From the incredible mind of Hideo Kojima, and the talented actors such as Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen, came Death Stranding, a 2019 action-adventure, open-world game developed by Kojima Productions and published, on some platforms, by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It received generally positive reviews, with some confusion about the story, and won several awards at the 2019 GOTY awards. A Director’s Cut was released in 2021 on PlayStation with some visual enhancements and expanded content. 

The story follows the “Death Stranding,” a cataclysmic event across the world that changed the way society views life and death. While the effect was worldwide, this story is focused on the United States, and playing as Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus), you navigate this dangerous new world to reconnect the country and fend off a genocidal militia group that seeks to unleash the 6th major extinction event. 

In my review, I’m going to go into the details of the story, the gameplay, and share about other related content. This is NOT a spoiler-free review!

The Story

The story in this game is complex and detailed, and it requires your full attention for every in-game detail and every long cutscene. You have to get at least halfway through the game to start piecing together the story, and much of what you need to know isn’t revealed until the very end, both during the credits and after. So let’s try to break it down.

After the “Death Stranding” event, the way society functioned was shattered, and those who survived were fairly isolated from each other because the outside world became nearly uninhabitable. Outside, BTs (Beached Things) roam, creatures that are linked to the afterlife that seek to consume living beings to cause a voidout, which is a nuclear-level explosion. Several cities, Knot Cities, have been destroyed by these voidouts, which is why so many choose to live in smaller, isolated bases. Rain is also destructive now, known as Timefall, which ages you with each drop and slowly degrades supplies. In order for supplies to be transferred and bodies to be disposed of properly, porters from BRIDGES walk across the country to provide these services, fending off BTs, bandits, and Timefall, with the help of BBs (Bridge Baby), who are premature children that can sense the presence of BTs. Additionally, some people with DOOMS are able to see, or even control BTs, and they don’t die permanently, usually coming back feeling as if they’ve been reborn. 

Sam Porter Bridges is a porter with DOOMS, who is paired with a BB he eventually names Lou, and he has been tasked with reconnecting the Chiral Network to rebuild America. He is only doing this because Amelie, whose relationship with him is fairly unclear, has asked him to. However, as players quickly discover, there is more to Amelie’s existence than we realize, and the leader of a terrorist group, Higgs, is looking to exploit her abilities and bring about the 6th major extinction event. Additionally, Sam’s BB triggers memories and events Sam has to navigate, eventually learning the truth about who he is and how DOOMS started.

In the end, Sam succeeds in stopping Higgs and convinces Amelie to stop the Last Stranding extinction event, choosing to stay trapped in her Beach to keep everyone safe. Sam leaves BRIDGES, tired of his work, and removes Lou from her pod, nearly losing her before he is able to revive her and goes on to raise her as his own daughter. 

As mentioned, the bulk of this information is revealed towards the end of the game, and while it is an incredible game with a well-thought-out story, there are times when you feel like no progress is being made or your questions won’t be answered. It does require patience, but once things start coming together, the completion of Sam’s story feels extremely rewarding. Sam is also an extremely realistic character, forgiving those who deserve it and shunning those who don’t. His only flaw was his commitment to Amelie, who, at no point, feels like a character that should have such an emotional hold on him. She felt more like a burden, and once he broke free, he was able to find a path that was his own. 

The Gameplay

The terms action-adventure and open-world cover a lot of concepts, and many people have jokingly called Death Stranding a walking simulator. However, Kojima specifically calls this game a “strand game” because of its asynchronous online functions and social elements. While it does include action-adventure aspects and is fairly open-world since you have free rein to walk where you please, Kojima has a talent for creating game genre categories before they’re official. So, how do you play a “strand game?” 

The bulk of the game is transporting items, which is mainly done by walking, and motorcycles and larger vehicles that are made available later with the right materials. When you deliver material, you’re given a rating and rewards, and the higher your rating, the better the rewards, which will help you progress through the game. The cargo you transport can be damaged by timefall, falling, or the BTs when they attack, so your rating per delivery is mostly determined by the quality of the cargo upon arrival. Also, how much you carry affects your ability to transport it! The more weight you add, the harder it is to navigate difficult terrain or enemy territory, but you can strategically organize your cargo and use vehicles to carry more. 

Your BB will alert you when you’re coming up on an area with BTs, as will the appearance of timefall, and you can use the robotic sensor arm to try to isolate them, either to avoid them or destroy them with Sam’s blood. If they get a hold of you and you can’t escape, you technically die, but Sam comes back to life after “swimming” back to his body, and you restart from your last save. However, all your items will be missing or damaged, and the area you died in will be destroyed by a voidout, so it’s best to avoid BTs or take them out. 

As you connect areas to the Chiral Network, you can access more areas of the map, build roads, produce materials, and connect to other players through drop points to share items, materials, and likes. This is where the online aspect comes into play, as you support other players by helping complete their deliveries and restoring each other’s structures from the timefall damage. You have no direct encounters with other players, but everything is connected in a way that builds community.

The reason why it’s called a walking simulator is because you have to actually work to navigate the terrain, steadying yourself as you trip, slip, wade through water, and lean to each side. You also have to stop for bathroom breaks and recovery, so it’s good to take rest breaks at each network connection point. As you navigate, you can quickly view which areas of the terrain are most risky, with little red x’s appearing. So don’t jump into a river full of red x’s, because you’re going to lose all your stuff!

The Story Continues

Do I recommend this game? Absolutely! Just be prepared to commit and have patience with the story. And, speaking from experience, don’t take a few months’ break between playing, because you will be confused when you jump back in.

Death Stranding has several Editions available on PlayStation and Steam: Death Stranding Director’s Cut Standard Edition, Death Stranding Director’s Cut Digital Deluxe Edition, Death Stranding Standard Edition, and Death Stranding Digital Deluxe Edition. Each offers different experiences and features, but I recommend getting the Director’s Cut over the regular version, especially if you’re playing on the PS5.

In June of 2025, a sequel, called Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, was released for the PS5. There are currently two film adaptations planned and an animated TV series in development. There is also an incredible collection of music available accompanying both games.

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Sources: 

• PlayStation: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/death-stranding 
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Stranding
• 505 Games: https://deathstrandingpc.505games.com/en