This game is such a roller coaster of emotions. Some of the most beautiful imagery I've ever seen in a video game. Genuinely awesome soundtrack (both the licensed music and original material).
There were moments when it was frustrating and boring, and the storytelling can sometimes be way to literal and explanation based.
But I truly did love the story underneath, as it was one of hope and the importance of connection to get through rough times. Some subjects hit real close to home for me, and at times it can get quite depressing, but this strong sense of hope and helping each other is always there to lift you back up.
Again, some game mechanics and cut scenes really didn't work for me, but other parts of the game will be forever in my mind.
I'm rating it a 7.5<->10.5 out of 10. I've decided conventional scales don't cut it for games like this.
I would love to know your opinions if you want to share them!
I love how weirdly unapologetically uplifting this game is. WIth a post-apocalyptic premise, and a name like Death Stranding, you would expect something dark, violent and depressing. And while it does have these elements, they play second fiddle to the game's positive message about community and working together. All reinforced through both story and well thought out gameplay systems.
I think this is really driven home by how heavily the player is punished for killing people. It's not just some Splinter Cell-style radio message about trying to keep casualties to a minimum. If you actually manage to kill a single person, you pretty much have to drop anything you were doing and devote the next half hour to cleaning up the mess you made before it literally blows up in your face.
I totally agree, this game is just so obviously anti violence, really nice change from all the other big games.