Empathy In Times Of Isolation and Hostility: My Death Stranding Experience

November 2019, after years of intrigue, confusion, and mystery, Hideo Kojima’s new game, Death Stranding, was on the precipice of release. As someone who had been following its development since it was first announced in 2016, needless to say I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. I would finally get to see what this enigmatic and esoteric game was. Rarely do I pre-order games as I much prefer to wait until they drop in price to facilitate my “multiple games at once” lifestyle (I need help).

What I’ve found, over the course of a year and a half of examination, is a game that has endeared me to my core. A game that I sincerely hope will only receive the “fine wine” patience treatment other misunderstood flawed masterpieces have been given in the years since their respective releases. 

I feel it is necessary to know that I am a fan of Kojima’s works and have been for a while now, so my position does come with a fair amount of subjective bias towards his creations. I will try to remain as objective as possible throughout this piece. 

I can unfortunately give only the most basic of synopses for the game’s premise as with most of Kojima’s works, there is SO MUCH to unpack I might end up confusing you more than he does so I’ll keep it as easily digestible as I possibly can by borrowing Wikipedia’s plot synopsis: 

“The game is set in an apocalyptic United States, where a cataclysmic event known as the "Death Stranding" caused "Beached Things" ("BTs")—invisible creatures originating from the "Beach", lands thought to be unique to each person that are typically visited during near-death experiences and are said to be the link to the afterlife—to begin roaming the Earth. BTs cause explosions known as "voidouts" when they consume the dead by necrosis, and produce rain known as "Timefall" that rapidly ages and deteriorates whatever it hits. These events damaged the country's infrastructure, leading its remaining population to confine themselves to remote colonies known as "Knot Cities," which form the remaining "United Cities of America.” These colonies have since relied on the services of a company known as Bridges, whose porters brave the BTs, bandits, and terrorists to deliver supplies to the cities. Bridges also performs various governmental functions on behalf of the UCA.”

You play as Sam (played by Norman Reedus), a porter with the UCA, so as you would expect, the gameplay is primarily comprised of delivering cargo from one colony to the next, connecting each to each other. Amongst these long treks across the game world there is a mixture of action and stealth, but the main gameplay mechanic is being able to keep yourself balanced and in good enough physical condition offsetting the amount of cargo you are currently carrying. Think of it as more of a “hiking” game which I’ve seen some regressively refer to as a “walking simulator.” While one your journey you will be able to build a myriad of contraptions including bridges, ladders, and zip-lines that can help you to get to your destination in more efficient ways. It’s asynchronous multiplayer allows you to use structures other players have put down as well as contribute materials to these structures to keep them maintained from the wear and tear of timefall.

Its narrative is, as one would expect from a Hideo Kojima game, complex, cerebral, idiosyncratic, a little convoluted, and at times could be described as long winded. Thematically it’s very rich and packed with meaning one could derive from it. If I interpret the messages I’ve taken away from it they would be that it is something of a piece about gratification in modern times. It’s not about the visceral sensation we see when someone gives us tangible feedback in the form of a “like” on social media, the fact that we’ve touched someone’s life in an intangible way can have positive ramifications for themselves and the people they touch in that way too. It’s a cycle that is being lost. It’s delivery and style is the quintessential example of “not for everyone” the fact that it was not only funded by Sony, but marketed to such a broad and mainstream audience is why I think it received such a polarizing reception amongst the masses, because it wasn’t really a experience for that kind of audience. I believe the niche audience that this appeals to (the overly-artistically inclined like me) enjoys it far more than the regular consumer possibly seduced by marketing hype (did I mention how much I dislike the need for marketing). 

Its pacing is not exactly the best in my opinion, feeling like too many important moments are jam-packed towards the back of the narrative instead of evenly distributed throughout its plot line and it’s many delivery based missions. The expected Kojima exposition dumps are here, for better or for worse, and there are too many moments in which its narrative feels sparse in comparison. It’s a little too uneven which, I would imagine is a sacrifice the team thought was necessary in order to achieve its greater vision of expressing itself through its gameplay loop.

The game is full of acting talent including Lea Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tommie Earl Jenkins 

Throughout my time with the game I realized I wasn’t just making a difference for myself in this game world and it’s many characters needing human connection and materials delivered vehemently encouraging and supporting me with positive reinforcement, I was helping other players on the long road to the next delivery, the next story beat, the next enemy encampment. Being selfless in a way that I currently can’t in my daily life due to the impairments and challenges I face at this time. It was a “power” fantasy that was meant specifically for an overly-selfless-to-the-point-of-self-destruction person such as myself, and I never thought something like this would ever exist. 

Let me be clear when I say that for the players who like their games with a quicker start and a less pragmatic gameplay loop this most likely will not appeal to your sensibilities. And that's totally fine! I've seen some people get downright aggressively antagonistic when it comes to this. As I've said and will continue to say, there is a difference between taste and opinion. This gameplay does what it does pretty well by my estimation, but if it does not pique your interest, that doesn't mean that it is "bad."

In the post-game with all of my upgrades and know-how in tow there were times where I drifted around each landscape looking for open spaces to fill up with networks of zip-lines, safe-houses, and generators to help along the players who needed the assistance of someone who was maybe a little more well-traveled than themselves. It was nice to, in a small sense, feel that I was making a difference for once as opposed to constantly feeling like I was on the receiving end of the graciousness of the many beautiful human beings I’m fortunate enough to have in my life and keeping me alive. It was at least a minor way for way for me to be able to experience what it was like to have the shoe on the other foot.

A common criticism I’ve heard levied against Death Stranding is that it doesn’t qualify as a game in the same way that for example, a Mario game might be. I’ve never been a proponent of the semantic rabbit hole of “BUT IS IT REALLY A GAME?” that people in games analysis seem to love. No one ever says “yeah this movie is good but is it really a movie?” it implies that we must stick to a predetermined and inflexible template of what the medium is which will only encourage less innovation and experimentation. If the experience is valuable then why does it matter that it is not a formulaic and dogmatic “video game” that checks all of the “criteria” of things needed to imply that, yes, this is in fact a game.

If Metal Gear Solid 2 back in 2001 is a young and disillusioned Hideo Kojima lamenting the future of the information age and all of the post-truth, postmodernism, and nihilism that has, at the end of the day, become our dark and modern reality then Death Stranding is an older and softer Kojima who has discovered (this is just my interpretation of his feelings I don’t want to sound like I’m speaking for the man) that bitterness and resentment can only go so far. Not just in terms of what you put into the world but how it shapes you in detrimental ways that will take its toll on you the more you let the demons in to drag you back down.

After years of anticipation it’s still somewhat surreal that the game is even out let alone has been for a year and a half now. Here we are in 2021, a very real world event has continued to keep us away from each other. We are as fractured and disconnected as we have been in this century. Those who I’ve been leaning on for guidance in my life are those who inspire others through their genuine consideration and respect for others. It has been one of the driving forces behind being able to cope with the feelings of seclusion and helplessness.