It was always going to a divisive, but Death Stranding reviews are finally in and for the most part, they’re fairly positive. The game is currently sitting at an 82 on Metacritic, with just 50 reviews being counted so far.
We gave the game an 8/10 and said: Hideo Kojima has long been a visionary auteur, his feted career stands as proof. With no walls to contain him, he has given birth to Death Stranding. It’s an experience that will be remembered for a long time, from its early hype to the untethered lunacy of its narrative. It’s an art installation of a game that filled me with rage as often as it did joy. It is sweeping in both lustre and purpose, though it wears a few warts on the pleasant, bare bones of a game about deliveries that has no right to be as memorable as it somehow is.
Digitally Downloaded gave it a 10/10 and said: Death Stranding does belong in an art gallery more than it does sitting on consoles next to more traditional “games”. As I sit here to write this, I am fully convinced that there are going to be plenty of reviews from my peers that veer to the other extreme as far as their scores go. And fair enough, because as a “game” Death Stranding doesn’t do much. But as a work of art, Death Stranding is something mesmerising, intelligent, and powerful, and we never see this kind of work within the big budget, blockbuster space. This was a rare treat to play, and I rather like this new-look, independent Kojima.
Gamespot gave it a 9/10 and said: Death Stranding is a hard game to absorb. There are many intertwining threads to its plot, and silly names, corny moments, and heavy exposition belie an otherwise very simple message. That comes through much more clearly in the game’s more mundane moments, when you find a desperately-needed ladder left behind by another player or receive a letter from an NPC thanking you for your efforts. It’s positive without ignoring pain; in fact, it argues in both its story and its gameplay that adversity itself is what makes things worth doing and life worth living. It’s a game that requires patience, compassion, and love, and it’s also one we really need right now.
IGN gave it a 6.8/10 and said: There is a fascinating, fleshed-out world of supernatural science fiction to enjoy across its sprawling and spectacular map, so it’s a real shame that it’s all been saddled on a gameplay backbone that struggles to adequately support its weight over the full course of the journey.
AusGamers gave it a 6/10 and said: In the end, all I can really say is this: handle Death Stranding with care.
Stevivor gave it a 3.5/10 and said: Death Stranding is an irredeemable piece of garbage that should serve as a warning to publishers who give developers carte blanche to create ‘art’.
