Category: Expert Review

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is a science fiction role-playing walking simulation game with a third-person perspective. It was developed by Kojima Productions, with 505 Games publishing it on the Steam platform. The original title was launched in 2019, while this new version releases on March 30, 2022. 

There’s a long story behind how Death Stranding Director’s Cut came to be that’s almost as enticing as the game’s story itself. You’ll spend plenty of hours walking around the post-apocalyptic terrain of America, looking for a way to save it from the Beached Things (BTs). Join me as I show you my gameplay experience in this review.

The history and story of Death Stranding Director’s Cut

If there’s one aspect that shines in Death Stranding Director’s Cut, it’s the lengthy story. As a matter of fact, you’ll spend many hours simply watching the video cutscenes in between playing. There are many times you’ll wonder when you can start playing again. Let’s have a look at all the story elements.

From Silent Hill to Death Stranding

One can’t discuss Death Stranding without looking into the fascinating background that gave life to the game. As many fans know, Kojima Productions had teased the world with a new Silent Hill Playable Trailer (Silent Hill P.T.) that had the gaming world in a buzz. It was set to be the franchise’s first proper first-person horror journey with many tantalizing elements. It also starred Norman Reedus as an introduction to what was meant to become Silent Hills. 

Sadly, Hideo Kojima and Konami parted ways in 2015, the reasons for which aren’t important for this review. Kojima Productions took with them Norman Reedus and Guillermo Del Toro, while adding a stellar cast for the newly announced horror adventure game, Death Stranding. It would be four years before we finally saw the original game launch.

The story of Sam Porter Bridges

While it’s a complete divergence from Silent Hill, Death Stranding Director’s Cut has a detailed story that’s the heart of the game. You play as Sam Porter Bridges, although later it seems he was a Strand at some point. The entire plot revolves around him and his ability to revive himself when he dies.

You now live in a post-apocalyptic America. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there was an event called Death Stranding where a gateway opened between the dead and the living. Dead bodies washed up everywhere, but now their souls haunt you from the afterlife.

When the rain touches anything, time seems to rapidly accelerate and can lead to death within a few minutes. It only seems to affect living humans and creatures, as the trees and environment seem fine. During a time void, a massive creature sucks up anyone that’s recently died and creates a massive creator when it explodes.

I won’t ruin more of the story for you, but the plot does thicken many times along the way. There are definitely many exciting twists along the way, and you can see the foreshadowing with the BB’s memories and what’s to come later when you meet one of the other main characters.

Become a glorified delivery man

While the story behind Sam in Death Stranding Director’s Cut is quite fascinating, in the end, you’re mostly a delivery man for a company called Bridges. You’ll soon learn why the connection is important, especially with your ties to the president and someone you’ll need to rescue later.

However, you’ll play most of the game as a delivery man, picking up cargo and taking them to various destinations. The plot is entwined with this mission, but that’s why so many of us gamers call it a walking simulator. Still, I love how the story points appear while you’re walking across the wasteland.

Reconstructing America

The overall mission that becomes more obvious later in Death Stranding Director’s Cut is that you need to reconstruct America. Sure, they tell you to rescue your sister on the other side of the continent. However, you’ll need to upload specific sites to the chiral network, which you’ll do while you deliver cargo to them. The bulk of the game is spent traveling across the States and reconnecting them while delivering packages.

Some missions on the side

There are also quests you can complete on the side. When you activate a terminal at a site, you have orders to accept. One of them is usually the main mission, while the others are additional objectives. Not only are they entertaining to complete, but they help you level up and obtain useful resources.

How long is Death Stranding Director’s Cut?

The length of Death Stranding Director’s Cut depends on how many missions you choose to complete. If you only want to do the main story, it will take you about 35 hours. Completionists can enjoy over 100 hours, while only focusing on some side objectives will tally about 65 hours.

Exciting gameplay features of Death Stranding Director’s Cut 

What I love about Death Stranding Director’s Cut is how well it integrates the story with the gameplay. There are so many elements where you can see how well they’re fused together. 

Is there a tutorial in Death Stranding Director’s Cut?

One of the best mechanics of Death Stranding Director’s Cut is that the tutorial is woven in as you play the game. When you encounter something new along the way, the game will quickly explain how it works. What’s remarkable is that it works well with the main character that’s never experienced some of the aspects, such as the cuff links that provide all the information.

There’s also an in-game manual that provides advice, but only when you unlock them. As you come across something new that needs an explanation, a notification will appear that you’re manual has a new update. It’s hard to go wrong with such detailed instructions.

Keyboard and mouse vs. controller

When I first started the game for my Death Stranding Director’s Cut review, I connected my Xbox controller. It was challenging at first, as the button notifications that appeared on-screen for specific actions showed keyboard controls. It meant I still had to use the keyboard in most scenarios.

As soon as I became annoyed, I switched to the keyboard for a few hours, which I don’t like playing with when gaming. It motivated me to analyze the settings until I discovered you can change to controller notifications. Sadly, it doesn’t switch automatically like most games I’ve played on PC.

Happily moving back to the controller, it’s easy to say that it’s the better option for Death Stranding Director’s Cut. You can manage your walking speed with the left stick, while the keyboard just makes Sam run all the time. The shortcuts are also easier to manage with the buttons than with the keyboard.

Collecting and packing items

As you’re a glorified delivery man, the one aspect you’ll need to master in Death Stranding Director’s Cut is picking up items and placing them in your backpack. As with games like Resident Evil 7 and Silent Hill 4, you’ll need to deal with inventory management. You can only carry so much, which is upgraded at a later point.

The game simplifies the process but auto-arranging items for you if you’re struggling. There are attachments to your suit for other items, but you won’t really need to worry about placement if you use this auto-pack function. As you collect lost cargo on your journey, Sam will just slot them in the next available space.

Looking after your Bridge Baby (BB)

Not long after you start Death Stranding Director’s Cut, you’ll receive a BB unit. It attaches to the front of your suit and shares emotions and memories with you. You’ll need to care for it and make sure it doesn’t become too stressed; otherwise, it won’t be able to warn you when BTs are nearby or other dangers. It reaches a point when it just shuts down and you’ll need to rejuvenate it.

Crossing the perilous terrain in Death Stranding Director’s Cut

The terrain in the new America is dangerous. The lost BT souls appear whenever there’s rain, which is when you’re in danger of being killed. However, the environment has plenty of other risks you need to watch out for. 

For example, the rocks and cliffs may make you stumble and lose all your cargo, which you’ll need to collect again. Also, you’ll lose points for any damage they incur and your BB unit stresses out. The rivers and streams also pose dangers, as you’ll lose stamina and possibly your footing if you’re not careful. You’ll need to use both triggers to adjust cargo weight if the balance shifts to either side.

Fortunately, the online element comes into play here. Other players can leave ladders, ropes, and other helpful tools to cross rivers or climb mountains. You can also do the same, and other gamers can leave a like for you doing so when they discover it. It’s an excellent way to play a solo game with others without actually seeing them in the game. Later, you’ll unlock vehicles to travel faster.

Repatriation is the new resurrection

Sam is a repatriate with DOOMs. What that means is, that he has the ability to revive himself when he dies. You then play as your soul, drifting in the afterlife, searching for your body. When you find it, you can resurrect yourself, with a cute image of a baby giving you a thumbs up. At first, it’s a creepy experience, but it grows on you.

Accepting orders

You can’t perform deliveries without accepting orders. As you unlock new sites in Death Stranding Director’s Cut, the terminals will give you new objectives to complete. You can either accept them all or one at a time. One factor to note is that they’ll stock your backpack with what you need, so it’s best to choose one or two that are manageable. 

Once you accept an order, your map is updated with where the objective is. You’ll need to study the map and terrain to see which would be the best route. You can set waypoints, which you can then view while walking using your virtual compass. It’s a system that works really well.

Improving your stats

The reason you need to look after your cargo is that you’ll receive likes and points for delivering them with less damage. There are different stats that increase in levels every time you finish missions. Your character also has his own level, which updates in relation to these stats.

Some private time

When you’re not crossing treacherous terrains or battling BTs, you can spend some quiet time in your private room. When you take a shower or use the toilet, a scientist analyzes the waste to see if you have any toxins in your body. You can care for your BB, while there’s an interactive map on the wall where you can read emails and messages. It’s a safe area where you can prepare for the next journey.

What are the Death Stranding Director’s Cut PC requirements?

Once you see how immense Death Stranding Director’s Cut is, you’ll understand why the PC requirements are so high. I’ve placed the recommended hardware and software here below, as I don’t believe the minimum requirements are good enough:

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel™ Core i7-3770 / AMD Ryzen™ 5 1600
• Memory: 8 GB
• Graphics: GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB / AMD Radeon™ RX 590
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 80 GB 
• Sound Card: DirectX compatible
• Additional Notes: AVX instruction set required

While I didn’t experience any lagging or performance issues, there did seem to be a slight conflict with GeForce taking screenshots. It may just be because of the high-quality visuals, but there was definitely some lag while recording the images. Other than that, Death Stranding Director’s Cut plays beautifully.

What’s different in Death Stranding Director’s Cut?

There are a few changes and additions in Death Stranding Director’s Cut. For one, you’ll have plenty of new gear to equip. There’s also a new location you can investigate, and you’ll also see some new cargo. The most exciting alteration is the new Buddy Bot that you unlock later in the game, making it easier for you to travel across the terrain.

Death Stranding Director’s gorgeous graphics and stunning sounds

The visuals and sound effects of Death Stranding Director’s Cut are incredibly outstanding. With so many video cutscenes, it’s really impressive how much work Kojima Productions put into it. The only annoying aspect is that some narrative videos took 30 minutes, if not longer, leaving you itching to play but not wanting to miss the story.

World design and beauty

Walking through the post-apocalyptic American lands is absolutely stunning. The environment looks ultra-realistic, and you can almost feel the spray on your face from the rivers or rain. You’ll want to spend moments simply looking at the beauty around you. 

There are few games that can mimic the glory of the graphics, with GTA V not even coming close. The only issue I did come across is when your character and the scenery sometimes glitched when climbing off a ladder at the top, and it takes some flicking of the controller stick to get it right.

Brilliant character and creature designs 

Even the characters look immaculate. You’ll notice how many times Death Stranding Director’s Cut does close-ups of characters’ faces, just to show off. It’s hard not to praise the beauty of every visual element on their bodies, especially when wind and rain interact with them. The creatures have outstanding designs too, all from the minds of the developers. The BB is the most adorable aspect, though, despite its horrible background.

The horror effect in Death Stranding Director’s Cut

I love the way Death Stranding Director’s Cut brings suspense with many of its horror aspects. Instead of jump scares, it builds tension with rain and environmental elements. The footprints of a creature that you can’t see create foreshadowing across the story, which just adds to the mystery.

Stunning sounds and music

Finally, the sound and music of Death Stranding Director’s Cut add a wonderful ambiance to the game. As you travel across the terrain, a new song may appear that is added to your music player. You can also unlock songs by collecting them along your travels. Sound effects also create tension, and you’ll need to stop breathing so the BTs can’t hear that you’re alive.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut: Is it better than the original?

Death Stranding Director’s Cut brings many new aspects to the game. There’s some new narrative you can enjoy, plus you have a new location to visit. It offers improved gear and bots to make traveling easier, which is welcome for those who have finished the original version. Overall, it still presents outstanding gameplay, story elements, graphics, and sound that players love about it. In my opinion, it’s a better version than the original and now includes the digital artbook as part of the download.

If you enjoy these detailed reviews, make sure you don’t miss out on Total War: Warhammer III.

Pros

• Sound and images play vital gameplay roles
• Absolutely stunning locations
• Several hours of gameplay
• Easy gameplay mechanics
• Controller works well
• Plenty of missions
• Intriguing storyline
• Detailed character designs
• Outstanding resurrection effect
• Horror elements build suspense well

Cons

• The narrative cutscenes are incredibly long
• Visuals glitch sometimes when climbing

Developer: Kojima Productions

Publisher: 505 Games (for Steam)

Game Modes: Campaign
Platform reviewed: Windows 11 – Steam