Another teaser has just dropped for Hideo Kojima’s new project, Death Stranding, and I still have no idea what this game is. And just like the rest of the internet, everything I learn about it leaves me wanting more and with more questions than answers.
Death Stranding is a mysterious project that has been teased by the Metal Gear creator through these cryptic teasers since it was first announced. The game was announced at E3 2016, and could return to E3 2019, although this has not been confirmed. Norman Reedus, Emily O’Brien and even Guillermo del Toro are all involved in the project, alongside many other big names. So we can expect a AAA release in the most over-the-top Kojima way possible.
It’s planned to launch the title on the PS4, and gamers eagerly await the day this strange game hits shelves, but we still have no idea when Death Stranding will actually come out.
The story and gameplay remain incredibly confusing though. There’s the obvious parallels to the ideas and mysticism surrounding life and death, and these ideas will no doubt play out in the story and gameplay aspects of Death Stranding, but it’s hard to say what the genre of this title even is. We know it’s an open-world action title with stealth elements, but it seems impossible to compare it to anything in that same vein. Even the Metal Gear series isn’t a direct analogue for the gameplay style Kojima and co. seem to be going for.
Gameplay footage from E3 last year teased supernatural elements mixed in with the exploration and stealth elements. And much like Kojima’s other games, there is massive emphasis on in-game cinematics as a means for direct storytelling. Although it would not be surprising at all if a massive amount of worldbuilding was accomplished through in-game discoveries and hidden information.