplay, gun combat, and the most amusing battle that saw Sam swinging his delivery briefcase at enemies.
Perhaps the most interesting element that was on display was what happens to Sam when he "dies." Death isn't the end for Sam in Death Stranding. Instead, the game forces players into a first-person mode in a purgatory where it looks like Sam is searching for his body. The purgatory area also appears to be where Mads Mikkelsen's character resides, or at least thrives in. Kojima has said that every death impacts the game's story, though, so players should still do their best to avoid those pitfalls.
Overall, we have way more to go on with Death Stranding, and the game is clearly about the connections that Kojima teased were more important. There's a lot we don't know about Death Stranding, but that's good—part of the game's appeal has been the mystery surrounding its characters and gameplay. Now that fans have seen it in action, though, we expect plenty more information, especially since Death Stranding remains one of the most important PS4 exclusives as the console hurtles towards the end of its lifespan.
Source: Hideo Kojima/Twitter