Death Stranding - Review @ Techraptor

Arkadia7 said:

It just is more of what I call a cultural narcissism that seems to afflict (some) younger generations today. Everything they do, even now apparently including playing a video game, has to have some greater meaning and power, as if they are doing some noble act, or something.

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I don't know - I think that's a bit unfair to the younglings. I think a game could potentially try to create immersion through charitable feeling, rather than through, say, conflict. I don't think that makes the person playing it believe that they're actually doing something worthy, any more than someone who plays a shooter thinks they're doing actual violence

Ripper said:

I don't know - I think that's a bit unfair to the younglings. I think a game could potentially try to create immersion through charitable feeling, rather than through, say, conflict. I don't think that makes the person playing it believe that they're actually doing something worthy, any more than someone who plays a shooter thinks they're doing actual violence

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It's not all young people, of course, but a big chunk. But I dunno, read Wolfgrim's excellent post, and then read what that game reviewer had to say about the game. To me, wolfgrim's post hit the bullseye.

Arkadia7 said:

It's not all young people, of course, but a big chunk. But I dunno, read Wolfgrim's excellent post, and then read what that game reviewer had to say about the game. To me, wolfgrim's post hit the bullseye.

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Yes, I did read them, I just didn't really see that in the article. It just seemed to me to be describing the feelings the game produced, in the same way another review might talk about the thrill of ripping enemies limb from limb, and feeling the chaos of battle. I didn't think it was so much claiming they had done real good by playing the game, just that it had encouraged that experience in them, and they kind of felt good about it.

So the PC version apparently includes some crossover content from Half-Life. Almost makes me curious enough to want to play it. Almost.

I got it on steam, and one thing you have to give it to them, at least initially, is that it's a wonderful pc port. Runs beautifully. Looks great.

I did come off as a bit pretentious at the start, but if you give yourself to it it's developing quite an interesting world and lore. But they do, at least so far as I've progressed, through a lot of mumbojumbo jargon and acronyms at you. It's hard to keep up. I'm guess you get used to it the more you play.

The gameplay part does feel quite light, it's basically terrain management while you walk around, trying to not to lose balance. I've seen that later on you also get other traversal tools like ladders and ropes.

The cinematics though, some are pretty good, but for some you do feel the length. And they also take their time with them. Similar to how a slow movie would feel. But I'm not sure I mind that much. Once you accept that this is a movie/game hybrid (more than any other cinematic game tries to be) you'll get involved.

I'll see where it takes me. So far so good. But Ghost of Tsushima is coming out on friday so I'm not sure how much longer I'll play Death Stranding compared to that, and that one is getting really glowing reviews from the fanbase.

danutz_plusplus said:

But Ghost of Tsushima is coming out on friday so I'm not sure how much longer I'll play Death Stranding compared to that, and that one is getting really glowing reviews from the fanbase.

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Exactly I am sort of curious about Death Stranding and Im sure I will eventually get to play it. But Ghost of Tsushima preorder is in place and thats what I look forward to play right now.

wolfgrimdark said:

I had to roll my eyes. Suffering and giving and humanity … No idiot you are playing a video game. You want to really help others? Suffer for others? Give to people? Get off your ass and go into the real world and make real sacrifices for others.

Giving someone a hand in a video game so they can let their character do something is not suffering or helping humanity

Apologies but I found the whole article so annoying. One of those armchair preachers.

Play games and have fun but don't think you're really helping make the world a better place because of it. Oh nothing wrong with spreading some good emotions and happiness around … I get that. Just that it was so … well extreme in my mind the way the article was written. Like they thought they were actually saving humanity

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On one hand I kinda agree with what you are saying. But lets not pretend we have monopoly on the way how video games should be enjoyed. If other people find enjoyment and immersion in video game through suffering, sharing, giving and giving, etc. who are we to say its pretentious or wrong in any other way. Who says that people enjoying sharing and giving in video game are not sharing and giving in real life? Things that are alien to one might make perfect sense to someone else.
Just saying.

Well I am giving it a try and while I have never been a big fan of Kojima I am getting hooked on this one.

Andrew23 said:

On one hand I kinda agree with what you are saying. But lets not pretend we have monopoly on the way how video games should be enjoyed. If other people find enjoyment and immersion in video game through suffering, sharing, giving and giving, etc. who are we to say its pretentious or wrong in any other way. Who says that people enjoying sharing and giving in video game are not sharing and giving in real life? Things that are alien to one might make perfect sense to someone else.
Just saying.

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Thanks and wanted to clarify as you appear to have misunderstood my post and are lumping different things together.

I never pretended to have a monopoly on how people play games … not sure where you got that impression. Nor did I ever say it was wrong for the person to be enjoying that style of game play.

I can certainly say that I personally felt the way the article was written was pretentious. It feels that way to me when I read it. Its a subjective feeling. Maybe it isn't to other people but I don't speak for how others feel I was writing on how I viewed it.

Nor did I ever say someone sharing in a video game is not sharing in real life. Maybe they are. That is unrelated. I don't know anything about the person beyond what they wrote, which I won't echo here again as it would be the same thing.

I am pretty sure I also mentioned that there was nothing wrong with spreading good emotions. It was the over the top feeling of the writing and gushing that put me off. A personal view point. Yet no where in that did I state they had no right to enjoy playing it as they wanted or any of the other things you wrote in your reply.

Just saying.

EDIT: Whether or not doing good things in a game could lead to people doing good things in real life is perhaps open to some debate. I know I studied some of that in college in my psychology seminars - how role playing in a game can lead to changes in real life behavior.

I also admit over the top stuff tends to push the wrong buttons with me in general. If it had been less intense, gushy, and so full of dramatic catchphrases I wouldn't have even bothered commenting.

Lastly it really isn't anything against the person playing but just the tone of the article itself. I simply found it annoying.

The game itself I can't speak about as I haven't played it. Two friends on discord are playing it and sharing images and the game looks beautiful. Based on their comments about game play, however, definitely not my kind of game … although not because of the helping aspects or the good-vibe but more about the walking simulator and simply the style of play doesn't appeal to me.

It's a Sony game, we all saw how they bought all 10's from their reviewers (Last of Us 2 in particular). This gives me pause on any review for any Sony game as all I saw here was the same thing. Not a 10 game imho, but then I also don't believe any game is ever perfect.

JDR13 said:

So the PC version apparently includes some crossover content from Half-Life. Almost makes me curious enough to want to play it. Almost.

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It's just easter eggs and unlockables through sidequests that are not in the log (for example do something received via e-mail and you get a valve).
Don't play the game just for that.

azsinistar said:

It's a Sony game, we all saw how they bought all 10's from their reviewers (Last of Us 2 in particular). This gives me pause on any review for any Sony game as all I saw here was the same thing. Not a 10 game imho, but then I also don't believe any game is ever perfect.

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Who cares about Sony's console reviews?
I seriously doubt this game can get 10 on PC that easy.
It has only one thing that deserves 10 and that's the creepyness factor. But as a whole package… Nah. It's too hard to avoid grind in it. Grind of different types to be precise.

wolfgrimdark said:

walking simulator

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If we cut away cutscenes, 90% of the game is driving simulator. For a few quests you have to walk, sure. But the rest of it? Get a bike or truck then hit the road. Oh, yeah, you have to build the road over rocky areas first or you'll be forced to walk over those… And I guess people are lazy to build so to them the game definetly is a walking simulator.

This game is different. I mean REALLY different. I don't know what else it's like.
For the first few hours of gameplay, I would describe it as a 'falling down simulator'.

It takes a while to get used to it, during which time you will want to rage quit, especially after you've seemingly walked and climbed over an impossible landscape while holding onto your valuable cargo for what seems like hours, and then 3 minutes from your destination, you get off balance, slip and then fall down a steep incline, ruining all your equipment and probably killing yourself.

And lots of cut scenes, many, and the major ones cannot be skipped as far as I know. Someone told me you can, but I swear I hit every key on my keyboard and it's not possible.

And the game is creepy, especially the BBs.

If that's sounds like something you will enjoy, go for it. I've only played maybe 3 hours, but I sort of like it now.