Death Stranding (Nov. 8)

I want to experience this. But a I’ll wait until I can get it for $20.

I'd say thats smart. I have it via gamefly and i'm definitely glad I didn't pay full price for it. I've played it for probably 30+ hours and still can't even tell you if I like it at all or not. I don't exactly dislike it, but I kinda have to make a conscious choice to play it, it's never a given that DS is the game I'll be popping in when I sit down to play something. I'm forcing myself to at least finish it but then I'm sending it back and never playing it again. The game is hard for me to categorize... I enjoy some things about it and can appreciated the intent, but it's just not something that I find myself having a desire to actually put the time into, I have to force myself every time.... Once I'm done with it I'm going to play through RDR2 again to enjoy playing games again...
 
It is absolutely a game that is not for everyone and it won't even be a 50/50 split on who actually enjoys it and who doesn't I wouldn't think. I beat it, and I've played it some since, and I've come to realize I don't love it, but there is something about it that can keep me playing. I think the story is a bit pretentious and just gibberish for the most part though, hahaha
 
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Although I ain’t seen much gameplay and don’t know much about it, it feels like one of those pieces of art in an exhibition where it’s too arty for its own good.
meaning you know the ones I am talking about, a messy unmade bed, a dolls head stuck on a carrot with spiders legs sticking out of its ears etc etc and most people thinking “that’s s**t!” But the too cool for school cats going “omg this is amazing and I can totally see what the artist was trying to envision”
 
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They're not zombies, they're freakers, he said that. hahaha
Who said that?
I'm split with this semantics.
Personally prefer the Romero zombie and consider that the only pure zombie... but... then you have to draw the line somewhere, can they walk fast, run, semi run? Biohazard, disease, voodoo/magic, meteor origin? Do they have to be clinically dead?
I'd put these freakers in the zombie genre of monsters.
Last of mushroom heads aren't though
 
Haha, I's just joshin' ya, I think it was the creative director who said that in an early interview when asked what sets the game apart from other zombie games. The freakers are totally in the same 'type' of enemy as zombies, but because they are not re-animated/ formerly dead people but are still alive they don't consider them zombies, but I don't care what they say, zombies is as good a term to describe them as anything else. If I were to try to describe the game to someone who knew nothing about it I certainly wouldn't say it's a "freaker" killing game...
 
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I'm about 4 hours in and was immediately struck by the game's beautiful art design and presentation. The game runs on the same engine as Horizon but looks significantly different, seems like Kojima and team went for a more realistic look and it works really well.

Its too early to say how I really feel about this game but I as of now I do enjoy traversing its world. There's a sense of awe and mystery about it that I'm really digging at the moment. However, the game throws a lot of terms at the player early on that left me confused. Dooms, Repatriate, Voidouts, Chiral Allergy to name a few. Some seem obvious but others not so much. The music is wonderful and can add tension depending on the situation.

Like many I'm still working from home and due to today's official/unofficial holiday in honor of Juneteenth I'll be able to logout of my firm's network early. So I'll be jump back in pretty soon and I can't wait. I think given today's social climate I think this game's theme of connections (Strands) is more important than ever.
 
I'm now about 65 hrs. in. I would say the first 10-12 hrs were frustrating. But after getting a few upgrades it got much better. I'm currently in the Central mountainous area and the difficulty spiked. But received some new gear and upgrades which allow me to motor up steep cliffs and plow through waist deep snow. I find there is something really addicting to the gameplay loop of making deliveries and building structures. The story is weird Kojima over the top sci-fi that I've come to like and feel invested in.

Who knew a delivery sim could be so interesting and engaging. At first I was like "yeah, gamers were right this is just boring and brutally frustrating". That opinion has since changed but only after gritting my teeth through the first hours of the game. I don't know if its good game design where a game doesn't get good until after 10 hours or so of game play. But after having played for so long I can't see how team Kojima could have sped things up given how much was needed to establish this game's extensive lore/story.

I look forward to Kojima's next game.
 



“Of course, compared with the PS4 version, the resolution and the frame rate have been upgraded,” he responded through a translator. “But the biggest surprise I think that people will get is that we supported the 21:9 ultrawide screen, and this is surely expanding the horizontal perspective to bring you like dive into the game with the immersion and the presence with it.

...

“So compared to the previous one, I could kind of say that you’re kind of watching a TV drama in the previous game, but this time in the PC version it’s more you get the impression that you’re watching a movie at the cinema.”
 



“Of course, compared with the PS4 version, the resolution and the frame rate have been upgraded,” he responded through a translator. “But the biggest surprise I think that people will get is that we supported the 21:9 ultrawide screen, and this is surely expanding the horizontal perspective to bring you like dive into the game with the immersion and the presence with it.

...

“So compared to the previous one, I could kind of say that you’re kind of watching a TV drama in the previous game, but this time in the PC version it’s more you get the impression that you’re watching a movie at the cinema.”

So much for "parity".
 
I read the game was profitable for Sony but I believe a lot of people were scared off from a purchase because of all the negativity surrounding this game when it released. So, I hope the PC release allows for more sales from gamers willing to take a chance on something different. Gamers who by in large often scream for something different but then ignore a game for being different, haha. Don't get me wrong I don't fault any gamer for being weary of this title. It doesn't make for exciting trailers and the story is way over the top sci-fi. But I've come to really like Death Stranding.

I was addicted to building roads to make deliveries much easier. But then I made it to a part of the map that doesn't support roads. But I recently completed my network of zip lines in the mountainous region and its awesome. I thought roads made things easy but these zip lines are even better. I'm now able to zip right up and over mountains cutting travel time significantly. I wish I could use zip lines all over the map but resources are limited so I have to be careful and limit how many I use but I think I"ll be able to use them to link to all major roads and easy travel areas.
 
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Was really hoping the surprise would have been an update for the PS5. This is at the top of my list to play next but I'd also like to hold off for PS5 if I can get 4k/60 then.
 
I did not hold off. Started this a few days ago and really enjoying it so far. Only on chapter 2 still with about 12 hours in so not that far. With the world graphics near photorealistic it's fun to just wander around and take in the sights.

Not sure what the game runs at but looks damn good and frame rate is fine for the type of game it is. Doesn't really need 60.
 
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